Besxar is building an orbital semiconductor factory, one SpaceX rocket at a time
If you want to manufacture in space—and bring the products back again—there's a limited set of options: Wait to go to the International Space Station, or
TL;DR
- Besxar, a startup founded by former OpenAI staffer Ashley Pilipiszyn, is developing an orbital semiconductor factory.
- The company is partnering with SpaceX to utilize Falcon 9 rocket boosters for prototyping, with plans to eventually use Starship.
- Besxar aims to leverage the vacuum of space to produce advanced semiconductor precursors, avoiding contamination issues present on Earth.
- The company has raised nearly $14 million, including a $9 million seed round led by Dauntless Ventures and Overture VC.
- Initial tests on 'fabships' were successful in demonstrating survival, contamination protection, and vacuum exposure for wafer samples.
- Besxar intends to gradually scale up production, eventually supplying leading chipmakers with wafers for advanced chips.