Y Combinator Startup Podcast Inside The Startup Launching AI Into Space
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Nov 13, 2025 
In this conversation, Philip Johnston, Co-founder of StarCloud, shares his vision for revolutionary orbital data centers powered by GPU technology. He discusses the successful launch of the NVIDIA H100 satellite, marking a new era for AI in space. Johnston explains how these data centers can drastically reduce energy and water use, while also being cooled by deep space. He addresses skepticism around design challenges and emphasizes the team's rapid development. Plus, they discuss the growing interest from tech giants and their ambitious plans for future satellites.
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Space As A Natural Cooling And Power Source
- Building data centers in space leverages constant solar energy and direct infrared radiation to deep space for cooling.
- This approach can reduce freshwater use and carbon emissions compared with terrestrial data centers.
15-Month Prototype To Orbit
- StarCloud designed, built, and tested their first satellite in about 15 months after founding.
- The satellite carries an NVIDIA H100 to prove thermal management and radiation shielding for Earth-grade GPUs in space.
Energy Drives Migration To Orbit
- StarCloud expects many non-low-latency workloads to migrate to space because of terrestrial energy and cooling constraints.
- Large orbital radiators and continuous solar supply enable scaling beyond land, grid, and water limits on Earth.