Nichols Martin
Blue Canyon Technologies will support Viasat’s effort to test a low-Earth orbit spacecraft designed to access the Link 16 military data link, which is used to transmit data between military vessels.
BCT said Monday that it will design and build a 12U small satellite bus for the spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch in 2020 under Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles XVI program.
This test will help AFRL determine the feasibility of disseminating battlefield information via small satellites. The Department of Defense and NATO employ Link 16 to share information from terminals equipped across aircraft, marine vessels and ground vehicles.
Link 16’s in-space demonstration with small satellites would help the U.S. military pursue beyond-line-of-sight tactics for increased safety of warfighters, said George Stafford, CEO and president at Blue Canyon Technologies.
