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Completed TRL 8 (started at 5, targeting 8)
Optical Ground Station in Hawaii, currently utilized for LCRD and formerly TBIRD.
The state-of-the-art ground station, called Optical Ground Station 2 (OGS-2), is the second of two optical ground stations that collects data transmitted to Earth by NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD). Launched in early 2021, this trailblazing mission is the linchpin in NASA’s first operational optical communications relay system. While other NASA efforts have used optical communications, this will be NASA’s first relay system using optical entirely, giving NASA the opportunity to test this method of communications and learn valuable lessons from its implementation.
Demonstrate optical ground station performance metrics. Relay satellites create critical communications links between science and exploration missions and Earth, enabling these missions to transmit important data to scientists and mission managers back home.
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
This is a mature technology (TRL 8) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.
None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.