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Irish space optics company MBRYONICS has been selected by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop key hardware for its Space-BACN project — a major push to create a low-cost, laser-powered “Internet in Space”.

Under the deal, MBRYONICS will deliver the optical terminal, including a space telescope, tracking system, and optical amplifiers.

These components are central to enabling high-speed laser communications between satellites, which promise faster, more secure data transfer than traditional radio.Space-BACN (short for Space-Based Adaptive Communications Node) is one of DARPA’s flagship efforts to break down the “walled gardens” in orbit.

Today, most satellite networks can’t talk to one another.

BACN aims to change that — creating modular optical terminals that allow satellites from different constellations, operators, or even countries to share data in real-time.

MBRYONICS was originally selected for Phase 1 of the program in 2022, where it helped prototype key systems. Its new role in Phase 2 marks a serious vote of confidence from the U.S. defense R&D powerhouse.

Why it matters: MBRYONICS is now delivering flight-ready optical hardware for a global comms system being backed by the U.S. military.

It’s a major win for Ireland’s emerging space sector and places MBRYONICS among the global elite in satellite laser comms.

The world being in the state it is, it’s no surprise Europe’s space executives are being forced to pivot to defence. And pivot they are, in a big way.

The European Space Agency dropped a bombshell this week: they're hunting for €1 billion to build a military-grade satellite network to beef up the EU’s defence and intelligence capability. And it’s not your typical weather sat constellation either.

ESA's director-general Josef Aschbacher hasn’t minced his words about their plans: 15-30 ultra-sophisticated earth observation satellites equipped with "very high resolution optical radar data" capabilities, plus onboard AI and computing power. "This will be something quite significant.”

What makes it interesting is that it's ESA's first major dual-use programme, meaning it'll serve both military and civilian purposes. Easier to justify over purely defence spending.

Space consultancy Novaspace's Maxime Puteaux says the full programme could be worth 4 - 6 billion euro over the next decade.

The loss of Japan’s ispace Resilience lunar lander last week brought an abrupt end to a mission that promised several scientific and cultural firsts for lunar exploration. At the heart of the mission was Tenacious, a 5kg micro-rover developed by ispace’s Luxembourg division.

Tenacious was set to become Europe’s first rover on the Moon, equipped to traverse the Mare Frigoris region, collect lunar regolith, and relay high-definition imagery back to Earth.

One of its standout objectives was to collect a small sample of lunar soil and symbolically transfer ownership to NASA—a pioneering demonstration of commercial lunar resource acquisition and international regulatory frameworks.

Tenacious also carried a unique piece of cargo: the Moonhouse, a miniature red Swedish cottage designed by artist Mikael Genberg. Had the mission succeeded, this would have become the first “house” on the Moon, a symbolic gesture blending art and exploration.

Beyond Tenacious, Resilience carried other notable experiments with an eye to sustaining a future lunar base: a water electrolyzer from Takasago Thermal Engineering to demonstrate the production of oxygen and hydrogen from lunar water; a self-contained algae-based food production module from Euglena, and a deep space radiation probe from Taiwan’s National Central University to monitor the lunar environment.