The Space Systems Command (SSC) – the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for acquiring and delivering tools for space warfighter – has awarded four contracts worth $100 million to develop space laser communication capabilities.
The contract winners – Blue Origin, CACI International Inc., General Atomics, and Viasat – will work to create prototype technology as part of the first of three phases of the Enterprise Space Terminal (EST) program.
“The EST program, part of SSC’s Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power Program Executive Office, aims to enable on-orbit crosslink compatibility among future space systems via the use of a standardized enterprise waveform implemented in a long-range space optical communications terminal that is low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C),” SSC said.
The program’s focus will be to enhance the capabilities of communications for the Space Forces in the Beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) areas.
“The EST prototypes will be a huge step forward for a future space mesh network across different orbital regimes ranging from low earth orbit to past the geosynchronous orbit regime,” said John Kirkemo, senior materiel leader of SSC’s Advanced Communications Acquisition Delta.
“These terminals will implement a common waveform so all satellites carrying these terminals can talk to each other,” he said. This is important as the network of satellites carrying EST compatible terminals will provide diverse communication paths for data that is critical to our national security and our way of life.”
