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10 Dec 2025
Rochester-based optics firm says it can meet the rigorous demands of a rapidly growing application area.
Optical component maker Syntec Optics says it has won a new order for satellite optics worth approximately $1.9 million - evidence for what it calls a “compounding trend” in order volumes for its space optics product lines in low-Earth orbit (LEO) deployments.
The Rochester, New York, firm, which was founded back in 1981, claims that the latest booking builds upon a year of strong operational execution.
“From January through November 2025, Syntec Optics shipped over $2.6 million in space optics, demonstrating the company’s ability to move from development to scale production,” it announced.
“Syntec has demonstrated it can meet the rigorous demands of a rapidly growing industry with strong tailwinds.”
Analysts’ LEO optimism
That view is backed up by a recent market analysis from bankers Goldman Sachs suggesting that as many as 70,000 LEO satellites will be launched over the next five years.
France-based Yole Group has also predicted a rapid rate of LEO market growth, with its November report on optical satellite communications highlighting the emerging competition to Elon Musk’s Starlink business from Amazon’s “Leo” (previously “Kuiper”) project, and the Chinese “Guowang” effort.
According to the most optimistic scenario in the Goldman Sachs outlook, about 53,000 of the estimated 70,000 launches between now and 2030 would likely be from China. However, the bank’s “base case” forecast is only about a quarter of that total.
From its point of view, Syntec says it continues to see a solid increase in order volumes for its space optics product lines.
“Following a series of wins over the past 24 months - including reaching the milestone of its 17,000th space optic manufactured in October 2025 and securing multimillion-dollar orders in 2024 - this latest order underscores the recurring and expanding nature of Syntec’s space business,” it announced.
“If such a rate is sustained, Syntec is projected to nearly triple the deliveries in 2026 for this product line.”
Laser satellite comms tailwind
Matt Carey, the company’s VP of business development and delivery, added: “The demand for our LEO satellite optics is not just continuing; it is trending upward at an accelerated pace.
“We have successfully shipped over $2.6 million in space optics year-to-date in 2025, and adding another $1.9 million to our backlog for delivery through early 2026 is exciting.
“Our customer is continuing to scale their constellations, and because of our vertically integrated manufacturing platform, we are scaling right alongside them. We are seeing orders increase, confirming that our strategy to prioritize yield and capacity in this sector is helpful.”
Last month Nasdaq-listed Syntec posted sales of just under $7 million for the third calendar quarter of the year, down from $7.9 million in the same period last year but reflecting increased demand for LEO satellite optics, night vision, and other defense-related product lines.
“Our products are propelled by tailwinds as we move towards laser-based satellite communications rather than radar-based systems for low latency,” noted the company at the time.
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