Lasers! NASA to test record-breaking laser communications system
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/518826/nasa-moonshot-will-test-laser-communications/
If all goes as planned, a NASA moonshot Friday will demonstrate a new Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration system that delivers world-record-shattering 600 megabits-per-second downloads using lasers and telescope receivers. And it’s not just for moonshots: the technology could end up boosting terrestrial communications within a few years.