US start-up Starcloud is set to launch a refrigerator-sized satellite into space in August, marking the first satellite equipped with NVIDIA's (NVDA, Financial) H100 chip. This satellite will become the most powerful computing entity in orbit, boasting 100 times the computational capability of the current International Space Station and other satellites. Despite its impressive performance, its power consumption remains at a modest 1 kilowatt, limiting it to running simplified versions of AI models like Google Gemini and OpenAI GPT.
Starcloud aims to build the first gigawatt-level data center in space, powered by a vast 4-square-kilometer solar array equipped with AI chips. Communication will be facilitated through laser links with existing satellite networks such as SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's (AMZN) Kuiper.
The company has secured $21 million from the Y Combinator incubator and is in discussions with potential major investors like SoftBank for future funding. Another US start-up, Axiom, plans to launch two orbital data center nodes by the end of this year, serving military and commercial communication clients, with a goal to expand by 2030.
Industry leaders such as Eric Schmidt and Jeff Bezos are also exploring the potential of orbital data centers, highlighting a growing interest in space-based infrastructure.
