A link test bed for the CONDOR terminal at Mynaric’s facility in Germany. Photo: Mynaric

Cloud Constellation, the operator of a planned “SpaceBelt” Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite data constellation, will use Mynaric’s laser communication Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs) to connect its spacecraft under the terms of a partnership agreement the two companies announced on Thursday.

Mynaric’s will deliver all OISL CONDOR terminals required for the first ten SpaceBelt constellation satellites, which will be built by Cloud Constellation’s selected prime contractor, LeoStella.

Once launched, the SpaceBelt LEO constellation aims to provide Data-Security-as-a-Service (DSaaS) with secure cloud storage and management services. Cloud Constellation said it chose Mynaric’s CONDOR terminal and laser technology because of its full compliance with the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) OISL standard, which allows the terminals to move data securely between satellites.

“We are confident with Mynaric’s proven capabilities to deliver secure and high data rate optical communications laser terminals for SpaceBelt’s constellations. The optical inter satellite links are the foundation to our project’s success,” Cloud Constellation CEO Cliff Beek said in a statement.

Mynaric just recently secured a similar laser communication terminal order from SpaceLink as part of a new partnership agreement the two companies announced last week. Mynaric will supply more than 40 OISL and CONDOR terminals to SpaceLink’s data relay network. SpaceLink will also increase the number of terminals produced and delivered upon its expansion of its planned Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) constellation.