LINCS @ Nanosats Database

Name	LINCS
Type	CubeSat
Units or mass	12U
Organisation	Space Development Agency
Institution	Military
Entity	Government (Civil / Military)
Nation	US
Manufacturer	AIVT by General Atomics
Operator	General Atomics
Oneliner	Optical communications terminals that use lasers to beam data across space.
Description	Optical communications terminals that use lasers to beam data across space will be tested in upcoming experiments by the Space Development Agency and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. These terminals are important pieces of DoD’s future low Earth orbit constellations which will require satellite-to-satellite optical crosslinks so data collected in space can be immediately sent to military command centers on the ground. Laser communications systems have much faster data transmission rates than radio-based systems but DoD has concerns such as the effects of space radiation on optical terminals and whether the electronics can withstand the stress of space launch.
Results	SDA said in a statement Feb. 4 that there were “challenges communicating with the LINCS sats.
Sources	[1] [2] [3] [4]
Photo Sources	[1]
Keywords	Laser transmitter

Related Spacecraft

Name	Status	Launch	Orbit
LINCS1 A (Laser Interconnet & Communications System)	No signal? (SpaceNews article on 2022-02-06, but mixed messages about whether some contact was initially established)	2021-06-30	525 km, 97.5 deg
LINCS2 B (Laser Interconnet & Communications System)	No signal? (SpaceNews article on 2022-02-06, but mixed messages about whether some contact was initially established)	2021-06-30	525 km, 97.5 deg