IR satellites depend on cold temperatures to lower their signal to noise ratio. Some IR satellites carry cyrogenic materials (liquid hydrogen, liquid helium, and even frozen hydrogen in at least one case) to supercool the sensors. Despite be best dewar technology available, these materials typically only last from a few weeks to at most a couple years, which is the prime factor in determining the satellite's operational life. If they can achieve similar cyrogenic temps using laser technology, then the operational life for the sensors could be essentially unlimited. The technology might already be good enough for use on launch detection satellites. It sounds like it still has a way to go before it'll be useful for IR astronomy.