Sony has partnered with California’s Astro Digital to test laser communications from two small satellites, using optical disc technology the Japanese conglomerate pioneered for CD players.
There are actually a ton of “space laser” companies at this point. SpaceX above all others, but in the SDA world there’s Skyloom, Mynaric, CACI, Tesat.
For legit “space lasers”, Aetherflux wants to beam power to the surface.
The pair of spacecraft will be based on Astro Digital’s Corvus satellite platform and ready to launch in 2026, the companies said in a brief Nov. 12 news release.
Launch is still a couple years out. You just have to remember to add it to your 2026 spaceflight bingo card.
I didn’t have “Sony fires satellite lasers” on my 2024 bingo card.
There are actually a ton of “space laser” companies at this point. SpaceX above all others, but in the SDA world there’s Skyloom, Mynaric, CACI, Tesat.
For legit “space lasers”, Aetherflux wants to beam power to the surface.
That’s how I burnt down a city in SimCity 2000 using a microwave power plant.
Launch is still a couple years out. You just have to remember to add it to your 2026 spaceflight bingo card.
Unfortunately I think my 2026 bingo card is going to filled with much darker things.