WASHINGTON — Tesat-Spacecom’s laser communications terminals passed key ground tests required to be deployed on Space Development Agency satellites, the corporate announced Oct. 26.
Tesat’s SCOTT80 optical terminal was chosen by Lockheed Martin, one among several manufacturers under contract to supply satellites for the Space Development Agency.
SDA, an agency under the U.S. Space Force, plans to deploy a mesh network of interconnected satellites. It features a Transport Layer that may transmit data collected by a Tracking Layer of missile-detection sensor satellites. Each spacecraft is supplied with multiple laser communications terminals.
Optical terminals use lasers to attach satellites in orbit so that they can transfer data in space.
Tesat’s terminals might be integrated with Lockheed Martin’s satellites that might be a part of SDA’s Transport Layer Tranche 1 satellites scheduled to launch in late 2024. Lockheed Martin can be using CACI’s optical terminals for Tranche 1 satellites.
All optical terminals installed on SDA satellites should comply with technical specifications and standards issued by the agency. Additionally they should be interoperable with terminals made by other suppliers.
Interoperability with other manufacturers
As a part of the bottom tests, Tesat’s terminal had to determine an information communication link with a reference modem, in addition to with Mynaric and CACI terminals. Mynaric’s terminal might be on SDA’s Tranche 1 satellites made by Northrop Grumman.
“This achievement demonstrates that Tesat terminals comply with the technical specifications and standards issued by SDA and are interoperable with third-party products,” the corporate’s CEO Thomas Reinartz said in an announcement.
The corporate noted that the SCOTT80 optical terminal also was chosen by Kepler Communications for its low Earth orbit industrial constellation.
Tesat-Spacecom, based in Germany, is establishing a U.S. subsidiary to support military and industrial programs. The corporate is an independent subsidiary of Airbus Defense & Space.
Tesat plans to begin manufacturing optical terminals in Merritt Island, Florida. So far, there are 46 Tesat terminals in orbit and 180 are in production, the corporate said.