LA-based startup Orbital has secured $5 million in pre-seed funding to develop a constellation of smaller orbital data centers capable of handling AI workloads, diverging from traditional large satellite concepts. The company plans to launch its first demo mission in 2027, aiming for a constellation of over 100,000 satellites by focusing on cost-effective production and automation.
Orbital's $5M pre-seed funding round highlights a strategic shift in orbital data center development, focusing on smaller, cost-efficient satellite networks rather than large-scale constructs. This approach, leveraging NVIDIA's Space-1 Vera Rubin GPU and optical intersatellite links, aims to efficiently support the growing demand from AI workloads. For someone interested in the space economy and satellite tech, this signals an actionable trend towards scalable, decentralized space infrastructure capable of leveraging existing tech advancements in AI and automation for cost management and efficiency.