This SpaceX veteran says the next big thing in space is satellites that return to Earth

Brian Taylor, a SpaceX veteran who contributed to satellite projects like Starlink and Amazon’s Leo, founded Lux Aeterna in December 2024 to develop reusable satellites equipped with heat shields that enable them to return safely to Earth with their payloads intact. The startup recently raised $10 million in seed funding led by Konvoy and other investors to support the design and construction of its Delphi spacecraft, which is scheduled for launch on a SpaceX rocket in early 2027. The mission will demonstrate Lux’s technology by allowing customers to test hosted payloads and materials that will be returned to Earth via a partnership with Southern Launch at Australia’s Koonibba Test Range. Returning payloads from space poses significant technical challenges due to the extreme heat generated during atmospheric reentry, which typically requires heavy protective materials, increasing launch costs. Most satellites are currently designed for one-way missions, either burning up in the atmosphere or being moved to graveyard orbits after their operational life of five to ten years.