The U.S. Space Force opened competition last month for companies to design a compact radio-frequency communication terminal aimed at supporting President Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system.
According to a solicitation statement posted on Sept. 16, Space Systems Command, the acquisition arm of the Space Force, stated that the new terminal would need to connect with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network to support Golden Dome’s efforts to track and defend against missile threats.
The radios should be able to establish a satellite-to-satellite link between a Starlink constellation and a space-based missile interceptor, SSC wrote, with a demonstration expected within 12 months.
The radio terminals could go a long way in helping realize the multilayered and interconnected missile defense system envisioned by Mr. Trump and his allies. While few concrete details about the system have been made public, Defense Department officials have asserted that the Golden Dome system will use many of the nation’s existing missile defense systems while adopting next-generation sensors and communications platforms to advance defensive capabilities.
“Perpetual and prolific space characterization is a foundational requirement for continued, sustainable use of space. The need is even more urgent in today’s contested and congested space domain where satellites are proliferating, adversaries are demonstrating aggressive behaviors, and additional threats are emerging. These new threats necessitate dominant and resilient combat power that can gain and maintain space superiority,” the SCC wrote in a broad agency announcement last month.
Since the deadline is so soon, SCC said it expects contractors to use “high heritage components” and systems that require few modifications.
The radios should be operational at various orbits, including low earth orbit, and must operate using the L- and S-band spectrum, which are commonly used for satellite communications. The radios must also be capable of using Link-182, SpaceX’s proprietary waveform, designed to allow other devices to communicate with the Starlink platform.
At the end of the 12-month development period, contractors will be expected to demonstrate a satellite-to-satellite communication link between a Starlink platform and a Link-182-compatible radio terminal hosted on a satellite, which will serve as a stand-in for a missile interceptor.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.