The cost of orbital launches is falling as the number of constellations rises and laser communications developer Mynaric is capitalizing on the industry shift.
“Laser communication has very distinct advantages over radiofrequency,” Mustafa Veziroglu, chief executive at Mynaric (NASDAQ: MYNA), tells Connectivity Business News in today’s episode of “The Dish” podcast.
Optical laser communications are harder to intercept than radiofrequency due to laser beams being narrow and precise, even at 5,000 kilometers above ground, he says. Laser communications also enable higher data capacity and can work in environments hostile for GPS or radiofrequency signals.
“Couple that with the significant advances by SpaceX with bringing down the cost of launching things in space and realizing there’s potentially a NewSpace market out there enabled by the lowering cost of transporting communication vehicles to space. I’d say that’s the turning point,” Veziroglu says.
Gilching, Germany-based Mynaric was founded in 2009 as a European startup, then aimed to do more, Veziroglu tells CBN.
“Our journey can really be divided into three sections,” Veziroglu tells CBN. The first was determining the applications for laser communications and how the technology can be used.
About four or five years ago, former CEO Bulent Altan laid out a company plan for high-volume production, and Mynaric entered its second phase: growth.
Mynaric was listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange via initial public offering in 2017, according to German capital market firm Deutsche Borse. Then, the company began to seek international investment to accelerate its growth, entering NASDAQ in 2021.
“We needed additional capital and more capital was available in the U.S.,” Veziroglu says.
The $80 million to $90 million raised in U.S. funds before entering NASDAQ helped establish necessary infrastructure to build a NewSpace company.
“Seeing the vision and putting the capabilities in place had its own challenges, because it required a lot of identification of [sources] of money, as well as capabilities, etc.,” Veziroglu tells CBN.
Mynaric is now in the third phase of its journey: executing on its vision.
While Mynaric is focused on optical laser communications for satellites, Veziroglu expects lunar and deep space missions to increase demand for optical laser communications.
“I believe that all long-range communication will be done through optical communication,” he says. “It will be a fundamental capability.”
Listen as Veziroglu discusses Mynaric’s journey from German startup to multinational tech developer.
