Lithuanian space and defence technology company Astrolight has launched its ATLAS-1 laser communication devices into orbit, in what the company says is the first Lithuanian laser communications system to reach space.
The devices were launched on 30 March 2026 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket during SpaceX’s Transporter-16 mission in California. According to Astrolight, the ATLAS-1 units will be used in three separate customer missions led by a French deep-tech company, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
The two Greek university missions are being carried out under Greece’s national small satellite initiative, supported by the European Space Agency.
In orbit, Astrolight says the ATLAS-1 system will demonstrate secure, high-speed communications between the satellites and optical ground stations on Earth.
Until now, satellites have continued to rely largely on radio communications, which are comparatively vulnerable to disruption or interception using electronic warfare tools. Astrolight’s ATLAS-1 uses laser communications instead, which the company says are significantly more secure and hundreds of times faster than conventional radio links.
“This is a major achievement for Lithuania’s space and laser sectors, and a highly significant recognition for the Astrolight team. Only around ten of the world’s most powerful countries have developed laser communication technology, and even fewer have tested it beyond Earth. Technologies like this are becoming a cornerstone of the new space infrastructure, without which a fast and secure communications network between Earth and satellites will not be possible. This technology will connect Earth observation networks, space internet, space data centres and other satellite systems with Earth through lasers into one global broadband network, much like fibre-optic cables connect continents today,” said Laurynas Mačiulis, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Astrolight.
He said the development marks an important step for Lithuania in the global space economy.
“With this technology, Lithuania is becoming not only a user of satellite communications services, but also a producer and supplier of exceptionally high-value, strategically important products for the global space market. That is exactly why laser communication tests in space are so important for Lithuania,” he said.
The milestone is particularly significant for Lithuania as the Baltic states increasingly face radio signal interference originating from Russia, including continued GPS jamming at sea and in the air.
According to the company, Lithuanian pilots have already reported more than 300 cases of GPS signal interference in the country’s airspace this year.
“Russia’s electronic warfare attacks in Europe are intensifying, and our region clearly shows how vulnerable conventional communication systems are to such attacks. We must be prepared to protect defence, border surveillance, disaster response and other critically important communications systems. By developing secure communication solutions in Lithuania, we are strengthening our country’s technological capabilities and security, while also contributing to the wider security and sovereignty of Europe,” said Mačiulis.
Unlike widely used radio communications, laser communications use extremely narrow, invisible infrared laser beams, which Astrolight says cannot be disrupted by radio waves. The company also says the technology is capable of transmitting data at speeds hundreds of times greater than radio communications.
Because of its security advantages and high data-transfer rates, laser communications are being studied and used by organisations including the European Space Agency, NASA, and other civil and defence space agencies.
Astrolight has already tested its technology closer to home. Last year, the company said it successfully tested its POLARIS laser communications technology with the Lithuanian Navy, demonstrating secure and uninterrupted high-speed laser communications between two military ships in the Baltic Sea.
In November 2025, Astrolight also announced that, together with Denmark and the European Space Agency, it would build its own optical communications ground station in Greenland. The station is expected to become an important part of the global optical communications infrastructure, providing government and commercial satellite network operators with access to faster and more secure communications services in the Arctic region.
About Astrolight
Astrolight was founded in 2019 by former Kongsberg NanoAvionics co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Laurynas Mačiulis, together with co-founders from leading Lithuanian laser companies.
The company designs and manufactures advanced laser communication systems for links between space and Earth, as well as between satellites, ships and ground-based assets. Through the vertical integration of laser communications technologies, Astrolight says it is able to ensure optimal performance, reliability, and faster product development cycles.
