European plans to develop key new satcom technologies are advancing thanks to a pair of projects in Germany and Spain. Late last month, German aerospace center DLR contracted with Tesat Spacecom, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS Astrium, to develop a GEO-based laser terminal that could serve as a communications relay for spacecraft operating in low Earth orbit (LEO). Current systems, such as the U.S. Tracking and Data Relay System and the Silex terminal on the European Space Agency's Artemis technology satellite, are based on radio telecommunications technology, which offers relatively low data rates. Tesat's Laser Communications Terminal (LCT) will have a capacity of 2.8 Gbps., compared with 50 Mbps. on Artemis.
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