Starcloud has signed an agreement with SpaceX’s Starlink to deploy more than 50 Starlink Mini Laser terminals across at least 25 satellites in its planned orbital data centre constellation.
The first of these terminals is expected to be operational in orbit within the next year, according to the company.
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The project will see each Starcloud satellite equipped with two Starlink Mini Laser terminals, a technology also used in SpaceX’s own Starlink constellation.
The crosslink technology is designed to enable up to 25 gigabits per second (Gbps) of continuous data transfer between satellites at distances of up to 4,000km.
Higher link speeds are possible when the terminals operate over shorter distances. By connecting directly through laser links, Starcloud aims to bypass ground-based stations that can face bandwidth limitations.
The optical laser network will form a key part of Starcloud’s approach to in-orbit data centre operation.
The company’s architecture combines solar panels for energy, radiators for thermal management, GPUs for compute capability, and laser terminals for high-speed communications.
Starcloud stated that on-orbit compute has been demonstrated using an NVIDIA H100 graphics processing units (GPU) on its Starcloud-1 satellite. Plans are also in place to boost power generation and cooling by 100 times with the Starcloud-2 mission in eight months.
With the addition of Starlink Mini Lasers, the firm considers the core hardware stack complete.
Starcloud co-founder and CEO Philip Johnston said: “This collaboration with Starlink gives Starcloud satellites continuous, high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity. That’s what turns individual satellites into a functioning distributed data centre.”
According to Starcloud, the expanded intersatellite mesh network will facilitate real-time applications such as weather forecasting, wildfire detection, and Earth observation analytics by enabling immediate data processing in orbit.
The optical links are also intended to allow for the sharing of satellite positional data, which the company says could reduce collision risks and enhance space safety.
Starcloud added that the optical backbone may support future workloads sent from Earth, including AI inference and training, particularly as energy constraints on the ground grow.
The company launched its first satellite in November 2025 and raised $170m in a Series A funding round in March 2026 at a $1.1bn valuation.
Starlink provides satellite-based connectivity and is developed and operated by SpaceX.
Earlier this month, Google confirmed ongoing discussions with SpaceX and other parties regarding prospective launches for Project Suncatcher, a satellite-based data centre initiative.
