{"id":112089,"title":"Ethos Space Resources","tagline":"Silicon on the Moon for Terawatts in Space","body":"**TL;DR**\n\n**Team**\n\nBrogan was employee #23 at SpaceX. He built the first Falcon and Dragon. Previously, he founded Hyperloop and Arrivo.\n\nRoss is a lunar geologist from the Colorado School of Mines. He previously founded the Planetary Sunshade Institute.\n\n**Problem**\n\nThere is infinite power in space. But rockets can’t carry enough solar panels. Rockets are the constraint.\n\n\u003chttps://youtu.be/PsxbpAYPtDY\u003e\n\n**Solution**\n\nPower in space must be made in space. Self replicating power and mass relieves the rocket constraint.\n\nThe Moon is made of Silicon (and other useful atoms). Silicon makes solar panels (and compute). Solar panels make energy, to refine more silicon and power more compute.\n\n\u003chttps://youtu.be/SZjJQqCew70\u003e\n\n**Traction**\n\n* Completed NASA contract\n* $1B LOIs from multiple customers\n* Going to the Moon in 2028\n\n**Why now**\n\nCapital needs from Earth will diminish as self-replicating power and mass grows on the Moon. Moving up the Kardashev scale will be a matter of wattage and tonnage, not dollars. If you’re not early to self-replication, you’re too late.","slug":"T9t-ethos-space-resources","created_at":"2026-08-25T15:00:00.072Z","updated_at":"2026-09-19T06:34:50.653Z","total_vote_count":17,"url":"https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/T9t-ethos-space-resources","share_image_url":"https://www.ycombinator.com/media/?type=post\u0026id=112089\u0026key=user_uploads/143296/a0b44a26-39ba-436f-9357-2ab36ee31e3f","company":{"id":33312,"name":"Ethos Space Resources","slug":"ethos-space-resources","url":"https://ethos-space.com","logo":"https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/26c677c7621160c55e8011d6851971173fe4f8e9.png","batch":"Summer 2026","industry":"Industrials","tags":["Hard Tech","Exascale Computing","Energy","Aerospace","Industrial"],"search_path":"https://bookface.ycombinator.com/company/33312"}}