Development and production of opto-electronic devices for space and terrestrial applications

General Atomics Synopta GmbH

Eggersriet (SG), SwitzerlandNew on Amplifa

2004Founded

CH-320.4.055.071-7Commercial Register St. Gallen

GmbHLegal form

Ø 270 mmMax. beam diameter CPA

Ø 0.6–2.3 mTelescope apertures MuAO

Company Profile

GA-Synopta GmbH was founded in early 2004 in Eggersriet (SG), Switzerland, and has been part of the General Atomics group since 2021. The company offers consulting, engineering services as well as the development and production of complex opto-electronic devices for space and terrestrial use – as series products in small to medium quantities or as prototypes. The product range includes beam pointing and stabilization systems (Coarse Pointing Assemblies CPA 70/135/270), optical ground stations for laser communication with satellites, adaptive optics systems (MuAO) as well as optical communication systems such as receivers, laser transmitters and optical hybrids. In addition, test systems for optical and opto-electronic devices are produced. Customers include European organisations, national agencies and international companies from the space, defence and capital goods sectors; examples of applications are EDRS, Sentinels, EAGLE-1 and HydRON. The Eggersriet facility comprises offices, a laboratory and a workshop.

Site: Eggersriet, Switzerland
Processes: Development and production of opto-electronic devices and assemblies (series products in, Beam pointing and stabilization systems (Coarse Pointing Assemblies CPA 70 / CPA 135 / CPA 270), Optical ground stations for laser communication (S-AOGS stationary, T-AOGS transportable), Adaptive optics systems (MuAO receiver), Optical communication systems (direct receivers, coherent receivers, laser transmitters, optical, Test systems for optical and opto-electronic devices, Engineering Services: Systems Engineering, Optics Development, Opto-Electronics, Adaptive Optics,, Consulting (Business Development, strategic planning)
Materials: SiC (mirror material), Single-Mode Optical Fiber, Silicon Carbide (mirror material)
Certificates: Space qualification CPA 70
Founded: 2004
Industries: Space, Defence, Capital goods sector, Telecommunications

01
Consulting and Systems Engineering
02
Optical Development and Opto-Electronics
03
Concept and Design
04
Production and Assembly
05
Test Systems and Testing
06
Delivery and Support

Materials and Processes

SiC

Silicon Carbide (mirror material)

Mirror material of the CPA devices with induced wavefront error < 30 nm rms.

SMF

Single-Mode Optical Fiber

Fiber output of the MuAO receiver for classical and quantum-optical communication links.

Sites

Eggersriet

Business and production facility (offices, laboratory, workshop)

Part weight / size: Devices up to CPA 270 (Ø 270 mm beam diameter)
Lot size: Prototypes, small to medium quantities
Materials: SiC mirrors, single-mode optical fiber

Laboratory
Workshop

Products and Components

**CPA 270 Beam Pointing System**Beam pointing · Space/Ground Station

**CPA 135 Beam Pointing System**Beam pointing · Satellites

**MuAO Adaptive Optics**Adaptive Optics · Ground Station

**Balanced Receiver**Opto-Electronics · Communication

**Free-Beam Hybrid**Optical Hybrids · Communication

Inside the production

Satellite – Operating environment of the space products

Industries

SpaceDefenceCapital goods sectorTelecommunications

Processes & technical limits

Processes	Tolerance	Max. part	Weight	Lot size	Materials
Development and production of opto-electronic devices and assemblies (series products inAssembly	–	–	–	–	–
Beam pointing and stabilization systems (Coarse Pointing Assemblies CPA 70 / CPA 135 / CPA 270)Assembly	Pointing error < 30 µrad (typ.), wavefront error < 25 nm	–	Ø 270 mm beam diameter	–	SiC (mirror)
Optical ground stations for laser communication (S-AOGS stationary, T-AOGS transportable)Assembly	–	–	Telescopes up to Ø 1 m (transportable),	–	–
Adaptive optics systems (MuAO receiver)Assembly	Wavefront correction, DM with 140/492 actuators	900 mm × 1000 mm × 500 mm	–	–	Optical fiber (single-mode)
Optical communication systems (direct receivers, coherent receivers, laser transmitters, opticalAssembly	–	–	–	–	–
Test systems for optical and opto-electronic devicesTesting	–	–	–	–	–
Engineering Services: Systems Engineering, Optics Development, Opto-Electronics, Adaptive Optics,Engineering	–	–	–	–	–

Additional services

Consulting (Business Development, strategic planning)Public Affairs ManagementProject ManagementRisk ManagementSupply Chain ManagementSystems EngineeringOrbit AnalysesOptical DevelopmentOpto-ElectronicsAdaptive OpticsMechanismsControl, Regulation and Communication ElectronicsSoftwareConcept, Development and Production of Devices for Space ApplicationsTest Systems for Optical and Opto-Electronic DevicesSupport with Proposal PreparationTechnology Studies

Reference customers

European organisations and national agencies (not named individually)European Space Programme EDRSSentinelsEAGLE-1 (QKD)HydRON

Quality

The devices are designed for space and harsh terrestrial environmental conditions; the CPA 70 is qualified for use in space and meets stringent industrial quality standards. In-house test systems for optical and opto-electronic devices complement production.

Evidence	Eggersriet
Space qualification CPA 70

History

2004
Founding of GA-Synopta (Synopta GmbH) in spring 2004 in Eggersriet (SG), Switzerland
2014
100% acquisition of MecOptics GmbH, producer of opto-electronic devices and assemblies for industrial applications
2021
Acquisition by General Atomics; renaming to General Atomics Synopta GmbH
2023
First delivery of CPA 70 devices for use in LEO orbits