SA Photonics, acquired by CACI International in December 2021, is a developer of photonic systems designed to facilitate reliable communications, including free-space optical (FSO) communications. As part of CACI, SA Photonics provides advanced photonics engineering and manufacturing capabilities, offering optical communication devices, microwave sensors, vision systems, LIDAR systems, and inertial measurement devices. Their products cater to government and commercial customers, including NASA, the Intelligence Community, the U.S. Space Force and the Space Development Agency (SDA), with a focus on high-end manned flight programs and the proliferated low-earth-orbit (LEO) market.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
CACI expanded its product line of lower-cost optical terminals after acquiring SA Photonics in 2021.
Mynaric, SA Photonics, Skyloom, and Tesat are providing optical communications terminals for Space Development Agency Tranche 0 Transport and Tracking layer satellites scheduled for launch late 2022.
SA Photonics’ CrossBeam terminals on Mandrake II successfully established an optical link during a test lasting more than 40 minutes on 2021-04-14.
The Optical Inter-Satellite Links on Mandrake II were established using CrossBeam free-space optical terminals developed by SA Photonics.
CACI acquired California-based SA Photonics in December 2021.
CACI acquired SA Photonics late last year for $275,000,000.
The 40 optical communications terminals are being produced under a $16,300,000 DARPA contract awarded in 2020 to SA Photonics.
Before acquiring SA Photonics, CACI focused on higher-end laser communications terminals designed for higher orbits and tougher radiation environments and was developing a lower-price-point version aimed at the SDA market.
The Mandrake 2 satellites were manufactured by Astro Digital with optical links provided by SA Photonics.
Two small satellites made by Astro Digital on Transporter-2 will carry optical terminals manufactured by SA Photonics for the Mandrake 2 experiment.
Astro Digital manufactured the Mandrake 2 satellites in nine months with optical links provided by SA Photonics.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded SA Photonics a $16,300,000 contract for Blackjack payloads on 2020-06-09.
Blue Canyon Technologies and SA Photonics had previously been selected as part of a pool of Blackjack satellite bus and payload suppliers and had received study contracts.
The contract awarded to SA Photonics requires production of optical communications terminals to be delivered by March 2021.
DARPA’s Blackjack program plans to launch a pair of small satellites next year that will carry optical inter-satellite links made by SA Photonics.
SA Photonics is under consideration to provide optical inter-satellite links for Blackjack.