(Credit: Muon Space/SpaceX)
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Starlink's laser technology is expanding beyond SpaceX. On Tuesday, the startup Muon Space announced that it’s integrating the technology into its own satellites to provide them with an optical fiber-like connection to the orbiting Starlink constellation.
The startup will tap SpaceX's "mini laser terminals," which can support a 25Gbps connection between two satellites at a range of up to 4,000 kilometers. Muon Space plans on launching the “first Starlink-enabled Halo satellite in Q1 2027,” and has already started integrating the mini laser equipment in current customer satellite systems.
(Credit: SpaceX)SpaceX originally developed the laser system so that Starlink satellites can essentially act as a mesh network in space, giving them a way to fetch data from each other and further reduce latency. However, early last year, the company also mentioned porting the laser system to third-party satellites, representing a new way for SpaceX to commercialize Starlink technology.
For Muon Space, the deal is important since the startup supplies weather and climate-monitoring satellite systems to third-party clients, including the US Space Force. “With persistent optical broadband, Muon Halo satellites will move from being isolated vehicles to becoming active, real‑time nodes on Starlink’s global network,” CTO Pascal Stang says.
The results should eliminate communication delays with the satellites, making them as responsive as “cloud providers and telecom networks on the ground,” the startup adds.
Last year, a separate US aerospace company, Vast, also announced plans to use the laser system on its “Haven-1” private space station, which is slated to launch sometime in 2026. SpaceX’s current laser system for Starlink can operate at up to 200Gbps. However, earlier this year, the company announced the development of a smaller, mini laser system for third-party customers, which can support up to a 25Gbps connection.