The California-based startup Aetherflux is developing a constellation of satellites to harvest solar energy in space and transmit it to ground stations on Earth via infrared lasers. According to reports, the company has raised around $60 million in venture capital and government backing to pursue this technology, reports CNBC.
Rather than relying on terrestrial solar panels, which face obstacles such as night, clouds, and weather, Aetherflux takes advantage of continuous sunlight in orbit. With solar intensity in space being stronger and unaffected by atmospheric conditions, the idea is to provide power 24/7 across locations.
Its first target market is military and remote operations, where delivering fuel or establishing grid power is expensive, risky, or infeasible. By supplying power wirelessly to ground terminals, Aetherflux hopes to sidestep traditional logistic challenges tied to diesel generators or localized infrastructure.
Technical and economic hurdles remain. Launch costs, laser transmission losses, regulatory approvals for high-power beams, and scaling satellite manufacturing all present barriers. The company believes economies of scale and improved component technology will eventually make the system competitive.
In the broader context, Aetherflux is part of a growing field of “space-based solar power” ventures. These firms are rethinking older concepts, such as geostationary solar stations using microwaves, and instead adopting smaller, low-Earth-orbit satellites and laser links for more nimble deployments.
If successful, the technology could reshape how energy is delivered to remote or disaster-hit areas, expand access to clean power globally, and reduce reliance on fossil-fuel logistics. That said, it’s still very much in the early demonstration phase, so commercial viability is not yet certain.