Kristen Smith
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command has selected Viasat to prototype and test a new space optical terminal for crosslink communications between orbits.
The work will be performed under the Phase 2 Enterprise Space Terminal contract awarded through the Space Enterprise Consortium via an other transaction agreement, Viasat said Tuesday.
Building on the Phase 1 EST work, wherein Viasat’s Space and Mission Systems team completed the preliminary design review for its Free Space Optical terminal, the Phase 2 activities will focus on maturing the product design, developing a prototype of the space laser communications terminal and testing the hardware to ensure it meets the performance; interoperability; and the size, weight, power and cost requirements for proliferated on-orbit intersatellite link communications.
The EST program, a foundational piece of the Space Force’s future space communications, supports the SSC’s Space Data Network objectives and the creation of a unified space mesh network capable of transmitting information between different satellites and orbits.
“Developing high-throughput, secure optical communications will be a transformational capability for military space operations and the sharing of mission data in real-time across the battlespace,” said Susan Miller, president of Viasat Government. “We believe our deep expertise delivering high-performance, flexible and scalable modems to government customers, combined with our experience creating integrated and interoperable technology solutions for multi-path communications, will enable the timely development of this EST terminal solution.”
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