Star Catcher builds a space-based power grid to supply scalable energy on demand to orbiting assets. The company uses optical power beaming to transmit concentrated solar energy directly to satellites' existing solar arrays. This technology allows satellite operators to increase available power by up to 10x without hardware modifications.
Funding
$12.3M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
ICFounders
Product
Problem
Current satellite power systems require significant upfront capital expenditure for redundant components and limit mission capabilities due to fixed power budgets. Once in orbit, there are limited options to augment power or extend mission life, leading to operational constraints and potential revenue loss.
Solution
Star Catcher is developing a satellite-based power transmission network to deliver energy to spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The network consists of Power Node satellites that collect solar energy and transmit it to client satellites via their existing solar arrays, eliminating the need for retrofitting. This pay-as-you-go model allows spacecraft operators to flexibly scale power from 100 Watts to 150 kilowatts on demand, reducing operational costs by over 40% and enabling extended mission capabilities. The Star Catcher Network aims to provide reliable power for increased uptime, bandwidth, and overall mission performance.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes satellite operators in LEO seeking to reduce operational costs, extend mission life, and augment power capabilities for increased performance.
Features
- Power Node satellites operating at ~1,500 km altitude, collecting solar energy and transmitting up to 150 kW of power.
- Compatibility with existing triple junction solar cells, requiring no modifications to client spacecraft.
- Broad spectrum energy transmission, minimizing heat load on client spacecraft.
- Ability to service multiple client satellites simultaneously.
- Power transmission at flux concentrations ranging from 0.1 Suns to 10 Suns.
- Tracking of client satellites using orbital elements, eliminating the need for transceivers or beacons.
- Pay-as-you-go power provisioning, enabling flexible power scaling and cost savings.