Imagine this: a data center on the moon. Sounds like science fiction, right?
But it’s happening, thanks to a daring collaboration between Lonestar and Phison. These two powerhouses are taking data storage to new heights—literally.
They’ve just sent data center infrastructure aboard a SpaceX rocket, aiming to set up shop on the lunar surface. Phison’s Pascari solid state drives (SSDs), packed with Lonestar’s client data, took off on a Falcon 9 rocket, with a lunar landing set for March 4.
This is a big deal because it’s the first step toward creating a lunar data center with plans to expand to a petabyte of storage capacity.
Chris Stott, the CEO of Lonestar, said that the dream of a space-based data center started back in 2018, long before the recent AI boom that’s driving up data center demand.
Customers were already looking for out-of-this-world data storage solutions to protect against climate and cyber threats. Stott put it simply: “Humanity’s most precious item, outside of us, is data. They see data as the new oil. I’d say it’s more precious than that.”
Phison was the perfect partner for this venture. They’ve got experience with NASA’s Perseverance Rover and have been creating custom storage solutions through Imagine Plus. Michael Wu, Phison’s general manager and president, shared his excitement: “We were thrilled when Chris called. We took a standard product, customized it to fit their needs, and launched it. It’s been quite the journey.”
Since teaming up in 2021, Lonestar and Phison have been hard at work developing space-ready SSDs. They’ve invested years in testing to make sure these drives can handle the harsh conditions of space.
Stott stressed the importance of having reliable technology since fixing things in space isn’t exactly easy. “That’s why SSDs are crucial,” he explained. “No moving parts. It’s amazing technology that’s letting us do this for governments and hopefully, every company and corporation in the future.”
After a successful test launch in early 2024, they’ve now sent a variety of customer data on this mission, ranging from government disaster recovery projects to a space agency’s large language model trial. Even the band Imagine Dragons got involved, sending a music video from their Starfield soundtrack.
The idea of a lunar data center is gaining traction. Lumen Orbit, now called Starcloud, emerged from Y Combinator’s 2024 batch and has already raised over $21 million.
With the growing demand for AI hardware, more companies are eyeing space-based storage. It offers almost unlimited capacity and the benefit of solar power, which is a huge plus compared to Earth.
Looking ahead, Lonestar plans to work with Sidus Space to build six data storage spacecraft, with launches planned between 2027 and 2030.
“It’s fascinating to see the level of professionalism, it is tremendous,” Stott remarked, highlighting the leap from Apollo’s 2KB RAM to this mission’s 1GB RAM and 8TB storage with Phison Pascari.
This trailblazing project is setting the stage for the future of data storage, combining cutting-edge technology with the vast possibilities of space.
