
NASA Artemis II Laser Communications Demo Achieves 260 Mbps from Moon Using Low-Cost Terminal
NASA's Artemis II mission successfully demonstrated laser communications from the Moon, with a low-cost terminal in Australia operated by the Australian National University achieving 260 Mbps data rates. Built by Observable Space and Quantum Opus for under $5 million, the terminal proves that high-throughput space-to-Earth laser downlinks can be scaled affordably, potentially enabling global networks of ground stations for satellite data reception.