Insider Brief
- The U.S. Space Force has awarded Phase 2 contracts to CACI, General Atomics, and Viasat to develop laser communication terminal prototypes under its $100 million Enterprise Test Terminal (EST) program.
- The initiative seeks to build standardized, low-cost, low-power optical crosslink terminals for seamless data transmission among Department of Defense satellites, forming a core part of the military’s MILNET space mesh network.
- The EST prototypes will implement a common waveform enabling satellite-to-satellite communications, enhancing speed, resilience, and security across DoD space assets. Blue Origin, a Phase 1 participant, was not selected for Phase 2.
The U.S. Space Force has selected three contractors to move forward and develop prototypes of laser communication terminals in Phase II of its Enterprise Test Terminal Program.
Phase 2 contracts were awarded to CACI, General Atomics, and Viasat, while Blue Origin did not make the cut, according to the Space Systems Command (SSC), headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., awarded. The initiative, with a $100 million total value, aims to create standardized, low-cost optical communication systems that enable crosslink data transfer among Department of Defense (DoD) satellites.
“The EST prototypes are foundational elements to the future space data transport network that we are building,” according to USSF Lt. Col. Jeffrey Fry, MILNET Program Manager for SSC’s Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power Program Executive Office, adding in a statement he was pleased with the program’s progress. “The ESTs will implement a common waveform so all satellites carrying these terminals can talk to each other. This is important as the network of satellites carrying EST compatible terminals will provide diverse communication paths for data that is critical to our national security and our way of life.”
The EST program, managed under the Space Enterprise Consortium’s Other Transaction Authority (OTA), is intended to support development of low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) laser terminals compatible with a newly created enterprise waveform. This waveform, a kind of standardized data signal, will allow disparate satellite systems to communicate across orbits, including beyond low Earth orbit (bLEO).
All three contractors had previously completed Phase 1 of the EST program, which culminated in a Preliminary Design Review (PDR). According to SSC, the final selection was based on an evaluation of cost, timeline, and technical performance, with an emphasis on fostering innovation while controlling government spending.
By awarding multiple contracts in this second phase, the Space Force indicated it aims to preserve competition and support a broader industrial base in space communications. It also reflects a trend toward modular, interoperable systems, where different satellite platforms can share resources across a larger space mesh network.
That network is known as MILNET, a DoD initiative to establish a resilient space-based communications infrastructure. The EST program is seen as a cornerstone of this architecture, enabling flexible routing of data via multiple satellites rather than relying on fixed ground connections. This diversity in information pathways could enhance both the speed and security of defense communications.
The program builds on existing investments made by both the government and the commercial space sector, helping to operationalize prior research and experimental technologies. If successful, the EST program could help usher in a new era of military communications where satellites talk to one another as seamlessly as cellphones on a global network.
SSC, which manages a $15.6 billion annual budget, is responsible for the procurement and development of U.S. military space systems. It works closely with the Pentagon, academic institutions, allied governments, and industry to ensure U.S. strategic superiority in orbit.
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