What is StarCloud?
StarCloud is a Redmond, Washington-based company that builds and operates space-based data centers, having filed with the FCC for a constellation of up to 88,000 satellites for orbital AI computing. The material tracks its technical milestones, cost efficiency, and expansion plans, including a terrestrial business targeting data center competition by 2028.
Company timeline
- Aug 2026 - Philip Johnston said StarCloud filed with the FCC for a constellation of 88,000 satellites, enabling “on the order of 20 gigawatts of new compute capacity.”
- Aug 2026 - Philip Johnston reported that StarCloud completed “the whole of Starcloud 2 including the launch for $2 million.”
- Aug 2026 - Philip Johnston claimed their radiator is “at least 10 times less mass per watt of dissipation than the ISS radiator and 500 times less cost per watt.”
- Aug 2026 - Philip Johnston stated they are “the only people in the world now that know where both an H100, a B200, H200 will fail if you blast it with high velocity protons and heavy ions.”
- Aug 2026 - Philip Johnston said StarCloud can fit “up to 10 terawatts” in dawn-sun synchronous orbit, “20 times the entire US power.”
- Aug 2026 - Philip Johnston said that end of 2028 is when they’re “starting to ramp up for the terrestrial business competing with terrestrial data centers.”
Where it appears in the record
Every line below is attributed to a named speaker.
StarCloud. Building space-based data centers using deployable radiators, with a 88,000-satellite FCC filing, proprietary GPU radiation-failure data, and a target to compete with terrestrial data centers by end of 2028.
“End of 2028 I'd say is when we're starting to ramp up for the terrestrial business competing with terrestrial data centers.”Philip Johnston · 5 Aug 2026
StarCloud has filed with the FCC for a constellation of 88,000 satellites representing roughly 20 gigawatts of new compute capacity.
“We've just filed with the FCC for a constellation of 88,000 of those. So that means on the order of 20 gawatt of new compute capacity.”Philip Johnston · 5 Aug 2026
StarCloud built and launched its StarCloud 2 satellite for $2 million total, versus a $75-100 million quote from a traditional prime contractor.
“We did the whole of Starcloud 2 including the launch for $2 million.”Philip Johnston · 5 Aug 2026
StarCloud's deployable radiator achieves 10x lower mass per watt and 500x lower cost per watt of dissipation compared to the ISS radiator.
“Our radiator is at least 10 times less mass per watt of dissipation than the ISS radiator and 500 times less cost per watt of dissipation than the ISS radiator.”Philip Johnston · 5 Aug 2026
Space-based data centers become economically viable at a launch cost of $500 per kilogram, per StarCloud's break-even analysis.
“We came to a much closer to reality number of $500 a kilo.”Philip Johnston · 5 Aug 2026
Philip Johnston on StarCloud's unique radiation-failure data for flagship NVIDIA GPUs.
“I think we're the only people in the world now that know where both an H100, a B200, H200 will fail if you blast it with high velocity protons and heavy ions.”Philip Johnston · 5 Aug 2026
A dawn sun-synchronous orbit could theoretically hold up to 10 terawatts of compute capacity, about 20 times total US power capacity.
“We can fit up to 10 terowatts in the Dawn suns synchronous orbit. So that's like 20 times the entire US power.”Philip Johnston · 5 Aug 2026
776 invested in StarCloud based purely on founder quality, explicitly ignoring product understanding and industry skepticism, treating founder conviction as sufficient due diligence.
“I don't give a rip if Philillip is making dry dog food. I want to support Philillip.”Katelin Holloway · 9 Mar 2026