Starcloud launched a spacecraft carrying Nvidia H100 GPUs into low Earth orbit last year, and now company executives say a follow-up mission will place an ASIC Bitcoin miner on a second spacecraft later this year. The move turns the orbital demonstration into an explicit test of whether cryptographic operations can be run at scale in space.
Bitcoin in Space: Operating and Launch Costs
According to the report, the company claims that operating its miners above the atmosphere can reduce energy and cooling costs. Solar panels provide reliable power in certain orbits, and the vacuum allows the satellite to dissipate heat without the need for a massive air-conditioning system.
These are Starcloud’s highlight savings. But getting the machine into orbit and maintaining it comes at a price. Launch costs, protective shielding and large radiators add mass and cost. Replacing hardware would be more difficult than replacing a rack in Texas.
The company has started offering orbital data centers for AI workloads as well as cryptocurrencies. According to the report, Starcloud’s long-term plan is a collection of computing platforms that can host commercial clients.
The cat is out of the bag. @Starcloud_-2 will be the first to secure a mine in space 𝗕.𝗰प्र्त.
This will be a huge industry in itself. Currently, Bitcoin mining consumes approximately 20GW of power continuously. It makes no sense to do something like this on Earth, and in the end, all of this… pic.twitter.com/tmfr8rxGOL
— Philip Johnson (@PhilipJohnston) March 7, 2026
Following a discussion of space mining plans on HyperChange on Thursday (video below), StarCloud CEO Philip Johnston announced on
The scope of the test is narrow at this time. Install a miner in orbit, check if it runs, measure uptime and energy calculations. Officials said the test was intended to provide hard numbers rather than slogans.
Hardware in space is a different task
NVIDIA-backed publicity and high-profile GPU flights have garnered attention, but civilian engineers and space systems experts point out some technical limitations. Electronics face constant radiation. Without strong shielding, memory and silicon degrade faster.
Heat must be rejected through the radiator, which increases its surface area and mass. According to the report, ASICs optimized for Earth cooling cannot simply be implanted in space and are expected to last for several years.
BTCUSD trading at $67,601 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView
The data shows the already well-known benefits of surface mining due to cheaper local electricity, proximity to maintenance teams and economies of scale. Placing the same miner in orbit makes access for repairs easier.
If a board fails, it may require another rocket launch to replace it. This is a risk factor that affects lifetime cost and investment return calculations.
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