tech
April 6, 2026
Why will today's lunar flyby only beam back low-resolution video?
Humanity is about to get its first in-person, up-close look at the Moon in more than half a century.
TL;DR
- Four astronauts will spend approximately seven hours observing the far side of the Moon from the Orion spacecraft.
- This is the first close-up human observation of the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
- Live video from the flyby will be low-resolution due to the significant distance and limitations of the Deep Space Network.
- An experimental optical communication system using lasers is being tested for higher data rates but has limitations.
- NASA is working with Intuitive Machines to establish a lunar satellite constellation for improved communications and high-resolution video for future lunar missions.
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