Siren Investigates Podcast: Building The Internet In Space

In this episode of Siren Investigates, Siren CEO John Randles sits down with John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Mbryonics, and Ruth Mackey, Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Mbryonics, to explore the technology transforming how satellites communicate with each other and with Earth.

Headquartered in Galway, Mbryonics develops optical communications and photonics technology for the space industry. Founded by siblings John, Ruth and David Mackey, the company has grown from research in adaptive optics and laser communications into a deep-tech business developing communications infrastructure for a new generation of satellite networks.

Their conversation explores the move from radio to optical satellite communications, the importance of getting intelligence from space to users faster, the impact of geopolitics on the European space sector and the opportunity for Ireland to become a significant contributor to the next generation of space infrastructure.

How are laser communications changing satellite connectivity?

Satellites have traditionally relied heavily on radio-frequency communications to transmit information between space and Earth.

As the amount of data generated in space increases, however, the capacity of those traditional connections becomes increasingly important.

Mbryonics is developing optical communications technology that uses lasers to transmit information at much higher speeds, both between satellites and between space and the ground.

Ruth explains that one of the company’s original areas of research involved adaptive optics: technology capable of correcting for atmospheric turbulence that can interfere with optical communications between Earth and space.

The longer-term ambition is significant. Mbryonics is working towards optical feeder links capable of transmitting data at terabit-per-second speeds, helping connect terrestrial infrastructure with increasingly sophisticated networks in space.

Satellite networks themselves are also evolving.

Rather than operating as isolated systems, future satellites could communicate across interconnected networks, allowing information to travel through whichever route is most effective.

Mbryonics has worked with the US government on technology designed to enable different satellite networks to communicate with one another, creating what John describes as a “network of networks” in space.

The result could ultimately be an environment where users don’t necessarily know whether their connection is travelling through terrestrial infrastructure or a satellite network. The system simply identifies the most effective route.

Why does faster access to satellite data matter for intelligence and national security?

Satellites can collect enormous quantities of valuable information, but collecting data is only one part of the challenge.

It also needs to reach the people who need it quickly enough to be useful.

John and Ruth explain that satellite imagery and other data can currently be constrained by the communications infrastructure available to bring that information back to Earth. In some cases, valuable data may not be transmitted at all because there simply isn’t enough communications capacity.

For intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications, that delay can significantly affect the value of the information.

An image that takes too long to reach an investigator or intelligence analyst may provide an accurate picture of what happened, but not necessarily the timely intelligence required to respond to what is happening now.

Mbryonics is working on architectures designed to increase the speed and reduce the cost of moving this information from satellites to end users.

The objective is to move beyond simply collecting raw information and towards delivering usable intelligence through the most effective available network.

As satellite sensors become more sophisticated and the amount of information being generated increases, communications infrastructure becomes a critical part of turning space-based data into actionable intelligence.

How are geopolitics changing Europe’s space and defence technology sector?

Space technology has always had both commercial and government applications, but John and Ruth describe a significant change in the geopolitical environment surrounding the sector.

The war in Ukraine and wider international tensions have increased the focus on technological capability, resilient infrastructure and European security.

Space-based communications, observation and intelligence capabilities are increasingly part of that conversation.

John explains that European institutions are now putting greater emphasis on dual-use technologies and capabilities that can support both civilian and security requirements.

This shift is also encouraging governments to consider the resilience of their technology supply chains.

For companies such as Mbryonics, knowing where components are manufactured, maintaining control over critical technologies and reducing dependence on potentially vulnerable supply chains have become increasingly important.

Mbryonics manufactures a significant proportion of its technology internally, with operations in Galway and Shannon. This provides greater control over quality and allows the company to iterate technology more quickly while maintaining greater visibility over its supply chain.

The wider trend suggests that technological capability is becoming increasingly connected to national and regional resilience.

For Europe, developing expertise in areas such as space communications, photonics, satellite infrastructure and secure connectivity could therefore become strategically important as well as commercially valuable.

What role could Ireland play in the future of the space industry?

Ireland may not have the same established space heritage as some larger European countries, but John and Ruth believe the country already possesses many of the skills required to build a significant space technology sector.

Mbryonics itself provides an example.

The company emerged from research in Galway and has been able to draw on Irish expertise across photonics, optics, engineering, electronics, software and advanced manufacturing.

The West of Ireland offers some particularly interesting advantages.

Galway’s established medical technology industry has developed a workforce experienced in precision manufacturing and highly regulated production environments. Many of those capabilities can translate into the manufacture of sophisticated space hardware.

Shannon, meanwhile, has a long history in aviation and aerospace, with access to additional engineering expertise across the wider region.

John and Ruth see an opportunity to combine those strengths to develop a new industrial base in Ireland.

There is also a broader security dimension.

Ireland hosts significant digital infrastructure and has the largest maritime area in the European Union. Protecting subsea cables, data infrastructure and other critical assets will increasingly require sophisticated monitoring, communications and security capabilities.

Rather than attempting to replicate the defence industries of larger countries, Ireland could use its existing strengths in technology, engineering and advanced manufacturing to develop its own approach to resilience and security.

For John and Ruth, space represents one part of that opportunity: building advanced technology in Ireland that can contribute to a more connected and resilient global infrastructure.

Key takeaways

Optical communications could dramatically increase the speed at which information moves between satellites and Earth.
Future satellite infrastructure is moving towards interconnected networks rather than isolated systems.
Faster satellite communications can help intelligence and security organisations access information when it is still operationally relevant.
Geopolitical change is increasing European investment in space, secure communications and resilient technology supply chains.
Ireland already has transferable expertise in photonics, engineering, software and advanced manufacturing that could support a growing space sector.
Galway and the West of Ireland could benefit from the crossover between established industries such as MedTech and emerging space manufacturing.