Backers of Europe's EDRS optical data-relay system suggested that while die program was first sold as a way of speeding delivery of civilian Earth observation satellite data to users, its bigger future market is in handling military data from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). European Data Relay System (EDRS) managers at Astrium Services and laser terminal builder Tesat-Spacecom GmbH said they expect to accelerate trials of the service, now limited to a laser terminal on a Falcon jet operated by the German space agency, DLR, to tests of an airborne laser optical terminal on a UAV starting in 2013. A commercial airborne laser terminal would be ready by 2014, the year the first of two EDRS payloads is expected to be in orbit. In presentations here to the Global Milsat-com conference organized by SMi Group, Astrium Services and Tesat said they are counting on the European Space Agency (ESA) to enlarge the current EDRS program by agreeing to build a third EDRS node in geostationary orbit, likely as a hosted payload on a commercial telccommunications satellite.
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