Space Data Centers: The Dream of a Single Launch vs. Harsh Reality

Starcloud claims a single 100-ton Starship launch could build a 40 MW space data center (SDC) for $8.2M. This analysis reveals this is infeasible, requiring up to 22 launches. Solar arrays need 4 launches, thermal management 13, and server racks 5. Starcloud drastically underestimates launch costs, rendering their economic comparison to terrestrial data centers unrealistic. This highlights the immense engineering challenges and high costs of space data centers, urging a more realistic techno-economic analysis.