TESAT’s European Headquarters (photo: TESAT)

German optical communication technologies company Tesat-Spacecom (Tesat) is expanding its footprint into the United States to provide optical communications terminals (OCTs) to U.S. government and commercial customers.

Tesat announced Tuesday that it is setting up manufacturing operations in the United States to meet what it sees as a growing demand for government and commercial OCTs. The company is currently providing OCTs for four different U.S. spacecraft primes in support of the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Transport Layer and Tracking Layer and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Blackjack program. Tesat is also currently serving as an active member of the SDA interoperability working group.

“We are in final negotiations for a facility in the U.S. up to 25,000 square feet and intend to start manufacturing our optical communications terminals there in early 2023. Together with our established global supply chain we are well prepared for a production rate of 160 affordable constellation OCTs per month and are already designing the next generation of 100 Gpbs terminals,”  Tesat’s Director of Laser Communication Matthias Motzigemba said in the announcement.