Join us for an in-depth AMA and podcast conversation with Philip Johnston, Co-founder & CEO of Starcloud, the world’s first orbital data center company. 🚀
We cover:
1. Why orbital infrastructure is the next leap in AI compute
2. Starcloud’s plan to launch megawatt-scale compute into orbit by 2027
3. The challenges of energy, cooling, and scalability in space
4. Lessons from building at the frontier of deep tech, aerospace, and AIThis wide-ranging discussion blends technical insight, founder perspective, and long-term vision. Perfect for anyone curious about the future of AI infrastructure, space technology, and frontier startups.
đź“Ś Topics include: orbital data centers, AI compute demand, space infrastructure, scaling deep-tech startups.
00:00 Intro
01:13 What Starcloud is building
02:19 5 GW vision; module approach
03:03 Architecture: central spine + modules
03:27 Solar arrays and radiators
03:58 Demo sat (H100s), Nov target
04:21 Roadmap to 40 MW modules
05:29 Modularity and self‑sufficiency
06:06 Cooling and racks
08:05 Top risks and objections
11:20 Mission life & end‑of‑life
13:16 Disposal options
14:09 Maintenance strategy
17:40 Backhaul plan
18:22 Iteration and capex
19:32 Launch cadence; Sat‑2 service
20:31 Costs/runway overview
22:12 Early customers (DoD/USG)
23:37 Differentiation (H100s)
25:01 EO data bottleneck
25:44 Space‑to‑space optical
26:08 On‑orbit inference example
26:49 Latency: hours → seconds
27:09 Contrarian view (waste heat)
29:01 Q&A
31:48 Debris strategy
35:16 LEO capacity; Lagrange points
38:23 Scale refs; mass & launches
41:20 Launch economics context
42:23 Misconceptions (cooling, latency)
47:19 CAPEX per module
50:57 Closing advice
51:39 Wrap