Aethero has signed a Power Purchase Agreement with Star Catcher Industries to access power from its planned orbital energy network. The deal is designed to give Aethero’s space-based computing systems access to more power on demand, helping support high-performance computing and AI workloads in orbit.
The agreement follows technology demonstrations by both companies. Aethero develops space-rated high-performance computing systems, while Star Catcher is developing what it describes as a power grid for spacecraft.
Power is a major challenge for satellites running advanced computing systems. Spacecraft normally need large solar arrays and batteries to handle periods of high power demand, which can add weight, size and cost.
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Star Catcher’s system aims to reduce that burden by supplying extra power when spacecraft need it most. Its network uses wireless optical power beaming to collect solar energy and direct concentrated power toward existing satellite solar panels.
According to Star Catcher, its technology can allow spacecraft to generate up to 10 times more power on demand without requiring specialized receivers or major spacecraft changes. This could allow Aethero to use more of its spacecraft mass for computing hardware instead of additional power equipment.
The additional power could be important for Aethero’s planned space data centers and content delivery networks. Instead of sending large amounts of raw data back to Earth for processing, satellites could analyze data in orbit and send only the useful results to ground users.
Potential applications include defense systems, AI-assisted Earth observation and telecommunications. However, the technology still depends on the successful deployment and expansion of both companies’ orbital networks.
Aethero plans to deploy its next-generation NxA-ECM computing module aboard its Titan mission in October. Star Catcher is also preparing for its first in-space optical power-beaming demonstration later this year.
The agreement is Star Catcher’s 10th major commercial customer deal, with the company saying its total backlog now exceeds $60 million. Both companies plan to activate the power agreement as their orbital infrastructure expands.
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If the technology works as planned, on-demand power could help remove one of the biggest limits on high-performance computing in space. That could make it easier to deploy more capable AI systems and orbital data centers without dramatically increasing the size and weight of spacecraft.
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