The Future of Laser Communications: Secure High-Bandwidth Links

Interview with Laurynas Mačiulis The Future of Laser Communications

2026-03-30 From Veronika Maucher 6 min Reading Time

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In this interview, Laurynas Mačiulis, CEO of Astrolight, explains how laser communications outpace RF for secure, high‑bandwidth links, what sets Astrolight’s terminals apart, and how optical connectivity will shape defence and space networks in the coming decade.

Visualisation of the Astrolight solution(Source: Astrolight) — Visualisation of the Astrolight solution
(Source: Astrolight)

Laurynas Mačiulis is a space entrepreneur and engineer with over 12 years of experience in the aerospace industry. He started his career in space from a research internship at NASA AMES in 2012 after which he took a role as the lead engineer of the first Lithuanian satellite mission “LituanicaSAT-1”. He was a lead systems engineer of the follow up green monopropellant demonstration CubeSat mission called “LituanicaSAT-2”. In 2014 he co-founded Nano Avionics – the first space start-up company in Lithuania where he took the role of CTO for three years and was responsible for product and technology development. In 2022 Nano Avionics was sold to Kongsberg Group. Furthermore he acquired his PhD degree in mechanical engineering for his work on thermal design optimization of small satellites from VilniusTECH university in 2021.

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