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Aetherflux

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Renewable energy company
Aetherflux
Company typePrivate
IndustryRenewable energy
FounderBaiju Bhatt
HeadquartersSan Carlos, California
Websiteaetherflux.com

Aetherflux is an American renewable energy company founded by Baiju Bhatt, the co-founder and former co-chief executive officer of Robinhood. The company seeks to expand upon and commercialize space-based solar power, an old concept of collecting solar power in space with solar power satellites and transmitting it to Earth.

Background

In March 2024, Bhatt stepped down from his role at Robinhood to focus on an unnamed company, eventually revealing itself as Aetherflux. His interest in space stemmed from his father’s work as a scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center.

The company plans to build a constellation of satellites that collect solar energy in space via solar panels, distributing the energy back to ground stations on Earth through infrared lasers. The approach differs from those explored by governments and universities, and calls for transmission via infrared lasers instead of microwaves. Aetherflux’s satellites will also orbit in low-earth-orbit instead of geo-stationary. The first applications of the company's technology are designed to deliver potential power for various United States military operations, remote research stations or remote mining applications.

Space-based solar power can be traced back to science fiction writer Isaac Asimov’s 1941 short story, Reason, while the name of the company was inspired by the idea of aether theories.

History

In October 2024, Bhatt, the co-founder and former co-CEO of Robinhood, announced his new company, Aetherflux. Aetherflux shared that it employed about 10 people. The company purchased a satellite bus from Apex, a satellite company of which Bhatt is an investor, and began designing the payload. Bhatt has committed around US$10 million of his own money to fund the company, and the company plans to undertake its first mission and space demonstration in early 2026.

One day after the company's announcement of public operations, on October 10th, 2024, Aetherflux became a member of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF), an American aerospace industry group promoting the commercial space industry. Later in the month, the company announced that Daniel M. Gallagher, the former chief legal officer of Robinhood Markets, joined Aetherflux as an advisor.

References

  1. ^ Einhorn, Bruce (October 9, 2024). "Billionaire Backs Space-Laser Solar Startup After Robinhood Exit". Bloomberg News.
  2. Berger, Eric (21 October 2024). "Solar power from space? Actually, it might happen in a couple of years". Ars Technica.
  3. ^ Karlin, Susan (11 October 2024). "Robinhood cofounder Baiju Bhatt wants to create the Starlink of solar power". Fast Company.
  4. ^ Knapp, Alex (9 October 2024). "Robinhood's Billionaire Cofounder Wants To Set Up Hundreds Of Solar Panels In Space". Forbes.
  5. ^ Foust, Jeff (9 October 2024). "Startup takes new approach to space-based solar power". SpaceNews.
  6. ^ Thompson, Polly (21 October 2024). "Robinhood's cofounder has joined the rapidly growing commercial space race, and wants to beam solar power from satellites to earth". Business Insider.
  7. "Aetherflux joins Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF)" (Press release). SpaceNews. 10 October 2024.
  8. @DanGallagherDC (28 October 2024). "So happy to be on the team!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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