A Big Leap in Space, A Sugar Alternative and More – This Week from the Startup Nation

Buzz Aldrin Skyrockets the International Astronautical Congress in Jerusalem

Israelis seeking an escape from this week’s daily terror attacks couldn’t fly to the moon, but they had a chance to hear from someone who did — Buzz Aldrin. In Israel’s terror-riven capital, the Israel Space Agency — the country’s version of NASA — is hosting this year’s International Astronautical Congress, the premier confab for all things space. An exhibition hall shows off a range of gadgets and robotics, and talks fill the schedule this week with titles like “The State of Space Situational Awareness, Conjunction Warning and Collision.”

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Cutting Costs with Solar Energy

Solar power is rapidly gaining momentum as the world’s alternative source of energy, with a slew of new technologies aimed at harnessing the sun’s powerful rays. In search of non-polluting alternatives and cost-effective methods of capturing solar energy, scientists and companies alike are turning to technology to find a compatible solution. 

And one Israeli startup is at the forefront of harvesting sustainable energy. Utilight, a Yavne-based startup founded in 2009, is using 3D printing methods to create solar cells at faster and cheaper manufacturing rates than conventional solar panels.