US space forces have brought out three companies - CACI, General Atomics and Viasat - to the next stage of the program worth 100 millions of dollars, aimed at the development of space communication laser terminals, reducing the number of participants from four, as Blue Origin was not selected.
Decision, announced 8 May Space Systems Command (SSC), marks the beginning of the second phase of the Enterprise Space Terminal program (EAST), which aims to create standardized optical communication systems for military satellites. The selected prototypes will be used to test interoperability and create a future space-based data transmission layer, the command informed. In the SSC statement, is emphasized, that the goal of creating a unified network is to connect satellites in low Earth orbit with those, which are in higher orbits.
EST program, which started in June 2024 year, focused on commercial off-the-shelf laser terminals, adapted for government use. Awarding grants to three companies for the second phase of the program allows SSC to establish an industrial base for long-range laser communication terminals, while maintaining competition to control costs and maximize innovation, – stated the agency. The selected companies were selected based on cost factors, graphics and performance, and were identified as the best for the government.
Laser, or optical, communication offers a high-speed, low-latency alternative to traditional RF systems. It is also harder to intercept or jam, which are key advantages for military use.
Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Fry, program manager, said, that the technology under development aims to ensure uninterrupted communication of satellites in different orbits. “The terminals will use a common waveform, that all satellites, that these terminals carry, could communicate with each other", said Fry. "This is important, because the network of satellites, carried by compatible terminals, will provide various ways of implementing communication".
Source: https://spacenews.com/u-s-space-force-narrows-field-in-100-million-space-laser-terminal-program/