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The startup wants to put bitcoin mining ASICs in orbit, powered by near-continuous solar energy, as part of its second spacecraft mission
A Washington-based startup is preparing to do something that sounds like it belongs in a sci-fi pitch deck: mine Bitcoin from orbit. Starcloud, Inc. announced plans to include bitcoin mining ASICs aboard its upcoming Starcloud-2 spacecraft, which would make it one of the first companies to attempt cryptocurrency mining in space.
In space, solar panels get nearly uninterrupted sunlight, meaning energy, the single biggest cost in Bitcoin mining, comes essentially free after the hardware is deployed.
From GPU in orbit to mining rigs in the sky #
Starcloud was founded in January 2024 with a broader mission: building orbital data centers for AI workloads. The company launched its first test satellite, Starcloud-1, on November 2, 2025. That satellite carried a single Nvidia H100 GPU, reportedly making it the first data-center-class GPU to operate in orbit.
The Bitcoin mining component enters the picture with Starcloud-2, which CEO Philip Johnston described as a natural extension of the platform. The spacecraft will carry ASICs alongside Nvidia Blackwell chips and AWS server blades, creating a multi-purpose computing node floating above the atmosphere.
Originally slated for late 2026, Starcloud-2 is now expected to launch in 2027 as part of a pair of satellites.
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Johnston framed the Bitcoin mining capability as both a proof-of-concept and a pragmatic business decision. When demand for AI compute is high, the orbital hardware handles those workloads. When demand dips, the ASICs keep hashing and generating revenue.
The economics of mining beyond Earth #
According to Johnston, ASICs run about $1,000 per kilowatt, compared to roughly $30,000 per kW for high-end GPUs. That’s a 30x difference in hardware cost per unit of power consumed, which makes ASICs an almost obvious addition if you already have a solar-powered platform in orbit.
Johnston acknowledged the broader economic challenges facing the mining industry, but argued that the unique advantages of space, particularly the near-continuous solar power, create a viable niche.
Big funding, bigger ambitions #
Starcloud closed a $170 million Series A round on March 30, 2026, achieving a $1.1 billion valuation. By August 2026, the company had raised an additional $250 million, bringing total funding to approximately $450 million and pushing the valuation to $2.3 billion.
In February 2026, Starcloud filed with the FCC for permission to deploy a constellation of up to 88,000 satellites.
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