In the late 1990s, the satellite internet startup company Teledesic was deemed unsuccessful due to technical setbacks. However, one of its key vendors, a German supplier of laser communications technology, is continues to be a supporter of space-based global connectivity in Silicon Valley. This company, Tesat-Spacecom of Backnang, Germany, is a subsidiary of Airbus Defense and Space and has been preparing high bandwidth optical communications for inter satellite transmissions for the past 25 years. In 2015, Tesat will be entering its first commercial laser communications terminal (LCT) into operational service through the European Data Relay System (EDRS). With over $643 million co-financed by Airbus, the European Union, and the European Space Agency (ESA), the company is currently providing a bidirectional relay with an extremely high data rate. This data transfer is utilized through remote sensing satellites in LEO and the ground through a geo...