NASA: Rekordverdächtige Laser-Demo der NASA schließt Mission ab

> In 2023, TBIRD continuously broke its own records, reaching its peak in June when it transmitted 4.8 terabytes of error-free data — equivalent to about 2,400 hours of high-definition video — in five minutes at 200 gigabits per second in a single pass.

> payload contained two commercial telecommunication modems that the TBIRD team modified for the extreme environment of space.

> The spacecraft set a record for the highest accuracy pointing ever achieved by a NASA CubeSat without any moving mechanisms or propulsion systems.

> While only planned to operate for six months, TBIRD carried out its demonstration for well over two years, enabling NASA to learn more about laser communications operations in low Earth orbit.

Cool stuff. Yet again CotS hardware + mass produced stuff + cheap access to space (part of a Transporter mission) wins! Hopefully NASA continues on this trend, of flying more and more CotS stuff, slightly adapted for space, instead of mission specific heavily designed stuff.