Summer Myatt
Viasat has been tapped to develop a space relay capability for NASA to support near-Earth communications services.
As part of NASA’s Communications Services Project, Viasat will leverage its ViaSat-3 global satellite constellation, along with its upcoming geostationary orbit network – which features three Terabit-class high-throughput satellites – to enable rapid, low-latency communications for LEO spacecraft, the Carlsbad, California-based company said Monday.
Craig Miller, president of Viasat Government Systems, said the effort will support commercial and government non-geostationary operators across a range of space vehicle missions, including atmospheric analysis and the rapid transport of data to the tactical edge.
“The Viasat space relay service will deliver performance and scale beyond legacy data relay capabilities by transforming the way data is moved to and from space vehicles, offering persistent coverage to large numbers of LEO users simultaneously, with real-time access virtually anywhere, including the polar regions,” Miller explained.
The space relay capability will complement Viasat’s existing RTE service, which currently operates on five continents, and will allow operators to switch between the two offerings based on mission requirements.
Currently, Viasat is developing a new space-qualified Ka-band terminal to support NASA’s CSP efforts.
Viasat is also in the process of completing the integration of a Link 16 satellite for the Air Force Research Laboratory. The satellite is on track for launch readiness by the end of 2022, according to AFRL officials.
