Episode Summary
In this week’s pod, we talk with Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood and now founder of Aetherflux, a startup focused on space-based solar power. Baiju shares his journey from building Robinhood to turning a 1970s sci-fi vision into reality: harnessing solar energy from space to solve Earth’s energy challenges.
Episode Notes
In this week’s pod, we dive into the world of space-based solar power with Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood and now founder of Aetherflux, a new startup aiming to change how we think about energy from space. Baiju takes us on his personal journey from building a public company to tackling one of the most ambitious ideas in the space industry. Drawing on a lifelong passion for space—rooted in his father’s work at NASA—Baiju reveals how Aetherflux plans to bring to life a 1970s sci-fi vision: harnessing solar power from space to solve Earth’s most pressing energy challenges.
Baiju shares the challenges and excitement of launching Aetherflux, and how his team is taking a modern approach to an old concept by using advanced laser technology and modular satellite networks. We also discuss:
- How Aetherflux is developing the first practical demonstration of space-based solar power
- The major potential applications, from powering forward-deployed military bases to remote mining sites
- How his experience at Robinhood shaped his entrepreneurial philosophy for solving massive challenges like global energy
- Aetherflux’s ambitious timeline for a demo mission in 2026
And much more…
• Chapters •
00:00 – Intro
00:44 – Robinhood to space
03:51 – A father’s influence
06:54 – Why Aetherflux?
11:15 – Natural resources in space
12:18 – Why do we need solar power in space?
13:53 – Market and applications for space solar
19:53 – Lasers for power transmission
23:02 – Efficiency gain / loss with space solar
26:06 – Real time power delivery
29:21 – Why not nuclear?
31:37 – Space-based solar for space
32:28 – Safety and regulation
34:37 – Economics of space solar
38:06 – Constellations at scale
39:06 – Early revenue model
40:09 – Competitors
41:05 – Funding
44:05 – An Apple moment
48:19 – Aetherflux team, growth, and goals
49:26 – Space startups that Baiju is excited about
51:20 – Who would Baiju choose to play him in a movie?
• Show notes •
Aetherflux’s website — https://www.aetherflux.com/
Aetherflux’s socials — https://twitter.com/AetherfluxUSA
Baiju’s socials — https://twitter.com/BaijuBhatt
Mo’s socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam
Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace
Pathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace
Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes
• About us •
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