CONDOR Mk3 final preparations before packaging. Photo: Mynaric 

Mynaric hit a product maturity milestone by starting volume production for the CONDOR Mk3, its flagship optical communications terminal, Mynaric announced on April 3. The laser communication company began production for the communications terminal in early 2024 and completed the first shipment last week. 

The initial shipments of the CONDOR Mk3 free space optical communications system will be part of the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) Tranche 1 Transport and Tracking Layer programs, among others.

Mynaric was selected by Northrop Grumman as supplier of optical communications terminals for the SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport and Tracking Layer programs and by York Space Systems for the SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer. Mynaric was also selected by Loft Federal to supply the CONDOR Mk3 terminals to NExT – the SDA’s Experimental Testbed.

“Today marks the culmination of the promise we made to our customers, our shareholders, the industry and our workforce to develop and manufacture free space optical communications systems for mass deployment. These systems will be part of government and commercial constellations, representing the start of a major new chapter for the company,” said Mustafa Veziroglu, CEO of Mynaric.