Starcloud raises $250M to build data centers in orbit

Space-based data center startup Starcloud raised a $250 million round as competition for satellite launch capacity intensifies. The company is betting on off-planet compute as terrestrial data center siting and power become harder to secure.

Why it matters: This lands as Rocket Lab has publicly ruled out entering the orbital data center market while SpaceX reportedly eyes its own compute ambitions, suggesting a real, if early, race for space-based AI infrastructure is forming. It's also a direct response to the land, power, and permitting friction now visible in the terrestrial data center backlash.