The world followed the exploits of NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission in near real-time thanks to a high-tech laser link between the astronauts and Earth that enabled high-definition streaming video and images.
Transmitting data optically, in this case by infrared light, is referred to as 'lasercom', and was at the heart of what made Artemis 2 so successful in the eyes of the public. Thanks to the high-res imagery that was made available on a daily basis, it felt like we were all riding with Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen every step of the way on their voyage around the moon.
