Coherent to Develop Optical Transceivers for Space-Based Program

Coherent Corp. has won a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract to develop coherent optical transceiver technology for the agency’s Space-Based Adaptive Communications Node (Space-BACN) program. The aim of Space-BACN is to create low-cost, high-speed, reconfigurable, laser-based data links that will enable communications between various government and private-sector low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations.

Various incompatible and often proprietary optical intersatellite links prevent LEO satellite arrays from readily sharing information, keeping proliferated space from reaching its full potential. Coherent is tasked with designing and fabricating coherent optical transceivers for a reconfigurable modem compatible with most existing single-wavelength communications protocols and able to readily adapt to work with new waveforms as they are introduced. The goal is to support multiple optical waveforms at total data rates of up to 100 Gbit/s on a single wavelength, while simultaneously meeting stringent size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) constraints.

Coherent Corp. will develop optical transceiver technology under a DARPA contract. The technology will be deployed as part of the Space-Based Adaptive Communications Node (Space-BACN) program, which aims to create low-cost, high-speed, reconfigurable, laser-based data links. Courtesy of Coherent Corp.

“Advances in digital technology, together with falling launch costs, have made it possible for many groups to launch ‘constellations’ of compact satellites possessing a multitude of capabilities, enabled by high-speed laser communications,” said Chris Koeppen, Coherent CTO. “Beyond just defense applications, these satellite arrays offer tremendous potential for low-cost global communications, sensing, imaging, space exploration, and more.”

The award is a Phase 1 contract within Technical Area 2 (TA2) of the SpaceBACN development program. TA2 is focused on modem architecture. Coherent participated in Phase 0 of TA2, which involved developing the architectural design for these components, and was selected for Phase 1 based on the success of that work.