Space laser communications terminal to be developed by Viasat for U.S. Space Force
NewsMay 14, 2025
CARLSBAD, California. The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command has tasked Viasat to continue development and testing of a space-based optical laser terminal as part of Phase 2 of the Enterprise Space Terminal (EST) program, the company announced in a statement.
The Phase 2 award, issued through the Space Enterprise Consortium under an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), will support Viasat’s efforts to mature the design and build a prototype of its Free Space Optical (FSO) communications terminal, the statement reads.
According to the company, the FSO terminal is intended to enable secure, high-throughput crosslink communications between satellites across multiple orbits. The solution is being designed to meet size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) requirements for proliferated on-orbit systems, with a focus on interoperability and integration into future space mesh networks.
The EST program is part of a broader U.S. Space Force strategy to develop a resilient Space Data Network using optical crosslinks to improve real-time data exchange in contested environments, the company says.
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