Artemis II to live-stream 4K moon video from lunar orbit at 260 Mbps using laser communications

NASA launched Artemis II on April 1, 2026, which will perform a lunar flyby.

The mission will transmit high-resolution 4K video from the Orion spacecraft using the O2O optical communications module.

O2O uses infrared laser links instead of RF and can provide up to 260 Mbps for live streaming and data transfer.

Ground stations in Las Cruces, Table Mountain, and Haleakala support the laser links, chosen for high elevation and clear skies.

When Orion passes behind the Moon, both laser and DSN links can be blocked for about 41 minutes.