Orbital data center
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‘Greetings, earthlings': Nvidia-backed Starcloud trains first AI model in space as orbital data center race heats up
CNBC· 2025-12-10 14:05
Core Insights - The launch of Starcloud-1 satellite marks the first instance of an artificial intelligence model, Gemma, being trained and operated in space, utilizing a Nvidia H100 GPU that is 100 times more powerful than previous space GPUs [2][3] - Starcloud aims to establish orbital data centers to address the growing digital infrastructure crisis on Earth, which is facing increasing energy consumption and environmental concerns [4][5] Company Overview - Starcloud, co-founded in 2024, is backed by Nvidia and has successfully demonstrated the operation of AI models in space, indicating the feasibility of space-based data centers [5][6] - The company plans to build a 5-gigawatt orbital data center equipped with solar and cooling panels, which would be more efficient and cost-effective compared to terrestrial facilities [8] Technological Innovations - The satellite's AI model, Gemma, is capable of sophisticated responses similar to Earth-based databases, showcasing the potential of space-based AI applications [7] - Starcloud has also trained another model, NanoGPT, using the complete works of Shakespeare, demonstrating the versatility of its technology [7] Environmental Impact - Orbital data centers are projected to have 10 times lower energy costs than terrestrial data centers, addressing the constraints of energy consumption on Earth [5] - These space-based facilities can harness constant solar energy, unaffected by terrestrial weather and day-night cycles, contributing to environmental sustainability [9][12] Applications and Use Cases - Starcloud's orbital data centers have potential commercial and military applications, such as real-time intelligence for disaster response, including wildfire detection [10] - The company is working on integrating advanced AI workloads from space, enhancing capabilities for various industries [11]