JavaScript Required

Jumpseat Aerospace News requires JavaScript to function. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings to continue.

Space Force Awards K2 $22.9M for Laser Link Tests

August 7, 2026

2 min read

Key Takeaways

K2 Space awarded $22.9M for Space Force satellite laser link tests.
Contract covers procurement, integration, and launch through 2028.
Tests support Enterprise Space Terminal program.
K2 to integrate terminals with its satellite buses.

Silver membership required Upgrade to Silver to access Key Takeaways.

Upgrade

Strategic Implications

This award may indicate the Space Force's growing reliance on startups for critical technology development. The focus on standardized laser-link terminals suggests a push for interoperability and efficiency in satellite communications, which could enhance the service's missile warning and tracking capabilities.

Silver membership required Upgrade to Silver to access Strategic Implications.

Upgrade

What Happened

California Startup To Host Satellite Laser Communications Trials

The Space Force has awarded K2 Space, a California-based startup, $22.9 million to host tests of new, standardized laser-link terminals under its Enterprise Space Terminal program. The contract, announced July 31, covers procurement, integration with K2’s satellite buses, and launch through 2028. The tests are crucial for the development of the Space Force’s future missile warning and tracking architecture, which will be carried by constellations in low Earth orbit and medium-Earth orbit. The award was announced by Breaking Defense.

Source | Originally Published: August 7, 2026

Companies Mentioned