--- title: NASA's OPALS Beams Video from Space | TIME description: NASA beams canonical: https://time.com/video/Y5SXYNkh/ og:title: NASA's OPALS Beams Video from Space og:description: NASA beams og:url: https://time.com/video/Y5SXYNkh/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Y5SXYNkh/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: NASA's OPALS Beams Video from Space twitter:description: NASA beams twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Y5SXYNkh/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # NASA's OPALS Beams Video from Space > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: NASA's OPALS Beams Video from Space [Watch (HLS stream): NASA's OPALS Beams Video from Space](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Y5SXYNkh.m3u8) (1:42)  _Published 2014-06-06. NASA beams_ --- Jul 27, 2023 4:46 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [A Eulogy for NASA's Opportunity Rover ](/video/06y9Ksrk/) ### A Eulogy for NASA's Opportunity Rover [OBAMA: Praise for NASA's space program](/video/QueXAXOI/) ### OBAMA: Praise for NASA's space program [NASA's Next Mission](/video/kc7EDltB/) ### NASA's Next Mission --- ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] The OPAL's payload will transmit a high definition video from the space station down to the ground on a laser beam. We do this by using a telescope, high above Los Angeles, in the Sanger Mountain. So, we come down on a 2 and a half watt laser from a payload called the Opal's payload up on the space station. The file will transmit over a fiber optics cable on the beam, back to the ground station on Table Mountain. From this location, we will illuminate the international space station with a laser beam. Once the beacon received, the Opal's payload points back at the ground station, and will modulate a signal for laser beam back to the ground. We collect an enormous amount of data out in space, we need to get it all to the ground. And so this is an alternative that is much faster than our traditional radio waves that we use to communicate to the ground. And so with this demonstration we are paving the way for the future of communications to and from space. So we have a special message now from the International Space Station it's our first message called, Hello World. An homage to the first output of any standard computer program. Let's take a look at it now. It's the story of an endless search to serve the communications needs of America. Why the hurry? Here is modern telegraphy at work. Sending and receiving, in facsimile. [ NOISE ] This is information may I help you? The needs of today keeps pace with the temple of a fast moving H. [ NOISE ] ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"NASA's OPALS Beams Video from Space","description":"NASA beams ","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Y5SXYNkh/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-06-06T23:30:38.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Y5SXYNkh.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/video/Y5SXYNkh/","duration":"PT1M42S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/video/Y5SXYNkh/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}} ```