Startup Makes Semiconductors in Space Using Recycled Rockets

Manufacturing computer chips in space sounds like science fiction, but a startup just proved it works by hitching a ride on recycled SpaceX rockets.

Besxar, founded by former OpenAI engineer Ashley Pilipiszyn, is building tiny semiconductor factories that fly to space and back on SpaceX Falcon 9 boosters. These workhorse rockets made 163 round trips last year alone, and Besxar secured deals to fly experiments on a dozen of them.

The idea is brilliantly simple. Building chip factories on Earth costs billions because manufacturers need massive clean rooms to keep out even microscopic dust particles. Space already offers a perfect vacuum and pristine environment for free.

"We're at a time where it's actually more cost-effective to go where the physics already works," Pilipiszyn told TechCrunch. "Don't do it on Earth where you're fighting physics."

In July, Besxar launched its first two "fabships," small canisters carrying semiconductor materials, on a Starlink mission. The results exceeded expectations. The space-flown samples came back cleaner than wafers made in traditional Earth-based factories.

The company has raised nearly $14 million to keep pushing forward. Over the next two years, Besxar plans to gradually build up its process, starting with heating wafers, then adding layers of materials.

Their target market is advanced chips that power data centers, electric vehicles, and robots. These specialized semiconductors require extreme precision that space manufacturing could deliver more efficiently.

The Ripple Effect

Several startups are racing to manufacture semiconductors in orbit, but they all face the same challenge: getting enough product back to Earth. Besxar's partnership with SpaceX gives them a major advantage since Falcon 9 boosters already fly regularly and return safely.

The company eventually wants to scale up using SpaceX's Starship, the next-generation rocket still in development. Success depends on these massive rockets becoming as reliable and reusable as today's Falcon 9.

"We believe that there is a solid transport layer now, so we can focus on the application layer," Pilipiszyn said. The company named itself after beskar, the legendary metal from Star Wars used to forge Mandalorian armor.

If cheaper rockets keep arriving, space manufacturing could shift from experiment to industry within years, not decades.