Space News Launches Article titled: Flawless Photonics Kicking Glass

Astronauts Loral O'Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli (from left) are pictured in front of the Microgravity Science Glovebox, a research facility for conducting biology and physics experiments in the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module. Moghbeli installed Flawless Photonics' machine for drawing optical fiber in space in the Microgravity Science Glovebox.

SAN FRANCISCO – Silicon Valley startup Flawless Photonics has successfully produced more than 5 kilometers of ZBLAN on the International Space Station in just two weeks, achieving what others could not in microgravity conditions.

Lynn Harper from NASA commended Flawless Photonics for consistently producing commercial batches of ZBLAN in space.

ZBLAN offers energy savings and has the potential to transform undersea cables due to its greater transparency compared to silica, which reduces signal loss and energy use.

Michael Vestel, the CTO of Flawless Photonics, emphasized the potential to decrease the number of optical repeaters in submarine cables, leading to significant energy savings.

The European Space Agency and Luxembourg Space Agency financed Flawless Photonics’ space fiber-drawing machine, while the ISS National Laboratory took care of the transportation and installation expenses.

The machine from Flawless Photonics can resume fiber pulling after breaks, which is essential for process control.

The next step involves producing preforms in space, funded by NASA’s In Space Production Applications program, with participation from Flawless Photonics, the University of Adelaide, Axiom Space, and Visioneering Space.

Flawless Photonics, which has 20 employees, receives funding from both private and government sources, including an AFWERX program for terrestrial ZBLAN laser products.

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