Space Force surveys industry for space-to-air optical communications between aircraft and satellites
Key Highlights
Questions and answers:
- What is the Space Force’s Space Development Agency (SDA) seeking from industry? The SDA is seeking information on mature optical communications terminals for aircraft that can support secure, high-bandwidth space-to-air optical links as part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).
- What is the goal of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA)? The PWSA aims to build a resilient constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites providing low-latency communications, missile tracking, and tactical data links for military operations.
- When are companies required to submit their white papers, and what should they include? Companies must submit 10-page unclassified white papers by 27 Feb. 2026, including details on the terminal’s design, performance data, readiness levels, and completed demonstrations.
CHANTILLY, Va. – U.S. Space Force communications experts are surveying industry for mature free-space optical communications terminals for aircraft to enable secure, high-bandwidth space-to-air optical communications to link aircraft with the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).
Officials of the Space Force's Space Development Agency (SDA) in Chantilly, Va., issued a request for information (SDA-SN-26-0008) last week for the Future Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture Space-To-Air Optical Communications Terminal project.
The Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) seeks to develop a resilient, proliferated low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellation with low-latency communications, missile warning and tracking, and tactical data links.
Fieldable optical communications
SDA is looking for detailed information to understand industry's ability to provide space-to-air optical communications terminals for aircraft. Technology must be mature and rapidly fieldable for demonstration in Space Force systems.
Optical communications technologies must be able to support space-to-air optical links for testing with SDA low-Earth-orbit satellites in less than 12 months. Terminals should be ready for installation on an aircraft to support a space-to-air optical communication link.
Companies interested should describe the terminal’s physical design; detail waveforms and data rates; key system details; identify technology risks; describe an optimal low- or medium-Earth-orbit reference architecture; provide pictures of the hardware; provide a notional optical communications link budget; and provide a TECHNOLOGY READINESS LEVEL (TRL) and manufacturing readiness level (MRL) assessment of the system.
Company expertise
Submissions also should describe any completed flight demonstrations; environmental testing; available company test facilities; modem-level testing; intended aircraft; and requirements for external navigation data feeds.
Companies interested should email unclassified 10-page white papers no later than 27 Feb. 2026 to [email protected], with SDA aircraft OCT RFI [-Vendor Name] in the subject line.
Email questions or concerns to [email protected]. More information is online at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/b2acd02b415743f2973877db5273850e/view.
