MRR Optical Comm

Future Army applications require constellations of multiple small satellites with various payloads and capabilities. Solutions in this area must seek to push the envelope of small satellite performance while producing affordable manufacturable components and systems for integrated architectures. Beyond that, the Army has a need to use space systems for more tactical applications than that of other components of the space community. We believe the maturity of space-based optical omni transceivers would enable an LPI/LPD tactical downlink for satellites sized from cubesat to much larger. There currently are none on the market - GEOST developed and tested omnidirectional gimbal-free Modulated Retroreflector (MRR) technology needed to make a 10 Mbps+ transceiver in an 8x8x8 cm package. This payload in its current form factor weighs less than a pound. This proposal offers to develop the design of higher bandwidth, space-based, low SWaP-C solution to replace current X & S-band downlink systems used for Telemetry, Tracking, and Control and provide LPI/LPD direct downlink solutions for appropriate small sat missions.  The MRR could enable theater downlink from commercial or government systems. Potential R&D in future phases would include space qualifying the unit and then deploying a full ground-space prototype and demonstration on either a government or commercial small satellite (mobile ground sites have already been matured using private commercial investment and will be explained in the technical concept).