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Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science

OPALS

The Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science, or OPALS, is a technology demonstration aboard the International Space Station designed to test the use of focused laser energy for space communications.

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OPALS Foreground

Mission Statistics

Launch Date

April 18, 2014

Type

Instrument

Target

Earth

Status

Past

About the mission

The Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science, or OPALS, is a technology demonstration aboard the International Space Station designed to test the use of focused laser energy for space communications. OPALS arrived at the space station on April 20, 2014, aboard SpaceX's Dragon cargo spacecraft and is slated to run for a prime mission of 90 days.

A test of the new technology, which engineers predict will vastly improve the data rates for future spacecraft communications, was performed on June 5, 2014, when NASA successfully beamed a high-definition video message of "Hello, World!" 260 miles from the International Space Station to Earth.

Mission Highlights

April 20, 2014

OPALS arrives at the International Space Station aboard SpaceX's Dragon cargo spacecraft

June 5, 2014

NASA successfully beams the transmission of "Hello, World!" as a video message 260 miles from the International Space Station to Earth. It is the first 175-megabit communication for OPALS.

April 2017

Opal was removed from the ISS.

Target: Earth

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