A U.S.-based space technology startup, Starcloud, plans to test whether Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence computing can operate in orbit, using solar power and the vacuum of space to reduce energy costs. Starcloud says its upcoming Starcloud-2 satellite, expected to launch later in 2026, will carry specialized bitcoin-mining chips along with a larger cluster of AI processors. If the mission works as planned, the company could mine the first bitcoin in space.
The project follows an earlier experiment in November 2025 when Starcloud launched its first satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The small spacecraft carried five Nvidia H100 processors, hardware usually found inside large terrestrial data centers. During the test, the satellite trained a small language model and ran inference using a version of Google Gemini, proving that advanced computing workloads can operate in orbit.
Starcloud now wants to expand that idea. The company’s second spacecraft will add ASIC mining hardware alongside AI chips. Chief executive Philip Johnston said the mission will test whether steady solar power in orbit can support energy-heavy computing tasks like bitcoin mining.
Orbit offers two advantages that attract engineers. Satellites placed in sun-synchronous paths receive sunlight almost all the time, avoiding the night cycles and weather interruptions that limit solar farms on Earth. At the same time, the vacuum of space allows heat to radiate away without large water-based cooling systems. Starcloud believes those factors could cut power costs by as much as ten times compared with many ground data centers.
The company’s long-term plan goes far beyond a single spacecraft. Starcloud has asked the Federal Communications Commission for approval to deploy up to 88,000 satellites that would form a global network of orbital computing infrastructure. Johnston has also described a vision for a multi-gigawatt data center powered by solar arrays stretching several kilometers across.
Bitcoin mining serves as an early test because the hardware is cheaper than top-tier AI processors and converts electricity directly into computational work. If a satellite produces more solar power than AI workloads require, mining equipment could use the extra energy and generate revenue.
Yet the plan faces technical and regulatory questions. Electronics in orbit must survive radiation, debris risks, and extreme temperature swings. Large satellite constellations also raise concerns about congestion in low-Earth orbit and the chance of cascading debris events.
Still, falling launch costs have renewed interest in space-based infrastructure. Companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Axiom Space have outlined future projects that rely on orbital data centers.
If Starcloud-2 succeeds later this year, it could mark the first time digital currency is produced beyond Earth. The test may also show whether orbit can host the next generation of data centers as demand for computing power keeps rising.