LightPath Announced Qualification of its BD6 Material for Space Applications

ORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / November 10, 2022 / LightPath Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:LPTH), ("LightPath" or the "Company"), a leading vertically integrated global manufacturer and integrator of proprietary optical and infrared technologies, announced that the Company's BD6 infrared glass has passed radiation testing and is qualified for use as a replacement for Germanium in space applications.

The testing of LightPath's BD6 as part of a European Space Agency ("ESA") project comes in parallel to efforts by the US Department of Defense, European defense agencies, and others to reduce their dependence on Germanium by qualifying an alternative. The tests performed as part of the ESA project were designed to simulate the radiation the material would be exposed to during ESA missions, including both Gamma and Proton tests. The tests show that LightPath's Black Diamond material and Anti Reflective Coating can withstand radiation exposure to in-orbit tasks.

The testing of LightPath's Black Diamond material comes as the next logical step after having been awarded funding by the ESA to advance chalcogenide optics for use in space in December 2021[1]. The market for commercial satellite imaging is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 10.8% and reach $7 billion by 2030. Thermal Imaging from low earth orbit is expected to play a major role in new missile detection systems, as well as agriculture and industrial applications such as methane detection and more.

LightPath's President and Chief Executive Officer Sam Rubin stated, "Approval of our Black Diamond materials for space use is an exciting development as it brings us one step closer to participating in a premier space program. BD6 is the material we leverage to encourage clients to partner with us on optical solutions. Material and optical systems projects with a space program the caliber of the ESA would place LightPath on the cutting edge of optics design."