Optical Inter-Satellite Terminals
Why are laser terminals the top-ranked bottleneck, and when will supply catch up?
Chapter summary
optical terminals let satellites pass data to each other by laser at gigabits per second, forming networks in orbit that need fewer ground stations and are harder to intercept or jam.
Key takeaways
- 1
SpaceX makes its own and flies thousands.
- 2
Everyone else buys from a small merchant base, and that base fell behind defence demand.
- 3
The US Government Accountability Office reported in February 2025 that the Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Transport Layer needed more than 500 terminals and had received 20 by January 2025; later, tracking satellites launched with three terminals each instead of four because of a supply shortfall.
Key figures in this chapter
- >500
- terminals needed for Tranche 1 Transport
- 20
- delivered by January 2025
- 4
- SDA-qualified merchant suppliers (2025)
- 3 of 4
- terminals flown per tracking satellite
Source: GAO; SpaceNews; reporting
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