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GA and Kepler Communications Demonstrate Optical Communications
General Atomics (GA) and Kepler Communications have successfully demonstrated bi-directional air-to-space optical communications to support tactical and operational missions and bridge communication gaps.
www.ga.com
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) and Kepler Communications US, Inc. announce the successful demonstration of bi-directional air-to-space optical communications between the GA-EMS Optical Communication Terminal (OCT) mounted on an aircraft and a Space Development Agency (SDA) Tranche 0-compatible Kepler satellite in low Earth orbit (LEO). The demonstration marks a milestone in advancing SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, proving the ability to establish secure, high-data-rate connectivity between airborne and space-based assets in challenging operational environments.
“Our team achieved a proof-of-concept milestone,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “The airborne OCT completed pointing, acquisition, tracking, and lock with the Tranche 0-compatible satellite, then transferred data packets to validate uplink and downlink capability. Our OCT is designed to close a communications gap, enabling secure, robust data transfers to support tactical and operational missions.”
GA-EMS designed its OCTs to scale and adapt for multi-domain communications across space, air, land, and sea platforms, as well as across various orbital regimes. GA-EMS mounted its OCT on a 12-inch Laser Airborne Communication turret (LAC-12) developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) Precision Pointing Group for the test.
As part of the company’s expanding SDA-compatible LEO constellation, Kepler’s Pathfinder satellites are designed to demonstrate high-capacity data services and validate advanced communication technologies under mission-critical conditions—bridging the gap between space, air, and ground networks for defense and commercial applications.
www.ga.com
“Our team achieved a proof-of-concept milestone,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “The airborne OCT completed pointing, acquisition, tracking, and lock with the Tranche 0-compatible satellite, then transferred data packets to validate uplink and downlink capability. Our OCT is designed to close a communications gap, enabling secure, robust data transfers to support tactical and operational missions.”
GA-EMS designed its OCTs to scale and adapt for multi-domain communications across space, air, land, and sea platforms, as well as across various orbital regimes. GA-EMS mounted its OCT on a 12-inch Laser Airborne Communication turret (LAC-12) developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) Precision Pointing Group for the test.
As part of the company’s expanding SDA-compatible LEO constellation, Kepler’s Pathfinder satellites are designed to demonstrate high-capacity data services and validate advanced communication technologies under mission-critical conditions—bridging the gap between space, air, and ground networks for defense and commercial applications.
www.ga.com
