Mynaric

Last updated
Mynaric AG
FormerlyVialight Communications (2009–2017)
Company type Public
Nasdaq:  MYNA
ISIN DE000A31C305
Industry Aerospace, Telecommunications equipment, Networking equipment
Founded2009;15 years ago (2009)
Headquarters Munich (Germany), Hawthorne, California & Washington, D.C. (United States)
Products Laser communication equipment for aircraft and satellites, Optical ground stations
Subsidiaries Mynaric USA
Website mynaric.com

Mynaric AG is a manufacturer of laser communication equipment for airborne and spaceborne communication networks, so called constellations.

Contents

History

In 2009, Mynaric was founded by former employees of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), [1] and some of the key technologies have been licensed from DLR. [2]

In November 2013, Mynaric demonstrated for the first time successful laser communication from a jet platform Tornado. A data rate of 1 Gbit/s over a distance of 60 km was achieved at a flight speed of 800 km/h. [3] [4] In October 2017, Mynaric performed an IPO at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange raising 27.3M € of growth capital. [5] [6]

In February 2018, Mynaric's laser communication products were inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame of the Space Foundation, [2] [7] and in April 2018, Mynaric announced a partnership with CEA-Leti regarding highly sensitive avalanche photodiodes that may enable longer link distances and reduced system complexity. [8] [9] In June 2018, Facebook's Connectivity Lab (related to Facebook Aquila) was reported to have achieved a bidirectional 10 Gbit/s air-to-ground connection with Mynaric's products. [10]

In March 2019, Mynaric announced that former SpaceX Starlink vice president Bulent Altan joins its management board and that it has raised additional $12.5 million funding from the lead investor of an undisclosed satellite constellation. [11] [12]

In November 2021, Mynaric listed on Nasdaq and raised $75.9 million growth capital drawing Peter Thiel and ARK Invest as new investors. [13] [14] The company was also selected by Northrop Grumman as strategic supplier for laser communications and, subsequently, in June 2022, completed a ground demonstration of laser terminals that will be used to send and receive data in space as part of the U.S. National Defense Space Architecture. [15] In July 2022, Mynaric received a strategic investment of $11.4 million from L3Harris. [16] By June 2023, the company established itself as a dominant supplier of optical communications terminals for the Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, a large global satellite constellation. [17]

Products

Mynaric offers various laser communication products for wireless data transmission between aircraft, UAVs, high-altitude platforms (HAPS), satellites and the ground offering Gbps-class wireless data transmission across long distances up to several thousand kilometers. The company focuses on serial production and cost reduction of its laser communication products and targets laser communication enabled airborne and spaceborne communication networks. [1] Mynaric produces laser communication terminals with a data transfer rate of 10 Gbit/s as of early 2019. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Bulent Altan is a Turkish-American aerospace executive and engineer, known for his significant contributions to SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. He was also CEO of laser communications manufacturer Mynaric and is founding partner of venture capital firm Alpine Space Ventures.

Starshield is a business unit of SpaceX for the creation of purpose-built low-Earth-orbit satellites designed to provide new "disruptive" military space capabilities to U.S. and allied governments. Starshield was adapted from the global communications network Starlink but brings additional capabilities such as target tracking, optical and radio reconnaissance, and early missile warning. Primary customers include the Space Development Agency, National Reconnaissance Office and the United States Space Force. As of 2024, at least 16 Starshield satellites have been launched, with an unknown number of additional satellites being launched in May as part of NROL-146.

References

  1. 1 2 "Fibreless optical links in the skies | Mynaric". www.edisoninvestmentresearch.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 Laser terminals from DLR and its spin-off, Mynaric, inducted into the 'Space Technology Hall of Fame'. DLR. 16 February 2018.
  3. ↑ Belz, Lothar (2013-12-19). "Optical data link successfully demonstrated between fighter plane and ground station". Archived from the original on 2013-12-30.
  4. ↑ "DODfast: Laserkommunikation zwischen Jet und Bodenstation". DLR Portal (in German). Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "IPO Of The Mynaric AG In Frankfurt Stock Exchange's Scale Segment - Initial Price: 53.75 Euro - Investors Used Public Subscription Via Exchange". www.mondovisione.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Mynaric lasert sich an die Börse | Aktien News | boerse.ARD.de". boerse.ARD.de (in German). Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "34th Space Symposium's 2018 Space Technology Hall of Fame Inductees are Aluminum Alloy 398 and Miniaturized Laser Terminals". www.satnews.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "Lasercom Tech for Satellites and Constellations Under Development by Mynaric and Leti". www.satnews.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  9. ↑ "Leti and Mynaric partner on APDs for FSO aircraft/drone/satellite constellation networks". www.laserfocusworld.com. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  10. ↑ Price, Rob (29 June 2018). "Facebook tested plane-mounted lasers that fire super high-speed internet over California — here are the photos". Business Insider. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  11. ↑ Henry, Caleb (14 March 2019). "Former SpaceX Starlink exec joins German lasercomm startup". SpaceNews.com. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  12. ↑ Henry, Caleb (19 March 2019). "Mynaric raises $12.5 million from mystery constellation customer". SpaceNews.com. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  13. ↑ Sheetz, Michael (19 November 2021). "German space lasers company Mynaric CEO talks Nasdaq IPO, plans for growth". CNBC. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  14. ↑ Henning, Eyk (12 November 2021). "Laser Firm Mynaric Said to Draw Peter Thiel, ARK to U.S. Listing". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  15. ↑ Erwin, Sandra (14 June 2022). "Northrop Grumman demonstrates Mynaric laser terminals for military constellation". SpaceNews. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  16. ↑ Foust, Jeff (6 July 2022). "L3Harris makes strategic investment in Mynaric". SpaceNews.
  17. ↑ Erwin, Sandra (21 June 2023). "Mynaric to supply laser communications for Raytheon's missile-tracking satellites". SpaceNews.
  18. ↑ Jordanova-Duda, Matilda (2019-02-07). "Datenreise per Laserstrahl". vdi-nachrichten.com. Archived from the original on 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
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