M. Razlan Dhamir bin Hamdan is working on technology that previously only existed in the pages of science fiction novels.
Power broker: Hamdan is the co-founder, CTO, and CEO of Aphelia Space, a Malaysian startup that is trying to use microwave technology to beam power over long distances—potentially powering up sats in orbit or hardware on the Moon. The technology could vastly reduce the space industry’s reliance on battery power, increasing the lifespan of future missions and opening the door for a broader range of lunar capabilities.
Aphelia Space has already garnered a lot of attention from the international community. The company has signed partnership agreements with companies in the US, Canada, and Norway, and—luckily for investors—this work has led to hundreds of millions of dollars in projected revenue in the coming years.
Extracurriculars: When the 28-year-old isn’t focusing on innovative tech, Hamdan spends time promoting the growth of the space sector in his home country, Malaysia.
Aphelia Space is a big name in Malaysia’s budding space economy, and as a founding member of the Malaysian Space Industry Consortium (MASIC), Hamdan works hand-in-hand with the country’s government to help the nation realize its bold space ambitions.
“Aphelia plays a significant and active role with regard to defining what are the specific strategic plans in order to build a space industry in Malaysia,” Hamdan told Payload. “Since we are working on the Moon market as well, and we are working on new technology, that really incites the space industry in Malaysia to have a new shot where they can be part of our value chain.”
