Muon Space Unveils Starship-Sized Satellite for Orbital Data Centers

Muon Space has unveiled its Condor-Ultra satellite platform, a significant advancement designed for the burgeoning orbital data center market. This new platform, with an initial launch planned for 2028, boasts 20 kilowatts of baseline power and extensive payload area, scalable to 100 kilowatts. Its design features native Starship stackability, enabling large-scale satellite deployments after SpaceX's rocket enters service.

The Condor-Ultra platform represents a substantial increase in size and power compared to Muon Space's previous offerings. The company is expanding its manufacturing capabilities with a new facility in San Jose, California, aiming for a capacity of up to 500 satellites annually. This expansion, coupled with vertical integration including propulsion systems, is intended to make the economics of Condor-Ultra viable for mass production and deployment.

Furthermore, the platform is engineered to integrate next-generation computing hardware, such as NVIDIA's Space-1 module for AI inferencing. Muon Space plans to test SpaceX's Starlink Mini Lasers in orbit in 2027, with the Condor-Ultra pathfinder mission in 2028 set to be a full production-configuration platform. The company believes its integrated approach will be more compelling than competitors building all infrastructure in-house.