AI Trained in Space.

The episode opened with StarCloud’s breakthrough: a large‑scale AI model trained aboard its StarCloud One satellite using an NVIDIA H100 GPU, a processor touted as a hundred times more capable than any previous space‑borne chip. Hosts highlighted why moving compute to orbit matters—continuous solar energy, vacuum‑based cooling, and the potential to slash the massive power and water footprints of terrestrial data centers. This vision of gigawatt‑scale orbital data farms is being positioned as a 2026 trend that could reshape both commercial AI workloads and sustainability goals.

Beyond AI, the show covered several high‑profile contracts reshaping space services. DARPA awarded BAE Systems a $16 million Phase II contract to mature an autonomous “Oversight” system that maintains custody of countless terrestrial assets via satellite constellations. VoltaSpace’s wireless power receiver will ride Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 2 lander to the Moon’s far side, demonstrating a lunar “Light Grid” for future power networks. Hawkeye 360 secured a $100 million multi‑year deal to expand RF analytics, while ESA and Viasat’s IRIS system, now tested with Boeing aircraft, is already improving flight routing and fuel efficiency across trans‑Atlantic routes.

The interview with Jerome Hiddle of Amplified Space shifted focus to software‑defined power architecture. By consolidating batteries, solar arrays, propulsion, and avionics into a single, programmable hardware platform, Amplified Space reduces component sprawl and streamlines integration for spacecraft developers. The company logged three successful flights this year—including missions with India’s Hex‑20, Portal Space Systems’ Mini‑Nova, and the ISS’s MISSI platform—demonstrating rapid deployment capability despite a ten‑person team. Their unified software stack promises lower risk, faster iteration, and a scalable foundation for the next generation of orbital and lunar missions, positioning them as a key enabler in the emerging space‑based infrastructure ecosystem.