Skyloom terminal installations expand after July 16 launch
IonQ’s Skyloom unit expanded on-orbit optical communications terminal installations to 84 following a July 16, 2026 Falcon 9 launch.
Terminals were deployed on York Space Systems satellites supporting the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture Transport Layer.
The latest deployment builds on Tranche 1 installations that began in September 2025, creating one of the largest operational laser communications payload footprints in low-Earth orbit.
The scale-up supports higher-throughput, low-latency mesh networking aligned with SDA optical terminal interoperability standards for national defense communications.
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