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NASA Streams Historic Video from Deep Space

Spoiler: it’s a cat video.

The ultra high-definition video featuring an orange tabby cat named Taters, was streamed from nearly 19 million miles away via laser by NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment, marking a historic milestone for space communications.

The video launched to space in 2023

Uploaded to the DSOC instrument, the video launched to space aboard the Psyche spacecraft on October 13, 2023. As the spacecraft travels to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the technology demonstration would be the first test of sending high-data-rate signals from deep space.

A collage of three images: A close-up of a hand in a blue glove holding a small circuit board. A rocket launching from a launchpad near the ocean, with a plume of fire and smoke below it. An artist's rendering of a spacecraft with extended solar panels.

Designed and built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the ultra sensitive single-photon detector is the heart of DSOC, which is capable of detecting the very faint laser signals traveling through deep space. Top left: DSOC instrument. Top right: NASA's Psyche mission launched on Oct. 13, 2023, carrying the DSOC experiment with it. Bottom: An artist's concept of the Psyche mission exploring the asteroid Psyche.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The moment “We Got Taters”

On December 11, 2023, the 15-second video of Taters the cat was successfully beamed back to Earth via DSOC’s cutting-edge flight laser transceiver. Traveling at the speed of light, it took 101 seconds to reach Earth.

Members of the DSOC team react to the first high-definition streaming video to be sent via laser from deep space on Dec. 11 at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Sent by the DSOC transceiver aboard the Psyche spacecraft, nearly 19 million miles from Earth, the video features a cat named Taters.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
An orange cat is lying on top of a couch. A heads-up display (HUD) is superimposed over the image, showing various graphics, data, and text, including what seems to be a targeting reticle centered on the cat.

A computer screen in the mission support area shows Taters the cat in a still from the first high-definition streaming video to be sent via laser from deep space, as well as the incoming data stream delivering the frames from the video.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Streamed at the system’s maximum bit rate of 267 megabits per second (Mbps), this is magnitudes faster than the state-of-the-art radio frequency systems used by deep space missions today.

“Despite transmitting from millions of miles away, it was able to send the video faster than most broadband internet connection.”

Ryan Rogalin, DSOC electronics lead, JPL

The world heard about it

Major news outlets around the world wasted no time to broadcast the historic cat video. Stories were covered by The New York Times, The Washington Post, AFP, ABC, NBC News, Forbes, BBC, USA Today, CNN, Fox, Univision, Euronews, Space.com, National Geographic, and more.

A collage of various news headlines from different media outlets all reporting on the same event: NASA successfully streamed a cat video from deep space using a laser. The headlines are in different languages and from various news sources.

NBC News covered the laser demo and its historical context. NASA advisor Dr. Paul Sutter explains how the laser works and what it means for space exploration.

Credit: NBC News

Taters became an instant global sensation

Within days of the stream, JPL’s coverage of the video demonstration generated 2.6M impressions and reached 451M people on the internet. The engagement exceeded the laboratory’s sharing benchmarks by 740%. Taters went viral.

Beyond breaking records for JPL’s social team, the feline stream inspired creators across the worldwide web to share. Here are just a few:

A collage of social media blurbs from around the world, all in different styles and languages, announcing NASA's successful transmission of a cat video from deep space to Earth using laser technology.

Content about the DSOC stream made by creators on various social media platforms.

This image is a collage of different printed media celebrating the transmission of a cat video from deep space. Images include a mock up of National Geographic, a comic book style illustration, and a three-panel comic strip.

Printed journalism about the DSOC stream.

Credit: NatGeo kids and The Washington Post

Taters even dominated Google search results for “cat” and “cat video.”

This image shows two Google Search results pages, both for the query "cat video." The image highlights the significant media attention this event received and how it dominated search results for related terms.

The future is meow

JPL video designers embedded references to the mission and its astrophysics in the video, including the mission’s orbital path, Palomar’s telescope dome, and technical information about the laser and its data bit rate. This article and cheat sheet explains the components of the video for the invested public.

The video continues a legacy of cats starring in technological firsts, such as Felix the Cat appearing in the first television test broadcast (1928).

Taters was the gateway for the public to learn more about light communication and NASA’s commitment towards advancing exploration in space.

What this means for the future of space

Since the historic stream, DSOC has continued to break records, culminating in sending and receiving a signal across 290 million miles this past July. That’s the same distance between our planet and Mars when the two planets are farthest apart!

A diagram of the inner solar system showing planet orbits around the Sun. A line extends from Earth to a point labeled "Psyche" which lies outside the orbit of Mars. The line is labeled "290 MILLION MILES" indicating the distance between Earth and Psyche.

This visualization shows the position of DSOC’s spacecraft, Psyche, on July 29 when the uplink station sent a laser signal about 290 million miles to the spacecraft. See an interactive version of the Psyche spacecraft in NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The mission’s continued success paves the way for higher-data-rate communications capable of sending complex scientific information, high-definition imagery, and video in support of humanity’s next giant leap: sending humans to Mars.

“This accomplishment underscores our commitment to advancing optical communications as a key element to meeting our future data transmission needs.”

Pam Melroy, NASA Deputy Administrator

Members of the JPL team pose after the ultra-HD video was received from deep space. Remote team members (including Taters the cat) appear on the meeting screen. Standing, from left, are: Dan Goods, Abi Biswas, Ryan Rogalin, Meera Srinivasan, Bill Klipstein, Oliver Lay, and Christine Chen.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Now, Team DSOC has started the second phase of the experiment. It’s time to get our laser pointers ready, because we already know Taters is ready for round 2.

Deep Space Optical Communications Team
Erik Alerstam
Jason Allmaras
Ken Andrews
Abhijit Biswas
Christine Chen
Dylan Conway
Brett Douglas
Bill Klipstein
Sean Meenehan
Ryan Rogalin
Matt Shaw
Meera Srinivasan
Emma Wollman
Malcolm Wright
Vincent Van Rhein
Angel Velasco

Cat Video Producers
Joby Harris
Elysha Tsai
Daniel Goods
Tyler Smyth

Project Media Relations
Ian O'Neill

Executive Producer
Georgina Goode

Social Media
Emilee Richardson
Rachel Puckett

Web
Alicia Cermak
Naomi Hartono
Randal Jackson
Lindsey Tran
Stephanie Smith