General Atomics to Develop Optical Communications Network for Beyond LEO Spacecraft Use

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems will support the Space Systems Command in developing a mesh laser communication network for spacecraft in beyond low Earth orbit.

In a press statement released Sunday, GA-EMS announced that it had secured a contract for Phase 1 of the Enterprise Space Terminal program. Under the deal, the vendor will work on an optical communication terminal design that will undergo a Phase 1 preliminary design review. GA-EMS will work with L3Harris Technologies and Advance Space for the effort.

The EST initiative aims to develop a resilient, high-capacity communication channel with crosslink ranges up to 80,000 kilometers, General Atomics said.

Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS, said that the company’s experience and expertise in producing OCT solutions will enable the U.S. Space Force to achieve its vision of having a resilient network for a multi-domain battlespace.

The new contract comes almost a year into General Atomics’ acquisition of EO Vista, a space electro-optical payload developer specializing in producing the next generation of sensing systems for surveillance operation use.