Starcloud startup ordered optical terminals from SpaceX, to use Starlink as a global data relay network for its future orbital data centers. This will further deepen cooperation with the company, which the startup is counting on to launch full-sized spacecraft.
As part of the contract, Starcloud will receive over 50 Starlink Mini Laser terminals. They are enough to equip at least 25 satellites with two terminals each within the constellation, which will accrue in the future 88 000 orbital data centers. The terminals will allow the startup's satellites to connect directly to the Starlink mesh network in low Earth orbit, bypassing ground stations with limited bandwidth. Starlink's optical mesh network will support nearby applications, including real-time weather forecast, forest fire detection and Earth observation analytics, where the sensor data, collected in orbit, need to be processed and distributed quickly.
For reference: The Starlink Mini Laser is SpaceX's latest intersatellite laser technology, designed for data transmission at a speed of up to 25 Gbit/s at a distance of up to 4000 km. Unlike the previous lasers of the Starlink network, this mini-module allows you to connect third-party spacecraft and stations to the Starlink constellation.
The Starlink mesh network is a technology for combining several branded routers into a single seamless network to eliminate "dead zones" and provide stable Wi-Fi coverage. It allows you to extend the signal to large houses or offices without a drop in speed or the need to reconnect to a new network.
Starcloud co-founder and CEO Philip Johnston said, that lasers will be installed on all future satellites, starting with Starcloud-2, the launch of which is planned for the SpaceX Falcon 9 in January 2027 year. Space apparatus mass 450 kg will be the first in the company, on which commercial cloud workloads will run. It is designed to generate approx 8 kilowatt of energy - approx 100 times more, than the Starcloud-1 demonstrator by mass 60 Kg, which SpaceX launched in November 2025 year.
SpaceX's Starship system will be used to launch Starcloud-3 into orbit. This 3-ton power satellite 200 kW will provide processing of AI tasks (learning and logical deduction), which will come from Earth. This will bypass energy restrictions, land, water and other resources, faced by terrestrial data centers. According to Philip Johnston, Starship may be ready to deploy mid to late customer payloads 2028 year.
Source: https://spacenews.com