As Rocket Launch Costs Plummet and Power Demand Surges, Startup Intercosmic Energy CEO Nick Moran Introduces Plan to “Send Mining Rigs into Space” to Develop Endless Solar Energy.
(Background: Major Bitcoin miner dreams of collaborating with South American agricultural company Adecoagro for renewable energy mining)
(Background Supplement: Palantir founder Peter Thiel acquires a 9.1% stake in BitMine, betting on Ethereum)
We know that Bitcoin mining rigs require vast amounts of electricity for mining and cooling, and major mining companies are seeking places that can provide cheap and stable energy. Recently, a video on the YT channel Bitcoin Bram titled “Bitcoin Mining in Space: The Craziest or Smartest Idea Ever?” presented a seemingly crazy yet exciting idea: sending Bitcoin mining rigs into space.
Affordable Launch × Endless Sunshine × Cold Space
The host interviewed Nick Moran, who has worked in the industrial low-temperature sector for ten years and founded the startup Intercosmic Energy, where he serves as CEO. After dedicating a lot of time to studying Bitcoin, he had an epiphany: if mining rigs could use idle power in remote locations on Earth, then the near-continuous sunlight in orbit could be an overlooked gold mine.
Why Choose Space?
Moran pointed out three main advantages of orbital space compared to the ground:
- Continuous Sunlight: Geostationary orbits receive about 23 hours of sunlight daily, while low Earth orbit has around 18 hours.
- Natural Low Temperatures: The vacuum environment provides free cooling, saving on one of the largest operating costs of mining sites.
- No Land Competition: There is no need to compete for land with agriculture or residential areas.
Regarding feasibility, Moran estimates that the current cost of sending payloads to space is about $5,000 per kilogram, which could drop by 99% over the next decade, coinciding with Bitcoin’s long-term price rise “along with currency supply inflation.” When the “rising coin price” meets the “falling launch costs,” the economic incentive for space-based computing power emerges.
Specific Path: Intersection of ISS and Starship
Specifically, Moran assesses that a short-term entry point is utilizing the International Space Station (ISS). Russia plans to withdraw from operation in 2028, and NASA intends to decommission it after 2031. Moran advocates for converting the vacated modules into mining facilities: the current solar panels, power distribution, and cooling systems are already in place, requiring only the transport of ASIC mining rigs to validate the concept.
In the mid-term, reliance will be on SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin to send dedicated satellites into geostationary orbit, where mining rigs will convert solar power into computing power, and data will be transmitted back to the blockchain via Starlink.
Intercosmic Energy Timeline and Funding Blueprint
Currently, Moran has invested tens of thousands of dollars to apply for a patent on the “Orbital Blockchain Mining Platform” and has received “seven-figure” verbal investment commitments, contingent on finding a co-founder with satellite manufacturing experience. He has set milestones for himself:
- 2028: Complete the first experimental satellite to launch in time for the next halving event.
- By 2032: Deploy a commercial mining cluster in geostationary orbit, maintaining Bitcoin network security alongside terrestrial mining facilities.
Challenges: Low Latency, Legal and Equipment Lifespan
Although space mining rigs can utilize cheap electricity and eliminate cooling issues, they still face three hurdles in practical operation:
- Communication Delay: Nodes must maintain low latency with mining pools; otherwise, late block submissions will diminish returns.
- Cross-border Regulation: Who can “generate power” and “issue currency” in orbit? Current outer space treaties lack a clear framework.
- Hardware Durability: Radiation and temperature variations challenge the lifespan of ASICs and power modules, leading to high maintenance costs.
From Sci-fi to Capital Race
The author is not a space expert and cannot definitively judge whether this plan can be implemented. However, if Moran’s timeline comes to fruition, the future landscape of computing power will no longer be confined to a remote hydropower station, geothermal site, or nuclear plant on Earth, but will extend beyond it. This would be humanity’s first time entrusting the security of its monetary system to endless sunlight and the cold vacuum of space, which sounds like a rather beautiful future.
