U.S. Space Force Awards BAE Systems $151M to Accelerate FORGE Program: Week in Brief: 3/7/25

The U.S. Space Force has awarded BAE Systems $151 million to build upon Phase 1 of the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) Command and Control (C2) prototyping effort to deliver a prototype ready for the Space Systems Command’s Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared system. FORGE C2’s purpose is to bolster Space Systems Command’s missile warning and tracking ground mission.

The Overhead Persistent Infrared Battlespace Awareness Center mission control station where programs like Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution are used. Courtesy of the U.S. Space Force.

QUEBEC CITY — Laserax, an advanced laser solutions company, has acquired DPSS Lasers Inc., a manufacturer of 355 nm UV solid-state lasers. The company states that the acquisition supports Laserax's long-term strategic vision by expanding its U.S. operations, pursuing emerging applications, and driving global growth.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Sensors developer onsemi has disclosed details of an unsolicited proposal submitted to the board of directors of industrial automation company Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. to acquire the company for $35.10 per share in cash for each share of Allegro’s common stock on a fully diluted basis at an implied enterprise value of $6.9 billion. Allegro’s board has stated that the proposal was inadequate and does not intend to comment further on the matter unless it determines it necessary to do so. According to onsemi, it has made numerous attempts over the past six months to enter into constructive discussions regarding a potential transaction, most recently on Feb. 12 representing an increase over an initial $34.50 per share proposal submitted in September of last year.

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — NUBURU, Inc., a blue laser technology developer, and HUMBL, Inc., a strategic holding company with focus in Brazil, has executed a $2 million equity swap agreement in a strategic partnership designed to accelerate both companies' growth strategies and deliver immediate value to shareholders. Per the agreement, NUBURU will issue $2 million in common stock to HUMBL and HUMBL will issue an equal amount of Series C preferred stock to NUBURU. The companies have also entered into a master distribution agreement, appointing HUMBL as the exclusive distributor in Brazil for both NUBURU's existing business and its recently announced defense and security portfolio companies. NUBURU has also entered into a strategic partnership with COEPTIS’ NexGenAI Affiliates Network, a provider of AI and robotics solutions, as part of a comprehensive transformation plan the company laid out last month.

KINGSTON UPON HULL, England — Laser technology developer Luxinar has expanded its services to customers by setting up a smart applications laboratory at its U.K. headquarters for its ultrashort pulse laser sources. The company has installed cameras to capture and live-stream laser processing trials, including at microscopic levels, where its applications engineers can demonstrate processes and share information in real-time during application trials.

Spire has been able to establish a two-way optical link between two satellites while up to 5000 km apart. Courtesy of Spire Global.

VIENNA, Va. — Spire Global, Inc., a provider of space-based services, has successfully established a two-way optical link between two satellites in orbit. The satellites, which launched in June 2023, are equipped with optical inter-satellite link (OISL) payloads. The payloads create lasers that send information back and forth between satellites, securely and almost instantaneously, while up to 5000 km apart. Following the successful demonstration, Spire will launch three additional satellites with OISL technology in 2025, two of which are set to launch via Exolaunch on the Transporter-13 rideshare mission with SpaceX. During the mission, Spire will launch four additional satellites to replenish its fully deployed constellation and enable missions for its space services customers.

GANDHINAGAR, India — Jabil Inc. is set to open a second factory in India. The action comes under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in Nov. 2024, when the company began exploring long-term goals, opportunities, and support with the state of Gujarat. This coincides with a new MoU with the state government. Per the informal agreement, the company and state will explore the option of building a post-wafer fabrication silicon photonics facility that will incorporate advanced co-packaged optics capabilities.

The façade of the University of New Mexico’s COSMIAC Space Research Center. Courtesy of Cailabs.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cailabs, an optical communications technologies company, has entered into a partnership with the University of New Mexico’s COSMIAC Space Research Center to support advanced space-to-ground optical communications capabilities by combining COSMIAC’s research and development in space systems with Cailabs’ optical communication solutions. The partnership will serve both government and commercial applications, reinforcing the importance of optical communications in modern satellite networks, according to the entities.

Representatives of the seven total finalists of the Photonics Challenge 2025 and judges. Courtesy of Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium.

HAMAMATSU, Japan — The Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium has selected three companies as winners of the Photonics Challenge 2025, a business contest that supports the expansion of optical technology applications by startups and small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan. The winners were Beyond Optical Medical Technologies, who won the Best Business Award with a ¥1 million ($6769) prize; Ectobrain Devices, who won the Best Challenge Award with a ¥800,000 ($5415) prize; and Catana Corporation who won the Shizuoka SME Excellence Award with a ¥300,000 ($2031) prize. HarvestX was given the Observer Award along with a ¥300,000 prize and ASA-e was given the Best Idea Award with a ¥200,000 ($1354) prize.

TOKYO — Nanofiber Quantum Technologies, Inc. (NanoQT), a technology startup, and QuEra Computing Inc., a neutral-atom quantum computing company, have entered into a collaboration to explore the integration of quantum networking interfaces with neutral-atom quantum processing units (QPUs), establishing a scalable, networked quantum computing architecture. The collaboration will leverage QuEra’s established neutral-atom QPU platform as a hardware testbed to integrate and test NanoQT’s quantum networking interface. This comes after QuEra launched the Quantum Data Centre Alliance along with Nu Quantum late last month.