A Washington startup says the subsequent frontier for computing—and probably bitcoin mining—might orbit tons of of miles above Earth.
Bitcoin Mining Heads to Area as Starcloud Prepares Starcloud-2 Satellite tv for pc Launch
Based on a report by PCMag, Redmond-based house know-how and synthetic intelligence (AI) infrastructure firm Starcloud is advancing plans to position knowledge facilities in low-Earth orbit, a transfer designed to harness steady photo voltaic power and the pure cooling properties of house whereas additionally teasing the potential for mining bitcoin past Earth’s environment.
The corporate first proved its idea in November 2025 when it launched Starcloud-1 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The small, refrigerator-sized satellite tv for pc carried 5 Nvidia H100 processors, marking the primary time>
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Now the corporate is getting ready a bigger follow-up satellite tv for pc. CEO Philip Johnston mentioned Starcloud-2, anticipated to launch later in 2026, will carry a a lot bigger GPU cluster together with specialised bitcoin-mining {hardware} referred to as ASICs (Software-Particular Built-in Circuits).
“There’s additionally bitcoin mining… We’ll have some bitcoin mining ASICs on the second spacecraft launching later this yr,” Johnston mentioned through the PCMag interview. “We expect we’ll be the primary to mine a coin in house.”
The idea depends on two benefits distinctive to orbit. Satellites positioned in sun-synchronous trajectories can obtain practically fixed daylight, eliminating night time cycles and most climate disruptions that have an effect on solar energy on Earth. On the identical time, the vacuum of house acts as an enormous warmth sink, permitting radiators to launch waste warmth immediately into house with out water-intensive cooling techniques.
Starcloud argues these situations may dramatically decrease power prices. The corporate estimates orbital knowledge facilities may function with power prices roughly 10 occasions decrease than conventional services whereas additionally delivering comparable reductions in lifetime carbon emissions.
To assist that imaginative and prescient, the startup has filed paperwork with the Federal Communications Fee (FCC) searching for approval for a constellation of as many as 88,000 satellites devoted to orbital computing infrastructure. Johnston has outlined a long-term purpose of developing a 5-gigawatt orbital knowledge middle supported by large photo voltaic arrays stretching a number of kilometers.
Bitcoin mining is being framed as an early check case for the power mannequin. Mining {hardware} is much cheaper than high-end AI processors and might monetize extra energy generated by orbital photo voltaic arrays.
ASIC mining machines typically value tons of or a couple of thousand {dollars} per unit, in contrast with tens of hundreds for superior AI GPUs. As a result of mining primarily converts electrical energy into cryptographic computations, the supply of fixed photo voltaic power makes it a pure match for off-planet energy technology.
The thought of mining bitcoin in house has circulated for years, however Starcloud’s plan represents one of many first publicly disclosed {hardware} deployments geared toward proving the idea. One other startup, Intercosmic Power, has proposed a roadmap for orbital mining techniques powered by photo voltaic power, although it has not but launched operational {hardware}.
Falling launch prices are serving to revive curiosity within the idea. Fashionable rockets are steadily lowering the fee per kilogram of payload delivered to orbit, making it extra possible to deploy computing {hardware} and enormous photo voltaic arrays above Earth.
On the identical time, enhancements in mining {hardware} effectivity have slowed in contrast with earlier years. That longer substitute cycle means ASICs may stay helpful for longer durations, doubtlessly bettering the economics of operating them in house.
Regardless of the joy, the strategy faces important hurdles. Area {hardware} should survive radiation publicity, temperature swings, and potential collisions with particles. Satellite tv for pc reliability additionally stays a priority—considered one of Starcloud-1’s GPUs reportedly failed earlier than launch.
Regulators and environmental teams are additionally watching intently. Giant constellations increase questions on orbital congestion and the chance of cascading particles occasions, generally known as the Kessler syndrome.
Even throughout the know-how sector, some observers stay skeptical about near-term feasibility. Critics argue that sustaining high-performance computing techniques in orbit introduces logistical challenges that would outweigh the power advantages, not less than within the early years.
Nonetheless, curiosity in orbital computing is spreading shortly. Firms together with SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Axiom Area have all outlined plans involving orbital infrastructure that would assist computing workloads.
Market forecasts recommend orbital title=”Study Bitcoin Mining” goal=”_blank”>bitcoin mining is much less a vacation spot than an illustration. By operating ASICs alongside AI {hardware}, the corporate hopes to indicate that fixed solar energy in orbit can assist each rising AI workloads and energy-intensive crypto operations.
If the Starcloud-2 mission succeeds later this yr, the primary bitcoin mined in house might arrive earlier than many anticipated—marking one other milestone within the increasing intersection of house know-how and digital infrastructure.
FAQ 🛰️
- What’s Starcloud?Starcloud is a Washington-based startup creating knowledge facilities in low-Earth orbit powered by photo voltaic power.
- Is bitcoin mining truly taking place in house?Starcloud says its Starcloud-2 satellite tv for pc launching in 2026 will carry ASIC {hardware} designed to mine bitcoin.
- Why mine bitcoin in house?Fixed photo voltaic power and vacuum cooling may make orbital computing far cheaper and extra power environment friendly.
- When may the primary bitcoin be mined in orbit?If the Starcloud-2 mission succeeds, the primary space-mined bitcoin may happen as early as late 2026.
