Optical terminals integral part of upcoming MW/MT satellites

By Shelley K. Mesch / March 4, 2025 at 6:05 PM
DENVER -- Optical communications terminals, or laser sensors, are a needed capability for missile warning/missile tracking satellites going forward because they are faster, smaller and need less power than the capabilities currently in use, a Space Force official said today. MW/MT satellites in each orbit will eventually use optical crosslinks to communicate with each other, said Col. Robert Davis, program executive officer for Space Systems Command’s Space Sensing Directorate. Optical crosslinks are smaller, faster and more secure than radio-frequency crosslinks,...

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