"It is a skeleton key," said John Mackey, founder and CEO of Mbryonics, describing the core idea behind Space‑BACN — a reconfigurable satellite laser link intended to let once‑separate constellations communicate as if they spoke the same language.
DARPA’s Space‑BACN: goals, timeline and funding
Space‑BACN was launched by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in late 2021 to create “universal” satellite laser links that can be reconfigured on‑orbit to enable cross‑talk between otherwise incompatible optical communications systems. DARPA awarded Phase 1 development contracts to 11 companies in August 2022 and downselected to seven contractors in December 2023 for Phase 2 work organized under three Technical Areas (TA1, TA2 and TA3).
In budget material, DARPA listed the last tranche of funding for Space‑BACN as $5.7 million appropriated in 2025; DARPA budget requests show slightly more than $60 million budgeted for the program between fiscal years 2023 and 2024. A DARPA spokesperson told Breaking Defense those 2025 funds are now being expended to finalize the project and that certain Space‑BACN activities have been completed and transitioned to other agencies.
Transition to the Defense Innovation Unit and the Point Break solicitation
Breaking Defense reports the program is being transitioned away from DARPA to the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). DIU posted a solicitation for its effort, called Point Break, to demonstrate “multi‑waveform lasercom optical communication terminals (OCTs) and orchestration capable of enabling seamless data transport across different waveform and network boundaries,” and specifically the ability to transmit communications “from a commercial satellite constellation to an airborne optical terminal in flight.”
DIU did not respond to a request for comment. The move from DARPA — the department’s far‑future research agency — to DIU is described by company officials as a shift from early development to preparations for on‑orbit demonstration and potential handoff to a service or DoD agency (in Space‑BACN’s case, the Space Force). DIU’s solicitation is the formal mechanism to open that next phase to bids.
TA1 terminals: Mbryonics and Mynaric preparing verification tests
Under TA1, Mbryonics (Ireland) and Mynaric (Germany) developed optical intersatellite link (OISL) payloads intended to be low size, weight, power and cost standardized terminals. Both companies have completed their OISL terminal development and, a DARPA spokesperson said, “are scheduled for performance verification tests this summer.” Company executives confirmed those tests will be carried out on the ground but will “realistically simulate in‑space environmental conditions.”
Mackey described the program’s DARPA‑hard technical target — nicknamed “100‑cubed” — as achieving 100 gigabits per second of throughput while consuming 100 watts of power and approaching a $100,000 unit price. He said Mbryonics is building a “software defined terminal” interoperable at the communications and pointing/tracking level with programs like SpaceX’s Starshield and Amazon LEO, and is using a modem based on open standards and coherent laser technology.
Joachim Horwath, CEO of Mynaric, told Breaking Defense the company’s terminal would undergo DARPA verification testing on May 5 using Mynaric’s own test bed. Horwath said Mynaric can “really duplicate the link in space” on the ground and emphasized the firm has serial production experience: “We have manufactured 500 units. We have shipped more than anybody else to customers worldwide.” He also noted prior supply‑chain and scaling issues traced to a faulty commercial part have been fixed.
TA2 modem work and Space Force follow‑on funding
TA2 Phase 2 work tasked Intel Federal (now Altera) and Arizona State University with designing a reconfigurable modem capable of supporting multiple optical waveforms. DARPA said only Altera’s design was chosen to transition to DIU for further development.
The Space Force’s fiscal 2027 research, development, test and evaluation request includes an unspecified sum within a larger $20 million basket to develop space‑to‑space communications technology to “enhance” and further develop Space‑BACN’s modem design, with the goals of supporting long‑range crosslinks and incorporating emerging optical waveform standards.
TA3 command‑and‑control work and handoff to SDA and services
Under TA3, Telesat Government Solutions, SpaceX and Amazon LEO contributed to designing the cross‑communications command‑and‑control (C2) system. DARPA said the activities of the three Phase 2 contractors are complete and “results have transitioned to inform future architectural designs.”
DARPA’s FY27 budget documents state the C2 software “controls access and configures connectivity between constellations based on availability and mission requirements, and has been transitioned to the Space Development Agency and other military services.”
What this means for the Space Force, DIU, and commercial constellations
- For the Space Force: the technical pieces — terminals, reconfigurable modem designs and C2 software — are moving into organizations that mature and field systems, aligning with the Space Force’s need for long‑range crosslinks and incorporation into a Space Data Network that would underpin Golden Dome and other missile‑warning architectures.
- For DIU: Point Break is the immediate task — soliciting and demonstrating multi‑waveform OCTs and orchestration, including airborne‑to‑satellite links, and deciding which developed pieces to fund toward an on‑orbit demonstration.
- For commercial suppliers and constellation owners: the push toward open standards, software‑defined terminals and coherent links is a signal that reconfigurability and interoperability will be central if commercial assets are to be “on‑ramped” into defense networks.
The practical next steps are tightly drawn: company terminals face ground verification tests this summer (with Mynaric’s May 5 run already scheduled), DIU’s Point Break solicitation is live, and Space Force budget lines signal further maturation of the modem design. Whether those pieces knit into on‑orbit demonstrations and then into operational networks remains a chain of transfer and testing — but the program’s transfer from DARPA to DIU marks a deliberate move toward demonstration and potential service adoption.
