NASA will equip the Orion spacecraft with two Starlink Mini laser terminals to transmit 4K video and imagery during the mission.

An artist’s concept of the Orion spacecraft orbiting Earth.
Photo Credit: NASA

NASA has selected SpaceX to provide laser communications capabilities for the Artemis III mission, enabling high-speed transmission of 4K video and imagery from the Orion spacecraft as astronauts carry out critical tests in preparation for future lunar landings.

The technology will allow NASA to deliver enhanced live views from Orion as the four-member Artemis III crew performs rendezvous and docking demonstrations with test versions of commercial human landing systems required for the agency’s planned return of astronauts to the Moon in 2028.

As part of the mission, NASA will install two SpaceX Starlink Mini laser terminals on the exterior of the Orion spacecraft to complement its existing communications system. The terminals use the same laser crosslink technology developed for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation and will transmit 4K video, images and mission data to the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Unlike traditional radio frequency communications, optical or laser communications use invisible infrared light to transmit significantly larger amounts of data in a single downlink, improving bandwidth and enabling higher-quality transmissions.

The Artemis III demonstration builds on NASA’s successful use of optical communications during the Artemis II mission, when the agency transmitted high-definition video, voice communications, flight procedures, engineering data, scientific information and images from Orion to Earth using laser signals whenever the spacecraft was within line of sight of ground terminals.

SpaceX first demonstrated its laser communications capabilities for NASA during the Fram2 human spaceflight mission in 2025 under a funded Space Act Agreement aimed at developing commercial satellite relay services. The Starlink Mini terminals selected for Artemis III are based on the more than 25,000 laser links currently operating within the Starlink satellite network, which SpaceX also uses to provide real-time video and telemetry during Starship flight tests.

The Artemis III laser communications demonstration is being carried out through a partnership with NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Division and its Communications Services Project. The initiative expands the agency’s existing collaboration with SpaceX while supporting NASA’s broader strategy to commercialise satellite relay services for missions operating in near-Earth space.