Session
Session V: Science Mission Payloads 2 - Research & Academia
Location
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Abstract
The Laser Crosslink Experiment (LaCE) was a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) microsatellite mission that flew between March 4, 2024, and May 18, 2025. LaCE was a two-CubeSat, multi-payload mission developed by Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC). Its major payloads included the CACI Skylight laser communication terminal, the ELROI optical beacon, the Vulcan CSR payload radio, and a newly developed NIWC Tracking, Telemetry, and Command (TT&C) ground operations center. Additionally, LaCE led to the development of the Stratospheric Optical Link Demonstration (SOLD) high-altitude balloon experiment, a companion mission which demonstrated the Skylight terminal in the stratosphere as a risk reduction and alternate execution path. LaCE was able to fully demonstrate the ELROI and CSR payloads but experienced on-orbit challenges which prevented full demonstration of the Skylight mission. In addition to its primary payload missions, LaCE-1 was operated through re-entry and performed a secondary vLEO profiling mission. NIWC considers LaCE an operational success and has developed several “best practice” operational lessons from the mission, including the value of stratospheric pre-launch test campaigns, the value of satellite telecom radios as backup systems, and the importance of precision Pointing, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solutions for optical communications on orbit.
Document Type
Event
Laser Crosslink Experiment: Post-Mission Review
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
The Laser Crosslink Experiment (LaCE) was a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) microsatellite mission that flew between March 4, 2024, and May 18, 2025. LaCE was a two-CubeSat, multi-payload mission developed by Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC). Its major payloads included the CACI Skylight laser communication terminal, the ELROI optical beacon, the Vulcan CSR payload radio, and a newly developed NIWC Tracking, Telemetry, and Command (TT&C) ground operations center. Additionally, LaCE led to the development of the Stratospheric Optical Link Demonstration (SOLD) high-altitude balloon experiment, a companion mission which demonstrated the Skylight terminal in the stratosphere as a risk reduction and alternate execution path. LaCE was able to fully demonstrate the ELROI and CSR payloads but experienced on-orbit challenges which prevented full demonstration of the Skylight mission. In addition to its primary payload missions, LaCE-1 was operated through re-entry and performed a secondary vLEO profiling mission. NIWC considers LaCE an operational success and has developed several “best practice” operational lessons from the mission, including the value of stratospheric pre-launch test campaigns, the value of satellite telecom radios as backup systems, and the importance of precision Pointing, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solutions for optical communications on orbit.
