Gray Labs Facility. Photo: Gray Labs

[Via Satellite 07-28-2014] ViaSat has acquired a high-rate modem product line and custom spacecraft technologies for Earth observation from Gray Labs. As part of the agreement, Gray Labs president Jim Gray has taken a senior consulting position with ViaSat to guide the company’s satellite-to-Earth Information, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

“The output of ISR sensors is growing exponentially, so maximizing satellite data rates is increasingly important,” said Kent Leka, VP of satellite ground systems at ViaSat. “The expertise we obtained from Gray Labs in high-rate communications gives us important new ways to deliver a higher level of performance and increased data throughput for commercial and government customers. We’re also gaining technical expertise and an entrepreneurial spirit that the Gray Labs team has in common with ViaSat.”

Other Gray Labs staff has relocated to ViaSat as well. ViaSat said it would continue to support Gray Labs products and customers from its Duluth, Ga. campus.