REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 26, 2026--
Starcloud has signed a contract with SpaceX’s Starlink to integrate its mini laser terminals. The deal covers 50+ Starlink Mini Lasers across 25+ satellites with the first hardware expected on orbit within one year.
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Each of the Starcloud satellites will carry two Starlink Mini Laser terminals, the same laser crosslink technology that SpaceX developed for its Starlink constellation, providing up to 25 Gbps of continuous intersatellite connectivity at distances up to 4,000 km and are capable of higher link speeds at shorter distances. 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.
For Starcloud, the optical laser mesh is the connective tissue of its orbital data center architecture. The company’s satellites are designed around four core components: solar panels for power, radiators for cooling, GPUs for compute, and laser terminals for connectivity. With compute proven on orbit via Starcloud-1’s NVIDIA H100, and 100x power generation and cooling coming on Starcloud-2 in eight months, the Starlink Space Lasers complete the hardware stack.
“This collaboration with Starlink gives Starcloud satellites continuous, high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity. That’s what turns individual satellites into a functioning distributed data center.”
-Philip Johnston, Co-Founder and CEO of Starcloud
Why this matters
The high-bandwidth intersatellite mesh supports near-term applications in real-time weather forecasting, wildfire detection, and Earth observation analytics, where data generated by sensors in orbit must be processed immediately rather than downlinked to ground stations. Starlink’s optical links enable positional satellite data and ephemerides, reducing the risk of collisions and improving space safety outcomes. Long-term, the optical backbone supports workloads uplinked from Earth, including AI inference and training. As the terrestrial AI buildout quickly runs up against constraints regarding where new energy projects can be built on Earth, deploying green energy infrastructure in space alleviates the stresses on the grid.
About Starcloud: Starcloud is building data centers in space to solve the AI energy bottleneck. Starcloud launched its first satellite, Starcloud-1, in November 2025. It featured the first NVIDIA H100 on board, which is approximately 100x more powerful GPU compute than has been on orbit before and was the first to train an AI model in space. In March 2026, Starcloud raised a $170M Series A at a $1.1bn valuation led by Benchmark. Founded in 2024, Starcloud is headquartered at 2517 152nd Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052.
About Starlink
Starlink is the world’s most advanced satellite constellation in low-Earth orbit, delivering reliable high-speed, low-latency internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls, and more. Starlink is engineered and operated by SpaceX. As the world’s leading provider of launch services, and the only provider with an orbital class reusable rocket – SpaceX has deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations. Learn more at www.starlink.com and follow @Starlink on X.
Starcloud to Integrate SpaceX’s Starlink Mini Lasers Into Its Orbital Data Center Constellation
ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims from around the world congregated on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the second official day of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj.
Despite the sweltering heat, the pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and surrounding plain for intense prayers and worship that often mark a spiritual peak for them. They fervently murmured prayers and poured their hearts out in supplications. Many raised their hands in worship. It is common for pilgrims on that day, some with tears streaming down their faces, to ask God for forgiveness, mercy, blessings and good health.
The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to perform it.
For pilgrims, the Hajj, performed over several days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. As they brave the intense heat to perform religious rituals, many pilgrims have been using umbrellas for shade.
A Saudi official said on Friday that more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in the country from abroad.
This year, Muslims have been pouring into Saudi Arabia for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related uncertainty in the region.
The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats used to lay mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations with Tehran were “proceeding nicely." Iran on Tuesday denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations pressed on toward a possible deal to end the war.
For many, performing the Hajj can be a realization of a lifelong dream as they spend years hoping and praying to one day be able to undertake the pilgrimage or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.
“This happens once in a lifetime,” Mohammad Asal, an Egyptian pilgrim, said. “People here have prepared their prayers, hoping that God will respond to them, because we know that ... the most important ritual of the Hajj is being in Arafat.”
The Hajj brings together large numbers of Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, creating a sense of unity for many. It’s a mass, communal experience, with Muslims performing rituals together. But it is also deeply personal, as every pilgrim brings their own yearnings and experiences.
“It was incredible,” Ahmed Sufyan, a pilgrim from the United States, said on Tuesday. “The unity and peace that we feel is something I’ve never experienced before,” he added via WhatsApp.
“Our wishes are many,” Mohammad Obaid, a Sudanese pilgrim, said, adding he was praying for Sudan and Muslims everywhere.
Fam reported from Winter Park, Florida.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
A Muslim pilgrim pray atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Muslim pilgrims walk towards the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Muslim pilgrims are silhouetted as they pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Muslim pilgrims pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Muslim pilgrims read a copy of Islam's holy book Quran atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
