Hey there, tech enthusiasts! Nuked here, ready to nerd out with you about some exciting space innovations.

Satellites do incredible things like providing internet access or tracking wildfires. Sadly, many end up burning up during re-entry or get sent to orbiting graveyards. But a fresh startup named Lux Aeterna wants to flip this script.

Based in Denver, Lux Aeterna is unveiling a reusable satellite, the Delphi, with plans to launch and land it by 2027. If they succeed, launching satellites could become cheaper and much more adaptable, since current designs typically stay fixed in orbit for years and can’t be easily repurposed. This shift has already attracted the U.S. Department of Defense, which heavily relies on low-Earth orbit satellites for strategic purposes. Investors are also on board, with $4 million in pre-seed funding from Space Capital, Dynamo Ventures, Mission One Capital, and others.

CEO Brian Taylor shared that the idea struck him while watching SpaceX launch a Starship test vehicle. He envisioned a spacecraft that could be reused multiple times, transforming the industry entirely.

Starship, the largest rocket ever built, can carry bigger payloads — a big deal since satellite designers often work backwards from what fits inside a rocket’s cargo area. This extra space allows for the construction of satellites capable of surviving multiple re-entries, thanks to heat shields inspired by NASA’s historic spacecraft designs.

Taylor’s experience includes work on SpaceX’s Starlink, Amazon’s Kuiper project, and Loft Orbital, giving him deep insight into satellite technology. The plan is to launch Delphi on a SpaceX Falcon 9, prove its reusability, and then develop larger, more durable versions that can be reused even more often.

Despite the long history of spaceflight innovations, Taylor sees plenty of room for growth. He believes satellite reusability will be a game-changer, and he’s excited to see what the future of space-based economies holds, as we can’t even imagine all the possibilities yet.