Jane Edwards
The Space Development Agency has asked industry to submit proposals to demonstrate laser communications between Tranche 0 of the National Defense Space Architecture’s Transport Layer satellites and an airborne platform.
SDA is interested in a live flight demonstration but potential vendors may propose to participate in a three-phase initiative: space to ground; space to a moving ground platform; and space to an airborne system, according to a solicitation notice published Thursday.
“This demonstration is concentrated on space to airborne test only to research, design, develop and test only,” the notice reads.
SpaceNews reported 20 Tranche 0 Transport Layer satellites are anticipated to launch in September and SDA wants potential offerors to find a way to link one or more of these satellites to an aircraft that would be selected by the vendor.
SDA said potential contractors are not required to include optical terminal designs and testing calls for vendors to demonstrate pointing, acquisition and tracking functionality and “the capability to acquire and maintain the link with stability to pass up to 1Gpbs test data.”
Proposals are due Sept. 2.
