Washington – The American space force has advanced three companies – CACI, General Atomics and Viasat – to the next phase of a 100 million dollars program aimed at developing laser -based space communication terminals, narrowing the land of four as a blue origin did not cut.
The decision, announced on May 8 by the Space Systems Command (SSC), marks the start of phase 2 of the Espace d’Entreprise (EST) program, which seeks to establish standardized optical communication systems for military satellites. The selected prototypes will be used to test interoperability and create a future layer of data -based data, said the command.
“These terminals will be the” key construction block of a wider space data network “for military communications on several orbits,” said SSC in a press release, emphasizing the objective of creating a unified network connecting satellites in low terrestrial orbit with those of higher orbits.
The program is, launched in June 2024, focuses on commercial laser terminals on the commercial level adapted to the use of the government.
“The allocation of phase 2 of the program to three companies allows SSC to build the industrial laser communication terminals in long range while maintaining competition to control costs and maximizing innovation,” said the agency. “The selected companies were chosen according to the costs, the calendar and the performance factors and have been determined as the best value for the government.”
Laser or optical communications offer a large -wide -banding alternative to traditional radiofrequency systems. They are also more difficult to intercept or key advantages – military benefits for military use.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jeffrey Fry, the program manager, said that technology under development is intended to allow satellites of different orbits to communicate transparently. “The terminals will implement a common wave form so that all the satellites carrying these terminals can speak,” said Fry. “This is important because the network of satellites carrying compatible terminals will provide various communication paths for data.”
A chronology for orbit demonstrations has not been disclosed.
