NASA Probe Blasts 461 Gigabytes of Moon Data Daily

coondoggie writes "On its current space scouting mission, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is using a pumped up communications device to deliver 461 gigabytes of data and images per day, at a rate of up to 100 Mbps. As the first high data rate K-band transmitter to fly on a NASA spacecraft, the 13-inch-long tube, called a Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier, is making it possible for NASA scientists to receive massive amounts of images and data about the moon's surface and environment. The amplifier was built by L-3 Communications Electron Technologies in conjunction with NASA's Glenn Research Center. The device uses electrodes in a vacuum tube to amplify microwave signals to high power. It's ideal for sending large amounts of data over a long distance because it provides more power and more efficiency than its alternative, the transistor amplifier, NASA stated." It kills me that the moon has better bandwidth than my house.

Comments

Insane

[DoofusOfDeath]

Their Cingular bill is going to suck.

Re:Insane

[Drakkenmensch]

But they're going to get their speed throttled pretty soon because of stupid traffic shaping policies.

Re:Insane

[rjstanford]

That was my slogan for a while, too. Pity my liver couldn't take the strain.

Re:Insane

[Salgak1]

In fact, it's a series of tubes. . . . And we call the bandwidth, the "Stevens Effect" (evil grin)

Sure, it can blast huge amounts of data

[elrous0]

But can it learn to love?

Re:Sure, it can blast huge amounts of data

[shadowblaster]

Sure it can, after all it's got a 13 inch "tube".

Re:Sure, it can blast huge amounts of data

[Ethanol-fueled]

Travelling wave tubes are often encased in a long, cuboid enclosure coupled to a waveguide or other transmission line 90 degrees at the end. That would make it very unpleasant, though you could stick it in her ass and run burn-in if it gets too "gassy" :)

Don't feel bad, CmdrTaco

[Shin-LaC]

I'm sure you can still beat the moon in latency.

Re:Don't feel bad, CmdrTaco

[ivan256]

At the very least, he could buy a new house near somewhere that has 100mbps connections.

Don't try this in Space

[Pikoro]

Hope they don't try anything over bittorrent.. that could add a bit of latency

Re:Don't try this in Space

[wbren]

Tomorrow's headline: "RIAA Lobbies Congress to Shut Down NASA"

Re:Don't try this in Space

[K. S. Kyosuke]

...and asks for astronomical damages to be paid?

Bandwidth, sure, but the Ping?

[corsec67]

It may have better BW than your house, but the ping is going to suck.

Or would you like your internet connection to be served by a SUV carrying hard drives?

Re:Bandwidth, sure, but the Ping?

[snookums]

Or would you like your internet connection to be served by a SUV carrying hard drives?

Never underestimate the bandwidth of a fedex truck packed with 250 lbs of hard disks!

Depending on the file size of what you would be downloading and with what technology, overnight shipping might STILL be better latency too!

Right, but remember that full hard drives weigh more than empty ones, so you only want to buy about 200 lb of empty drives if you have a 250 lb limit.

Spam

[tsdguy]

But of course, "In Space, No One Can Hear You Spam"...

Re:Spam

[ovu]

I have never before heard a serious conversation pitting the respective benefits of trannys vs. tubes in this context...

So wait...

[Anonymous Coward]

Now the internet is a series of vacuum tubes?

Yeah, but the latency's a bitch

[Trailer Trash]

It kills me that the moon has better bandwidth than my house.

Vacuum Tube?

[dunelin]

Anybody else think it's funny that in this case, a vacuum tube is a step up from a transistor?

Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier?

[Spazholio]

You just KNOW that the original name for the device was "Traveling Wave Amplified Tube" until some NASA jackass noticed the acronym and ruined it for everyone.

I hope Nasa has the right ISP

[kurt555gs]

That much data and Comcast would throttle it no matter what the scientists said. If AT&T had it going through their "unlimited" 3G connection, NASA would be hosed and we would be increasing the national debt by trillions.

One last thing, I m wondering if the **AA doesn't want access to the data stream to make sure it isn't a bittorrent containing their precious copyrighted work. After all, we all know there is no legitimate use for that much bandwidth.

Silly name

[nsebban]

"Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier" is the most silly name I have ever heard for a can of Pringles :)

Re:Bandwidth isn't everything.

[Anonymous Coward]

If I was stuck on the moon with absolutely nothing to do, I wouldn't complain about 1 second of lag if WoW was my only source of daily fun.

How do you play WoW without hands?

Re:This is not exactly a new device...

[MiniMike]

That is the most eloquent "RTFA" I've ever seen...

Tone

[kheldan]

Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier

..and there's always the advantage of having data with a warmer, richer feel to it than using a solid-state amp. Just think how much better the data will be once they start storing it on vinyl!