Space Development Agency has performed an on-orbit demonstration of the laser light terminals onboard two SpaceX-built missile-warning satellites, showing that the devices can link spacecraft and enable laser communications, Breaking Defense reported Wednesday.
The satellites carrying the terminals manufactured by Tesat were launched in 2023 for the SDA’s Tranche 0 initial, experimental constellation, which is part of the agency’s plan to create a Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture comprising military space assets and commercial spacecraft in low Earth orbit that enable a resilient and reliable data transport and missile warning and tracking network.
Speaking at the annual Defense News conference, SDA Director Derek Tournear, a past Wash100 awardee, said the on-orbit event on Tuesday is the first successful demonstration of intersatellite laser links — the capability critical to the planned mesh network.
“The requirement in our optical comm standard is that it takes you less than 100 seconds to acquire a link during pointing, acquisition and timing, with like a stretch goal of less than 10 seconds,” Tournear said. “They were well under the 100 seconds, but they were over the 10 seconds, and they maintained that link for several hours.”
By the end of 2024, the SDA expects to launch a new batch of satellites for the PWSA’s Tranche 1 segment to provide initial operating capability to warfighters.