Meade and Orion close California offices

It's a sad day for the astronomy community as Meade Instruments and Orion Telescopes & Binoculars, long-standing pillars in the astronomy industry, have ceased operations. Meade Instruments, founded in 1972, and Orion, established in 1975, have been instrumental in making astronomy accessible to amateur astronomers worldwide.

Optronic Technologies, Inc., the parent company of Orion Telescopes & Binoculars and Meade Instruments, has closed its Watsonville, California, offices and storefront. The entire staff was dismissed by the end of the business day on Tuesday, July 9th. It remains uncertain whether the company will file for bankruptcy protection.

Meade and Orion close California offices

As reported by Sean Walker of Sky & Telescope on thier website, until Tuesday, Meade ran a production plant in Tijuana, Mexico, where most of its telescopes and electronic devices were made. Over the past fifty years, Meade Instruments has been recognized as a prominent developer and producer of telescopes and accessories for astronomy enthusiasts, especially noted for its Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes and their derivatives.

Orion Telescopes & Binoculars gained prominence in the late 1990s by offering quality equipment for budget-conscious amateur astronomers. Among its popular models are the ShortTube 80 and the StarBlast 4.5 Astro Reflector Telescope.

The closure follows a series of financial and operational challenges for Optronic Technologies. In 2019, following Meade's victory in an antitrust lawsuit against Sunny Electronics, the company's then-parent, Meade Instruments, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Optronic Technologies acquired Meade in 2021 but faced significant supply-chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding to their struggles.

As of July 12th, both Meade's and Orion's websites are still operational and accepting orders. There has been no official announcement from either company regarding their future plans?.

Meade and Orion's doors closed

The general consensus on the Reddit thread about Meade/Orion's closure is that the companies' financial struggles, largely due to expensive legal battles and competition from Synta, have led to their downfall. Users express disappointment and nostalgia, highlighting Meade's historical significance in amateur astronomy. There is also concern about the future availability and support for Meade products, with some users advising against investing in Meade scopes due to potential lack of manufacturer support and declining quality. Overall, the community views the closure as a significant loss for the amateur astronomy market. View the full discussion in the link below.

Dylan O' Donnell's thoughts and opinions on the Meade / Orion recent storefront closures in California

Dylan O'Donnell from Brian Bay Observatory discussed the sudden closure of Meade Observatory's offices and storefront in California. Meade, the parent company of Orion telescopes and binoculars, is facing significant financial concerns. While Celestron's shipping data shows a clear COVID boom followed by a return to normal levels, Orion's data reveals no such increase and a sharp decline.

Orion, once a major player in the telescope industry, encountered significant challenges after being acquired by the Chinese company Aion following an antitrust lawsuit. O'Donnell shared his personal experience with Orion, noting that the brand's decline began years ago and failed to attract a new, younger generation of astronomers and astrophotographers. Despite winning a court case and manufacturing operations in Mexico, Orion could not compete with the larger Chinese parent company and its brands.

O'Donnell expressed sadness about the end of the Orion brand and encouraged others to share their thoughts and opinions on this development. Watch the full video below.