The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration reported that a new data transfer took place from the Psyche probe using the laser communication system, this time from a distance of more than 226 million kilometers from the Earth.

Engineers used an experimental optical communications system (Deep Space Optical Communications, DSOC) already in use late last year to send video of a cat from deep space to Earth, along with the probe’s standard radio communications system.

In case the experimental DSOC failed to transmit, data was sent by two systems. However, it turned out that DSOC was able to transmit information at a faster rate than expected. The system was sending data at a rate of 25 megabits per second, instead of one megabit per second as previously expected, even when the spacecraft was far from Earth.

As stated by NASA, laser systems are capable of transferring data 10 to 100 times faster than modern radio frequency systems. Given the increasing complexity of space missions and the increasing amount of data that needs to be sent back to Earth, laser technology may be used in future space missions.