The means of sending data via laser beam will be important for planetary missions if high resolution video is to be sent:

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From: Robert Clark (rgclark@my-deja.com)
Subject: Video from planetary missions?
Newsgroups: sci.astro, alt.sci.planetary, alt.astronomy, sci.geo.geology, sci.astro.amateur
Date: 2001-08-05 23:48:36 PST

The display of imaged areas in this region of Mars caused me to despair of the point by point imaging by planetary missions:

MOC Narrow-Angle Image Gallery: Mars Chart 04: Mare Acidalium
http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/m13_m18/mc04.html

A recent article in New Scientist suggests that we may soon be able to receive high definition video from planetary missions:

The First Pictures from Mars
http://www.cosmiverse.com/space03220106.html

The article discusses the use of lasers to transmit the high volume of data that would be required for video. According to the article, it is technically feasible.
Another question that arises is what would be the storage requirements for video when the spacecraft does not have direct line
to Earth? Some recent articles claim that the long fabled holographic optical storage will soon be commercially available, perhaps within the next couple of years:

Weeks of movies on one square
3-D holograms next step in data storage?
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/business/010422/holograms.shtml

Holographic storage promises to offer terabytes of data storage within an area the size of a compact disk.
NASA is also apparently researching the possibility of holographic storage with its Advanced Holographic Memory system:

Storage enters the third dimension
http://networknews.vnunet.com/Analysis/1118253

Bob Clark
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