Starcloud launched a spacecraft final 12 months that carried an Nvidia H100 GPU into low Earth orbit, and firm executives now say a follow-up mission will place ASIC Bitcoin miners on a second craft later this 12 months. That transfer turns an orbital demo into an express check of whether or not crypto work can run in area at scale.
Bitcoin In Space: Operational Versus Launch Costs
Reports say the corporate argues operating miners above the environment might lower vitality and cooling bills. Solar panels present regular energy on sure orbits, and vacuum lets a satellite tv for pc radiate warmth away with out gigantic air-conditioning methods.
Those are the financial savings Starcloud highlights. But getting machines into orbit and retaining them there carries its personal value. Launch charges, protecting shielding, and huge radiators add mass and value. Hardware replacements will likely be tougher than swapping racks in Texas.
The firm started life pitching orbital knowledge facilities for AI workloads, not simply cryptocurrency. Reports point out Starcloud’s longer-term plan is a constellation of compute platforms that may host business purchasers.
The cat is out of the bag: @Starcloud_-2 would be the first to mine 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗶𝗻 in area.
This will likely be an enormous trade in itself. Right now, bitcoin mining consumes about 20 GW of energy repeatedly. It is mindless to do that on Earth, and in the long run state, all of this… pic.twitter.com/tmfr8rxGOL
— Philip Johnston (@PhilipJohnston) March 7, 2026
Starcloud’s CEO, Philip Johnston, introduced on X Saturday that the corporate goals to change into the primary to mine Bitcoin in area, following a discussion (video under) of its area mining plans on HyperChange Thursday.
For now, the check is slim: set up miners in orbit, see whether or not they run, measure uptime and vitality math. Officials mentioned the check is meant to supply laborious numbers slightly than slogans.
Hardware In Space Is Different Work
NVIDIA-backed publicity and a high-profile GPU flight drew consideration, however civilian engineers and area methods specialists level to a number of technical limits. Electronics face fixed radiation. Memory and silicon degrade sooner with out heavy shielding.
Heat have to be rejected by means of radiators, which will increase floor space and mass. Reports observe that ASICs optimized for Earth cooling can’t merely be transplanted into space and anticipated to final years.
BTCUSD buying and selling at $67,601 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView
Data reveals terrestrial mining advantages from low cost native electrical energy, proximity to upkeep groups, and economies of scale which can be already nicely understood. Putting those self same miners in orbit removes easy accessibility for repairs.
If a board fails, a substitute may require one other rocket launch. That threat elements into any calculation of lifetime prices and return on funding.
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