DSOC - Deep Space Optical Communication

Testing Space Lasers for Deep Space Optical Communications (Mission Overview)
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The Silicon Graybeard reports on the Psyche mission. Laser communications are a staple of Science Fiction stories (sometimes referred to as tight beam communications). Radios broadcast, which means those signals can be picked up by anyone with a receiver. Microwaves are a little better, but the beam tends to spread out a bit as it goes. Laser beams spread out more slowly meaning the enemy has less chance of intercepting your communications. Lasers also give you higher data rates, as evidenced by a zillion people all connected to the same fiber optic cable, all watching different Netflix movies.