Helio Highlights Industry Recognition of Energy Demand as Starship Reaches Orbit, Advancing the Launch Economics Behind Space-Based Solar Power

Industry leaders were direct about the energy challenge at the America.gov launch event in Washington, D.C. on September 29. As reported by Yahoo Finance, Elon Musk said power generation could become one of the biggest constraints on America’s ability to compete in artificial intelligence, and noted that China’s electricity production is roughly three times that of the United States (https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/elon-musk-reveals-massive-goal-142947499.html). In the same panel, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang described energy as the foundation of the AI computing stack. Helio believes this is the demand SBSP exists to meet.

Launch capacity is the enabling infrastructure for space-based solar power, and SpaceX’s Starship program reached a significant milestone in that regard this week. SpaceX flew Starship on September 28, 2026, which SpaceX described as its first orbital flight and the first to deliver meaningful payload to orbit, with 26 Starlink V3 satellites (https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-14). Deploying satellites in volume from a single vehicle is the model Helio’s satellite is designed around. Developed by spaceflight-proven engineers using some of the best deployable architecture in space, Helio’s compact satellite is designed to be stacked and deployed in a manner similar to Starlink satellites, and in similar quantities, but with fewer satellites needed to reach the critical mass at which power transmission begins.

The cost of reaching orbit is the largest factor in whether SBSP can compete on price, and Starship is aimed squarely at that cost. Every satellite Helio launches carries a launch cost that must be recovered through the electricity it delivers, so cheaper and more frequent launches directly lower the cost of each kilowatt hour. Yahoo Finance reported that Musk said he expects Starship to reach a weekly or twice-weekly launch cadence next year. Helio believes more frequent, reusable launches move the industry a step closer to opening a highway to space, and that the resulting launch cost reductions are what will make SBSP, given rising energy demand, a necessary energy solution. Helio’s internal estimates indicate a levelized cost of energy below $0.10 per kilowatt hour when considering Starship’s launch cadence and reusability.

“The message of the past week is that industry leaders are naming energy as their constraint while launch capacity is advancing,” said Ed Cabrera, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Helio Corporation. “Our job is to be ready to execute when the economics arrive, and we believe our compact satellite design and our pilot programs with partners around the world are how we get there.”

Statements attributed to third parties are drawn from the public sources linked above and are provided for context only. They were made independently of Helio and are not statements about, or endorsements of, Helio or its technology.

About Helio Corporation

Helio is pioneering a new class of energy infrastructure-space-based power systems aka “Power plants in space” that captures solar energy beyond Earth’s atmosphere and beams it safely and efficiently to the surface. Our vision is to establish orbital energy platforms as a foundational layer of the global power grid, delivering uninterrupted, carbon-free electricity at scale and reshaping how nations power cities, industries, and critical systems. Founded in 2018 as the ‘problem solvers to the space industry,’ Helio designs and delivers world-class space mechanisms, advanced antenna systems, and space design solutions; supporting NASA, private companies, universities, and global space agencies across missions ranging from small-scale programs to flagship space initiatives. We are proud to be a trusted partner to over a dozen space agencies, organizations, and companies across the globe. Our products can be found operating from the Sun to Jupiter. From NASA and European Space Agency to emerging private aerospace firms and academic institutions, we collaborate with some of the most innovative and forward-thinking players in the space industry. Helio Corporation is focused on developing and commercializing technologies for aerospace, space systems, and related advanced engineering applications. Through its operating subsidiaries, Helio seeks to build a portfolio of technologies and intellectual property directed to future space infrastructure and deployable systems.

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SOURCE: Helio Corporation