Rarefied Technologies: Harvard Startup Aims to Conquer the Ignorosphere
A new aerospace startup from Harvard is setting its sights on a previously untouched layer of Earth's atmosphere. Rarefied Technologies, founded by Angela Feldhaus and Benjamin Schafer, aims to explore the mesosphere, a region between 50 and 100 kilometers above Earth that has long been inaccessible to both airplanes and satellites.
The startup, launched this fall with support from the Harvard Grid Accelerator, is developing groundbreaking devices capable of levitating in this extreme environment to gather climate data and enable telecommunications networks. This innovation could lead to breakthroughs in weather prediction, disaster preparedness, and even defense.
“The mesosphere is often called ‘the ignorosphere’ because it’s too high for planes and too low for satellites,” said Schafer, who recently earned his PhD in Applied Physics at Harvard. “Rarefied is creating devices that can finally access this region.”
Innovative Technology in Uncharted Territory
Rarefied’s devices are engineered to operate in the mesosphere’s rarefied gas and low-pressure conditions—where atmospheric pressure is 5 million times lower than at sea level. Roughly the size of a grain of rice, these lightweight, ceramic-based structures are among the strongest ever created. Powered by sunlight, they can levitate indefinitely while carrying small loads like GPS systems.
The devices represent a technological leap, with potential applications in industries ranging from agriculture and insurance to defense and telecommunications. They are poised to provide valuable insights into how climate change affects the mesosphere, a region that is contracting and cooling due to human activity.
“Understanding this part of the atmosphere could transform our ability to predict weather and track natural disasters,” Schafer added.
From Harvard Lab to Commercial Launch
The startup’s journey began in the Joost Vlassak lab at Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). Schafer and Feldhaus developed the technology with funding from the Harvard Grid Accelerator, which bridges the gap between academic research and commercial viability.
Chris Petty, Director of Business Development for Physical Sciences at Harvard’s Office of Technology Development (OTD), highlighted the startup's potential. “Rarefied has articulated a clear market need while advancing the boundaries of science,” he said.
A Bright Future for Rarefied
Rarefied’s work has earned accolades, including Schafer’s inclusion in the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 list and fellowships with Breakthrough Energy and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The startup plans to conduct field tests within the next few years, with an eye toward scaling up its technology for larger applications.
“Not only are we creating something commercially viable, but we’re also pushing the boundaries of science,” Schafer noted. “This is just the beginning of understanding what’s possible in this unexplored field.”
About Rarefied Technologies
Rarefied Technologies focuses on developing ultra-lightweight, solar-powered devices to explore the mesosphere. The startup’s innovations promise to revolutionize climate research, telecommunications, and beyond.
No Comment to " Rarefied Technologies: Harvard Startup Aims to Conquer the Ignorosphere "