Aetherflux, a startup that’s working on harnessing solar power from space, just raised $50 million. This money will help launch a test satellite in 2026.
The man behind this idea is Baiju Bhatt, a billionaire and co-founder of Robinhood. He started Aetherflux last October. The goal is to create a network of satellites that can collect solar energy and beam it back to Earth.
This idea isn’t new – it was first thought up by scientist Isaac Asimov in 1941. But Bhatt wants to make it a reality.
Aetherflux now has $60 million to develop its tech. Bhatt invested $10 million himself before this funding round. The latest round was led by Index Ventures and Interlagos, with help from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a fund created by Bill Gates.
The company is hiring engineers to build the satellite. Bhatt says his team has people from NASA, SpaceX, and the US Navy. They’re working on a special payload that will turn solar energy into a laser beam and send it back to Earth.
The ground stations that will get this energy will be small – just 5-10 meters. They’ll have solar panels and batteries to store the energy. The goal is to send power to remote areas.
In 2026, Aetherflux will test its tech by sending a laser beam from the satellite to a ground station in real-time. If it works, it’ll be the first time this kind of tech has been tested.
More on Aetherflux’s tech
The company’s plan is ambitious. It wants to change the way we get energy.
How it works
The satellite will collect solar energy and turn it into a laser beam. This beam will be sent to a ground station, which will store the energy in batteries.
- The satellite will be in low Earth orbit
- The ground station will be small and have solar panels and batteries
- The energy will be stored and used when needed
This tech could help send power to remote areas. It could also help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
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