By requiring suppliers of laser terminals to comply with a common set of standards, the U.S. Space Development Agency has helped propel the industry forward, executives said.
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Theresa Hitchens on March 08, 2021 at 4:51 PM
Laser interlinks for satellites, JAXA image
WASHINGTON: As DoD eyes low-cost satellite constellations to provide resilient communications, a crucial bottleneck has emerged: reliable optical data links both between satellites in space and from space to the ground.
“Think about it, getting a laser beam on a spacecraft to point to a laser receiver on another spacecraft accurately enough with the right power levels, the right waveforms etc.,– it’s not an easy thing,” Nick Bucci, vice president of program development at General Atomics said in an interview. ” And to be able to do that reliably at range is a difficult challenge.”