MBRYONICS Chooses Pilot Photonics' Laser for Space Optical Communication Transceivers

DUBLIN, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MBRYONICS, the laser communications company building the internet in space, have chosen Pilot Photonics' ultra-fast tunable lasers for their terabit-per-second transceivers for optical communication. Responding to the increasing market demand for space-ready, Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC)-powered, low SWaP-C optical communication devices, the two Irish photonics firms are combining their best-in-class technologies to enable next-generation satellite communications.

MBRYONICS is innovating in the space communications field by integrating PIC devices in satellite and ground station modules, making robust lasercom devices for the New Space market. For their hardened terabit-per-second coherent transceiver, they are integrating Pilot Photonics' fast-switching, low-linewidth tunable laser. The fast wavelength tunability is crucial for optical Doppler compensation in coherent space communications. This makes Pilot's laser, with its nanosecond tuning, a natural fit.

Pilot Photonics, the leading Irish developer of integrated photonic engines, builds cutting edge PIC-based devices for space, telecom, datacom, and test & measurement applications. Among its suite of innovations is its line of tunable lasers, with fully monolithic integration and wide tunability. The laser's compact form factor, low mass, and high power efficiency makes it a perfect fit for the requirements of cutting-edge satellites.

This collaboration coincides with a period of massive momentum for MBRYONICS, who recently hosted the pan-European STARlight Consortium Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dublin. Backed by the €110M EU Chips Joint Undertaking project focused on securing strategic autonomy in silicon photonics, MBRYONICS showcased its landmark 25G-800G Bi-Directional Coherent Optical Transceiver, the world's first purpose-built for the extreme environment of space. Integrating Pilot Photonics' ultra-fast tunable lasers into this transceiver architecture highlights how cutting-edge, Irish-led photonic integration is directly powering the critical infrastructure needed to move massive workloads off-planet and build the internet in space.

"To build the internet in space, MBRYONICS requires best-in-class hardware components that can withstand the harshest environments while delivering maximum data throughput," said David Mackey, CTO of MBRYONICS. "Pilot Photonics' advanced PIC-based laser engines complement our optical communication architecture, allowing us to deliver next-generation, high-speed satellite connectivity to our global customers."

"We are delighted to support MBRYONICS in advancing next-generation space communications," said Pilot's CTO Frank Smyth. "New Space is driving many new developments in deep tech, and integrated photonics is particularly well positioned to meet its demands. We are proud that our engagement is highlighting Ireland's growing space technology sector."

About MBRYONICS

MBRYONICS is a deep-tech company building the internet in space. We manufacture laser communications systems that transmit and process data through beams of light at speeds 1,000x faster than traditional radio. As the only laser communications company whose platform technologies operate across all major optical standards, MBRYONICS is the infrastructure layer the space internet is built on, delivering space-to-ground, ground-to-space, and space-to-space communication. Its technology has been selected by the European Space Agency and DARPA's Space-BACN program. MBRYONICS is headquartered in Galway, Ireland.

For more information, visit mbryonics.com.

About Pilot Photonics

Pilot Photonics is a leading innovator in integrated photonics sources. Its portfolio includes tuneable and multi-wavelength lasers, optical combs, and frequency generators. Its innovative technologies drive cutting edge solutions in high-speed optical communications, AI datacentres, 5G/6G telecom networks, space systems, and test & measurement applications. Founded by pioneers in optical comb technology, the company is driving the transition to the Everything over Optical™ era. 

Learn more about Pilot Photonics at www.pilotphotonics.com.

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