Star Catcher Industries Launches Space-Based Energy Grid to Power Future Space Activities

Star Catcher Industries Launches Space-Based Energy Grid to Power Future Space Activities
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Emerging from stealth today, Star Catcher Industries is developing a space-based energy grid aimed at enabling more power-intensive activities like edge computing and direct-to-cell telecommunications in space. Founded earlier this year by space entrepreneurs Andrew Rush and Michael Snyder, along with investor Bryan Lyandvert, the startup aims to address the power constraints in space operations. 

The company, currently with an 11-person team, plans to double its headcount by the end of the year. Star Catcher Industries' satellites will collect solar energy and re-transmit a portion of it to customers' solar arrays, converting it to electricity more efficiently. This power can be dialed up or down, allowing a variety of spacecraft to perform more tasks with the assurance of recharging their batteries on demand.

Rush explained that while advancements in launch vehicles from companies like Rocket Lab and SpaceX have addressed size and weight constraints, power remains a limiting factor. The average satellite in low Earth orbit generates about 1,000-1,500 watts, equivalent to a refrigerator’s power consumption. Star Catcher envisions satellites using power comparable to a household or more, offering power on an annual subscription or as-needed basis. This space-based power grid could also assist spacecraft with power subsystem issues or solar array failures.

The potential applications extend to lunar missions as well. The darkest parts of the moon, which are scientifically and commercially valuable, pose challenges for solar-powered spacecraft. A space-based power grid could mitigate these issues, effectively solving the problem of the long lunar night.

Orbital habitation, manufacturing, and other high-power requirements in space may also benefit from this grid. Rush expressed his passion for the Artemis program, emphasizing the need for infrastructure to sustain lunar missions. "What’s the most fundamental piece of infrastructure that we have on the planet? It’s power generation," he said. 

Star Catcher plans a series of ground demonstrations to collect and transmit solar power to example satellites. Following successful ground tests, they aim to launch a sub-scale demonstrator satellite in December 2025 to validate their technology in orbit with a client satellite.

The company's growth and plans are supported by a $12.25 million seed round co-led by Initialized Capital and B Capital, with participation from Rogue VC. The "power nodes" in the Star Catcher network are designed to supply solar energy to multiple satellites simultaneously. With just one or two satellites in orbit, the company plans to start selling power, ultimately aiming for a 200-satellite constellation to provide full coverage in low Earth orbit.