Space industry in Lithuania

NanoAvionics

Vilnius, Lithuania commercial

NanoAvionics is a leading European small satellite bus manufacturer with 50+ satellites launched and 300+ in development, offering 21 standard configurations ranging from 10 kg to 200+ kg wet mass with lead times starting at 7 months. The Lithuanian company (part of Kongsberg NanoAvionics) offers three product lines (Light, Mid, Max) across various platform sizes. The MP42 microsatellite bus powers missions including the N3X maritime surveillance constellation (launched 2025) with three satellites featuring AIS and radar detection capabilities. In April 2025, NanoAvionics secured a €122.5 million contract to build 280 satellites for Meridian Space (SpinLaunch's global broadband constellation), expected to grow to 1,200+ satellites. In October 2025, ESA selected Kongsberg NanoAvionics for the ESA-EC IOD/IOV programme spacecraft. In November 2025, the company expanded in the UAE and partnered with MBRSC to develop five CubeSats. NanoAvionics has launched more nanosatellites in the last five years than any other external manufacturer.

Astrolight Lithuania

Vilnius, Lithuania commercial

Astrolight Lithuania, founded in 2020 and based in Vilnius, Lithuania, is a space technology company specializing in the development of laser-based communication platforms. The company focuses on enabling high-bandwidth data transfer for both space-to-ground and space-to-space communication applications. Their core offerings include optical ground stations (OGS) and laser communication terminals, exemplified by the ATLAS-2 product, designed for high data rate connectivity. A key technological focus for Astrolight is the advancement of optical communication, offering a potentially more secure and higher bandwidth alternative to traditional radio frequency (RF) communication. They have demonstrated a functional space-to-ground laser communication link and completed the first operational test of their optical ground station technology. Beyond traditional space applications, Astrolight is also developing solutions for terrestrial defense, with the POLARIS system – a radio-silent, unjammable C3 data link intended for naval applications. While specific customer details are not publicly available, Astrolight’s development of both space and defense-focused laser communication systems positions them within a growing market segment. The company differentiates itself by focusing exclusively on optical communication technologies, potentially offering superior performance and security compared to RF-based alternatives. They are actively contributing to the advancement and deployment of this emerging technology for a variety of applications.

Astrolight, a European deep tech startup developing laser communication terminals for space, defense, and multi-domain operations, builds free-space optical communication systems with an emphasis on the security properties unique to laser links: the narrow optical beam's extreme directionality makes interception and jamming geometrically difficult, addressing a critical vulnerability of radio frequency (RF) communications where broad radio beams can be detected, jammed, or intercepted over wide areas. Astrolight's ATLAS-1 terminal supports up to 10 Gbps optical downlink from LEO satellites to ground stations using a distinctive two-aperture design — separating the transmit and receive apertures to optimize each path's optical design without the interference compromises required when sharing a single aperture for bidirectional communication. This architecture enables higher link budget efficiency and allows independent optimization of the pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) systems for each direction. The dual-use security angle distinguishes Astrolight from purely commercial optical communications companies: the company explicitly targets defense and multi-domain operations applications where electromagnetic spectrum dominance is contested — scenarios where adversaries can jam GPS and radio communications, but lack the geometric positioning to intercept or block narrow laser beams between specific points in space. This positions Astrolight's terminals as resilient secure communication infrastructure for military space systems, intelligence satellite links, and government secure communications. Astrolight was selected for the NATO DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) program as one of the top 3% of dual-use technology startups — a competitive program that provides defense-oriented deep tech companies with funding, mentorship, and connections to NATO defense procurement communities. The company raised €2.8 million in seed funding in May 2025 to accelerate ATLAS-1 development and testing. Astrolight competes with Mynaric, Tesat-Spacecom, and Cailabs in the optical communications terminal market.