This Orbital Data Center Startup Is Integrating Starlink Lasers

This Orbital Data Center Startup Is Integrating Starlink Lasers | PCMag

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(Credit: Starlink)

The gigabit laser technology on SpaceX’s Starlink satellites will be part of an upcoming orbital data center from the startup Starcloud. Starcloud is integrating the “Mini Lasers” on more than 25 orbiting satellites, giving them a way to easily transmit data back to Earth by communicating with SpaceX’s neighboring Starlink constellation. “Each of the Starcloud satellites will carry two Starlink Mini Laser terminals, and the first hardware is expected on orbit within one year,” the startup said.CEO Phillip Johnston added: “The terminals enable direct optical links between Starcloud satellites and the Starlink constellation using laser light, eliminating the need for Starcloud to send data directly through bandwidth-constrained ground stations.”  You May Also Like

(Credit: Starcloud)

The deal highlights a novel way for Starlink to go beyond supplying high-speed internet to users on the ground and expand to other satellites and spacecraft in orbit. Since at least 2021, SpaceX has used optical lasers to transmit up to 200Gbps of data between Starlink satellites, enabling them to send and receive information without communicating with ground stations.Last year, SpaceX mentioned opening up the laser tech to third-party companies through a mini laser system that can transmit up to 25Gbps over distances of up to 4,000 kilometers. Starcloud, which successfully launched and operated a prototype satellite last year, has previously hinted it would adopt the technology. The startup has now made things official, saying, “For Starcloud, the optical laser mesh is the connective tissue of its orbital data center architecture.”  Recommended by Our Editors Starlink Mini vs. Standard Kit: Are the Portability Perks Worth the Slower Speeds? SpaceX President Uncertain Orbital Data Centers Will Actually Reach 1M Satellites Musk Offers Sneak Peek at Orbiting Data Centers. They're Bigger Than the ISS

The company is working to operate a satellite cluster in 2027, with plans to launch as many as 88,000 satellites over the long term. SpaceX is also preparing to dive into the orbital data center market with next-generation satellites that’ll be even longer than the International Space Station. The company wants to operate up to 1 million satellites in and around Earth, although the concept faces major technical hurdles. The big question is whether orbiting data centers can one day outperform ground-based data centers in terms of cost and power efficiency.Starcloud is signing up to use the laser tech after Muon Space, a Silicon Valley startup developing satellites for climate monitoring, began adopting the mini lasers in October. Another client is US aerospace company Vast, which will integrate the lasers on its upcoming space station. SpaceX also envisions using Starlink for connectivity on the Moon and Mars.

About Our Expert Michael Kan Principal Reporter Experience I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service. I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips. Areas of Expertise Networking Security Graphics Cards Processors AI SpaceX Nvidia AMD Latest By Michael Kan AI Chatbot Site Needs 'Masturbation Consultants,' Will Pay $2,000 Per Month Hackers Exploit GTA 6 Hype to Spread Malware Via Fake Beta Tests Starlink Revives GPS Function, But Only for Priority Plans Kash Patel's Apparel Site Is Trying To Trick Visitors Into Installing Malware