A rendering of a side to side comparison between CONDOR Mk2 (left) and CONDOR Mk3 (right) optical communications terminal. Photo: Mynaric

Rocket Lab on Tuesday said it closed its acquisition of optical communications terminal (OCT) supplier Mynaric AG for $155.3 million, $5.3 million more than the original deal terms announced in March 2025.

The final transaction price included a “nominal cash payment” and nearly 2.3 million shares of Rocket Lab’s stock. Original terms called for a $75 million upfront payment—in cash or stock—and an additional $75 million based on Mynaric’s financial performance as part of Rocket Lab.

Mynaric’s OCTs enable in-space laser communications between spacecraft and with terrestrial assets. Supplier challenges forced Mynaric to nearly halt OCT production, crippling the Germany-based company’s finances, but turnaround efforts succeeded, leading to a significant increase in terminals in 2025 with plans for further increases this year.

Rocket Lab understands Mynaric well and is using the company’s CONDOR Mk3 OCTs in 36 satellites it is developing for the Space Development Agency’s Tracking and Transport layers of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. The company maintains that with its support, Mynaric is in a stronger position for production.

“Laser communication is a key enabler for satellite constellations, but it has long been a supply chain pain point for commercial and government constellation operators,” Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, said in a statement. “High-performing and cost-effective products simply have not been available in high volumes. That changes today with Mynaric now officially part of Rocket Lab. We have a strong track record of unlocking satellite subsystems bottlenecks, making industry-leading technology affordable and available at scale.”

Germany’s government in late March approved Rocket Lab’s plans to acquire in Mynaric.

This story was first published by Defense Daily