Manufacturing advanced semiconductors in space presents unique challenges, but Besxar, a startup founded by former OpenAI staffer Ashley Pilipiszyn, is pursuing a novel approach using SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rocket boosters. These boosters, which frequently return to Earth after launch, provide an opportunity to carry small semiconductor fabrication experiments into orbit and bring the results back for analysis.
Besxar’s goal is to leverage the vacuum of space to produce semiconductor precursors with fewer contaminants than possible on Earth. Traditional chip fabrication requires massive clean rooms to prevent microscopic particles from damaging wafers, making the process extremely costly and complex. Pilipiszyn believes that manufacturing in space can bypass these constraints by using the natural environment where physics already favors cleaner production.
The company has raised nearly $14 million, including a $9 million seed round led by Dauntless Ventures and Overture VC, to develop its orbital manufacturing technology. Besxar’s initial “fabships” are small canisters designed to carry semiconductor materials into orbit. Two of these flew on a July Starlink mission, successfully demonstrating their ability to survive launch, protect samples from contamination, and expose wafers to the vacuum of space.
Despite a malfunction in one canister’s flight data system, the samples returned were cleaner and had fewer particulates than comparable terrestrial wafers, validating the concept. Over the next two years, Besxar plans to iterate on its technology, gradually increasing complexity by heating wafers and depositing multiple materials.
Ultimately, Besxar aims to scale up production to hundreds or thousands of wafers per orbital fab, supplying advanced chips used in data centers, robotics, and electric vehicles. The company envisions deploying larger fabs aboard next-generation rockets like SpaceX’s Starship once it becomes operational.
While other companies such as United Semiconductors and Space Forge are also exploring semiconductor manufacturing in space, the main challenge remains the cost-effective return of significant product volumes. Besxar’s strategy depends on the availability of affordable, reusable launch vehicles, which could be enabled by SpaceX’s Starship or competitors like Rocket Lab and Stoke Space.
Pilipiszyn emphasizes that with a reliable transport layer emerging, Besxar can focus on refining its manufacturing processes and accelerating the delivery of orbital-produced wafers to market.