The race to put computers in orbit.

Starcloud

A startup that put an NVIDIA H100 GPU in orbit on its Starcloud-1 satellite and is building larger compute satellites.

• Starcloud-1 carries an NVIDIA H100 GPU; the company is in NVIDIA's Inception programme. NVIDIA Blog, 15 Oct 2025
• The 60 kg satellite with an 80 GB H100 launched on the Bandwagon-4 Falcon 9 rideshare on 2 November 2025. IEEE Spectrum, 3 Nov 2025
• In orbit it ran Google's open Gemma model and trained NanoGPT on the H100. CNBC, 10 Dec 2025
• It ordered optical terminals to use Starlink as a data relay for its planned orbital data centres. SpaceNews, 26 May 2026
• A Series A extension valued it at $2.3 billion; two 8 kW Starcloud-2 satellites are planned on rideshares in 2027. TechCrunch, 21 Aug 2026

Axiom Space orbital data centre nodes

Orbital data centre nodes flown as payloads on Kepler's optical relay network, meant to process satellite data in orbit.

• Axiom announced its first two Orbital Data Center nodes, to fly on Kepler's optical relay constellation with 2.5 Gbps optical links. Axiom Space, 7 Apr 2025
• Kepler launched its first 10 optical relay satellites, carrying multi-GPU compute modules, on a Falcon 9. Kepler Communications, 11 Jan 2026
• Axiom says two of its nodes are operating in orbit, with node-to-node and node-to-ground links confirmed. Axiom Space, 6 Oct 2026

Project Suncatcher

A research project on solar-powered satellite constellations that carry TPUs and talk over free-space optical links.

• Google describes it as a moonshot exploring solar-powered constellations carrying TPUs, linked by free-space optics. Google Research Blog, 4 Nov 2025
• The next milestone is a learning mission with Planet: two prototype satellites by early 2027. Google Research Blog, 4 Nov 2025
• Trillium TPUs showed no hard failures up to 15 krad(Si) in radiation tests; a bench optical link reached 800 Gbps each way. Google Research Blog, 4 Nov 2025

Three-Body Computing Constellation

A constellation of satellites that compute in orbit, aiming for about 100 satellites by 2027.

• 12 satellites launched on a Long March 2D on 14 May 2025, with 5 POPS of in-orbit computing and 30 TB of storage. Yicai Global, 14 May 2025
• The project aims for about 100 satellites by 2027 and around 1,000 by 2032. eHangzhou, 29 Jul 2026

SpaceX orbital data centre filing

An application to the FCC for a network of solar-powered, optically linked satellites providing computing for AI models.

• The filing covers up to 1 million solar-powered, optically linked satellites, with no deployment timeline. Via Satellite, 2 Feb 2026

Project Sunrise

A proposed orbital data centre platform of sun-synchronous satellites linked to a planned optical network.

• The filing describes more than 51,000 sun-synchronous satellites at 500 to 1,800 km, linked optically to the planned TeraWave system. Light Reading, 23 Mar 2026

Crusoe Cloud on Starcloud

A cloud provider planning to run its platform on a Starcloud satellite and rent GPU capacity from orbit.

• Crusoe plans to deploy its cloud on a Starcloud satellite and offer limited GPU capacity from space by early 2027. Crusoe Newsroom, 22 Oct 2025

Cowboy Space Corporation (formerly Aetherflux)

A space solar power startup that added orbital data centres to its plans.

• Aetherflux said it plans to put its first data centre satellite into orbit in the first quarter of 2027. The Register, 10 Dec 2025
• It rebranded to Cowboy Space Corporation after a $275M Series B, expanding to orbital data centres and rockets. Payload, 11 May 2026

Sophia Space TILE

Flat compute modules called TILE (Thermal Integrated LEO Edge) for computing in orbit.

• Sophia Space raised $7M and chose an Apex Nova bus for a 2027 flight, the first orbital test of its TILE modules. Via Satellite, 23 Jun 2026

ASCEND study

An EU-funded feasibility study of data centres in orbit and their environmental impact.

• The study began in 2023 under Horizon Europe with a nine-member consortium. Thales Alenia Space, 27 Jun 2024
• ASCEND aims to deploy one gigawatt before 2050 and says it needs a launcher ten times less emissive over its lifecycle. Thales Alenia Space, 27 Jun 2024

ESA Space Cloud study

A study of orbital data centre architecture and whether orbital compute can pay its way.

• Under ESA's Space Cloud programme, Edge Aerospace will draw up an architecture and use-case roadmap and assess commercial viability. Payload, 5 May 2026

Spaceborne Computer

Off-the-shelf servers flown to the International Space Station to test commercial computing in orbit.

• The first Spaceborne Computer flew from 2017 to 2019; the second launched on NG-15 in February 2021. The Register, 11 Feb 2021
• An updated Spaceborne Computer-2 was set to launch on NG-20, the system's third launch. ISS National Laboratory, 23 Jan 2024

Lonestar Freedom

A small data storage payload flown to the Moon to offer off-world backup.

• The payload carried 8 TB on Intuitive Machines' Athena lander, which missed its landing spot on 6 March 2025; Lonestar said its data centre was intact. FOX 13 Tampa Bay, 7 Mar 2025