Fluxion

Building an in-orbit electromagnetic propulsion system that accelerates spacecraft externally via a module in low Earth orbit, reducing propellant mass and maximizing revenue-generating payload per mission. Targeting cislunar logistics providers like SpaceX and Blue Origin as recurring deep-space missions become viable. Most people working on in-space propulsion focus on improving the spacecraft itself through better engines, higher efficiencies, and lower build costs. That was the right bet when commercially recurring deep-space missions weren't viable. With reusable launch vehicles making frequent high-mass deliveries realistic, the bigger opportunity is orbital infrastructure that provides energy externally, letting spacecraft carry less propellant and more payload. Shaarif's approach to deep-tech is to treat dead ends as bottlenecks to be de-risked methodically. He built an electromagnetic accelerator from scratch with off-the-shelf components, learned unfamiliar engineering software to run simulations, and validated his approach with a former SpaceX engineer who identified the key technical risk. When told high magnetic fields would fry spacecraft electronics, he developed a four-layer shielding architecture. Same playbook applied to different problems - identify the bottleneck, learn the domain, de-risk deliberately, validate with experts. Space is shifting from one-off interplanetary missions to recurring high-mass deliveries. NASA's $4.2B lunar logistics program and SpaceX Starship enabling high-mass deep-space transport create the demand signal for orbital infrastructure that wasn't justifiable before. The economic incentive is direct: launch providers can convert propellant mass into revenue-generating payload.