SDA misses self-imposed deadline on orbital mesh network
“We are behind on that. We should be there already,” Space Development Agency Director G.P. Sandhoo said bluntly.
Next X-37B mission to carry quantum sensor, laser link experiments
Quantum sensors hold promise to serve as the core for new systems for positioning, timing and navigation (PNT) that could provide an alternative, or even replace, today's Global Positioning System satellites.
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Processor upgrades enable computing at the edge
Avoiding vendor lock and providing more room for sensors and upgrades are critical considerations.
Space supply chain gaps: Propulsion, hardened electronics and laser links
Even just "mapping the supply chain is hard stuff," said Reza Nikfarjam, deputy director of the Credit Program at the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital (OSC).
SDA again postpones launch of first ‘operational’ data relay, missile warning satellites
SDA originally had hoped to begin launching the Tranche 1 Transport and Tracking Layer constellations for its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture stationed in low Earth orbit in September 2024.
Too soon? GAO questions tech readiness of satellite laser links
The Space Development Agency "has taken steps to develop laser communications technology but has not yet fully demonstrated it in space," finds a report released today by the Government Accountability Office.
France claims world’s first space-to-earth laser comms
“Others have already demonstrated the proof of concept that a laser link can be established between a satellite and a ground-station but we are proposing an actual product that exists and can be bought off-the-shelf," Jean-Francois Morizur, co-founder and CEO of Cailabs, told Breaking Defense.
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Winning the information war is as much about ideas and perception as it is about data
"Being able to tell the commander you don't need to do something is actually a pretty powerful message, as well."
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Optical communications, i.e. lasers, are the network pipes for the Internet of Space
A new constellation with laser comms and compatibility with the Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture is now taking shape.
Orbit of Babel: SDA developing ‘translators’ to get data from ISR sats to warfighters
"Translator" payloads are necessary because many of today's commercial remote sensing providers do not, and will not, have the ability to equip their satellites with optical inter-satellite links (OISLs) required to link to the agency's Transport Layer birds, said SDA Director Derek Tournear.
Aalyria envisions communications revolution for Earth, the Moon and beyond
"I think what people will find is that this type of advancement, going from ground-to-space, changes the whole space economy," Aalyria's CEO Chris Taylor said. "I think it's going to be monumental."
DARPA’s Mandrake 2 satellites: communicating at the speed of light
Mandrake 2's next trick, after demonstrating optical intersatellite links, will be using lasers for space-to-ground communications.
From directed energy to AI and hardening, JIATF-401 is widening counter-UAS options
There is no single answer to the drone threat, pushing the Pentagon toward a broader mix of defenses.
Recently blasted into space, Aerospace’s Slingshot tests universal electrical port for satellite payloads
Slingshot 1 is a 12-unit CubeSat, about the size of a shoebox, carrying 19 experimental payloads — 16 of which were designed by Aerospace's lab. The experiments range from on-board processing software to a novel small thruster engine.
Eyes wide open: Airbus eyes growing US market for space-related optical systems
"I'm focusing on laser communication terminals because I think that's the strongest candidate to build in the US," Rob Geckle, CEO of Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, told Breaking Defense.
Space Force launches experimental sats to detect nukes, test laser communications
Included among the STP-3 mission's payloads is NASA’s Laser Communication Relay Demonstration (LCRD) aimed at enabling higher speed communications across the vast region of space between the Earth and Mars.
SDA Demos Spotlight Tech Hurdles To JADC2 Backbone
Two of the experiments, each involving two satellites, are focused on laser links: one between satellites themselves; the other from satellites to a MQ-9 Reaper drone on the ground.