Northrop Grumman Corp. last month successfully demonstrated a secure networked laser communications system for low-Earth orbit satellite constellations supporting the U.S. military.
Conducted at the Falls Church, Va.-based aerospace and defense contractor’s Redondo Beach location for Space Development Agency leaders, the demonstration validated compatibility between commercially developed laser communications and secure U.S. government encryption hardware. It also provided a baseline for Northrop’s future proliferated space crosslink communications offerings, including transport and tracking programs.
The company partnered with Mynaric, a publicly traded laser communication terminal manufacturer based in Munich, and with Innoflight, a San Diego-based company that makes avionics for operations in extreme environments.
Blake Bullock, vice president of communication systems and strategic space systems at Northrop, said that the company invested in the demonstration to reduce key risks early in the development of the technology.
“Our team focused on speed and optimizing the best of emerging commercial suppliers like Mynaric and Innoflight – while bringing the mission expertise unique to Northrop Grumman to test and field this prototype constellation,” Bullock said in a statement.
Northrop Grumman selected Mynaric as a strategic supplier for laser communications in space with a contract valued at $36 million, and Innoflight for encryption, decryption and other key aspects of Northrop’s technology architecture.
As the U.S. Department of Defense works to connect the joint force, Northrop’s space networking capabilities seek to play a vital role in providing secure global connectivity, the company’s release said.
Another step toward this vision to connect the joint force is the announcement of a collaboration with AT&T Inc. to research and develop a 5G-enabled digital battle network.
