Starcloud's 2027 space mining plan... estimated launch cost of about 2 billion won per ton

Starcloud plans to launch Bitcoin mining ASICs on its next satellite in 2027, CEO Philip Johnston said in a Lightcone interview published August 5, framing it as the company's first step toward orbital mining hardware. The startup, which has been developing space-based data centers, currently lists GPU compute, storage and power-and-thermal management systems for its Starcloud-2 spacecraft, with ASIC details still sparse as of November 4. Economics are the central question: running miners in orbit requires not only launch costs but also power supply, heat dissipation and maintenance, with launch expenses estimated at roughly 2 billion won per tonne. The move matters because it tests whether cheap space-based solar power and passive cooling can offset expensive launches and undercut terrestrial mining costs. What to watch next is the specific ASIC model and power budget for the 2027 mission, and whether Starcloud discloses hash rate or cost-per-hash figures that would allow a direct comparison with ground-based mining.