NASA's New 'Hybrid Antenna' Boosts Links to Deep Space

NASA outfitted its Deep Space Network with a hybrid antenna that allows it to receive both radio frequency and laser signals for the first time.

The hybrid antenna downlinked data from 20 million miles ( 32 million kilometers ) away at a rate of 15.63 megabits per second .

It's the first demonstration of laser communications from as far away as Mars .

The network is struggling to keep up with demand as NASA launches more missions.