Editing Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (section)

== Data transfer technology ==
The Mars Telecommunications Orbiter would have carried [[Mars Laser Communication Demonstration]] to demonstrate [[laser communication in space]] ([[optical communications]]), instead of usual [[radiowave]]s. "Lasercom sends information using beams of light and optical elements, such as telescopes and optical amplifiers, rather than RF signals, amplifiers, and antennas."<ref>{{cite web| author=Townes, Stephen A.| title=The Mars Laser Communication Demonstration| url=http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/38024/1/04-0216.pdf| access-date=April 28, 2008| display-authors=etal| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227080653/http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/38024/1/04-0216.pdf| archive-date=February 27, 2009}}</ref>

MTO would have had two 15 W X-band radio transmitters, and two Ka-band radio transmitters (35 W operational, and 100 W experimental).<ref name=EEIS-MTO-2006/>