Late last month, Mynaric (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: M0Y, ISIN: DE000A0JCY11) successfully demo’d their implementation of the Optical Inter-Satellite Link (OISL) Standard of the Space Development Agency (SDA).
The demonstration marks a crucial milestone in the industrialization of laser communication and, as such, a first step in the technology’s widespread adoption within the satellite industry and beyond.
Mynaric has achieved the industry’s first over-the-air transmission using an OISL terminal communicating with an independently built testbed both of which are compliant with the SDA’s OISL standard. The demonstration was composed of a set of optical and electronic tests characterizing Mynaric’s CONDOR optical, inter-satellite link product. The successful demonstration confirmed that Mynaric’s product are downward compliant with the SDA OISL Standard, thereby ensuring baseline compatibility with products of other OISL vendors implementing the same standard.
The demonstration marks yet another positive achievement in support of SDA’s efforts to establish the National Defense Space Architecture, a large-scale satellite constellation providing a range of capabilities to U.S. warfighters and to be comprised of several hundred, laser-linked satellites. After procuring first satellites for the program last year, SDA is currently seeking industry feedback on its approach to procure the next tranche of up to 150 satellites, each equipped with optical links.
Mynaric is currently in the process of setting up a laser communication link testbed at the firm’s Los Angeles facilities that will replicate the already-established facility at the company’s headquarters in Munich. The internal testing facilities will allow Mynaric to fully test its terminals and their compliance with the SDA OISL standard in-house to further reduce development time. They will also allow third parties to test their compatibility with Mynaric’s products.
“In the quest to support the SDA and other governmental customers in our core markets, it is important that we help bridge the differences between the commercial and governmental markets, and reduce the risks of technology adoption. Standardization is crucial in facilitating both objectives and we are excited to be leading the field with our CONDOR line of terminals. We are proud to have yet another industry first under our belt.” Bulent Altan, CEO, Mynaric.
