Charles Lyons-Burt
The U.S. Army has selected SpaceLink to participate in studies to enhance its space communications network.
Through a cooperative research and development agreement, SpaceLink’s staff will team with the Army Space and Missile Defense Command Technical Center to enable a communications network that is durable and cuts down on lags between endpoints, the McLean, Virginia-based company said Monday.
Dave Bettinger, CEO of SpaceLink, noted that the collaboration will help the company align its strategies and projects with the Army’s mission. Additionally, he said the organizations will bring benefits to both the military and commercial sectors by “sharing facilities, intellectual property and expertise.”
The R&D deal is intended to build on SpaceLink’s ongoing effort to construct and sustain a medium earth orbit-located satellite relay system that hosts both optical and RF links. This network is designed to aid the U.S. national security space infrastructure by circulating remote sensing data and connecting spacecraft and U.S. earth stations or ground terminal outposts.
After simulation and modeling work under the agreement is complete, the Army hopes to be able to satisfy its need for market-ready remote sensing tactical downlink as well as to yield an interactive capability between government tools and SpaceLink’s network. Military personnel will thus be able to use the constantly operating relay system to facilitate their objective-based decision-making.
SpaceLink’s team is slated to glean a deeper comprehension of projected Army technical goals through the new agreement.
In February, SpaceLink joined forces with Axiom Space to preview the effectiveness of its communications relay service onboard the International Space Station.
