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Lumen Orbit: The Start-Up Aiming To Transform Space Into The Next Frontier For Data Centers

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

December 19, 2024

In an industry that thrives on bold innovation, Lumen Orbit is already making waves. Launched earlier this year by three satellite engineers, the Redmond, Washington-based start-up is on a mission to revolutionize space internet through optimized satellite design.

Backed By Big-Name Investors

Venture capitalists are taking notice. This week, Lumen Orbit secured an $11 million seed round, boosting the company’s valuation to an impressive $40 million, according to TechCrunch. High-profile investors such as NFX and Soma Capital are already on board, with Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia reportedly showing interest as well. Industry insiders hint that plans for a new funding round are already in motion, signaling strong confidence in Lumen Orbit’s potential.

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A Vision For Space-Based Data Centers

So, what’s driving all this excitement? Lumen Orbit’s ambitious goal is to relocate data centers to orbiting satellites in space. This vision places the company at the heart of the “new space economy” — an emerging sector where governments and private enterprises explore the possibilities of establishing data hubs beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

One notable example of this trend is ASCEND (Advanced Space Cloud for European Data Sovereignty and Net Zero Emissions), a project spearheaded by Thales Alenia Space as part of the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programmes. The initiative aims to demonstrate the technical feasibility and environmental benefits of space-based data centers.

The Case For Space-Based Data Centers

Why send data centers to space? The rationale is compelling. On Earth, data centers require substantial amounts of land and water to maintain optimal cooling for their vast hardware systems. Space, however, offers infinite real estate and naturally low temperatures, eliminating two major resource constraints.

Solar energy would power these orbiting hubs, while batteries store excess energy to cover periods without direct sunlight. This approach has the potential to drastically reduce operational costs while making data centers more sustainable. Lumen Orbit’s satellite hubs could feasibly support both computing operations and data transmissions back to Earth.

What’s Already Up There?

While the concept may seem futuristic, some groundwork has already been laid. Projects like the Stacked Miniaturized and Radiation Tolerant Intelligent Electronics (SMARTIE) facility are early indicators of what’s possible. SMARTIE’s system uses “tiles” to achieve over 300 gigaflops of computing power per unit. These satellites, equipped with BAE Systems’ RAD750 single-board computers, process sensor data and manage artificial intelligence-related tasks in space.

These developments illustrate that the leap to space-based data centers isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem. They mark the initial steps toward a larger shift in how and where we handle large-scale computing needs.

The Cost Advantage

A key driver of Lumen Orbit’s business case is cost reduction. According to co-founder Philipp Johnston, a Harvard and Columbia graduate, shifting data centers to space could drastically lower operational expenses. “Instead of paying $140 million for electricity, you can pay $10 million for a launch and solar,” Johnston explained.

Johnston’s co-founders also bring impressive credentials to the table. Chief Technology Officer Ezra Fielden previously worked at Airbus and contributed to NASA’s research efforts. Adi Oltean, another co-founder, was a principal software engineer at SpaceX, where he worked on Starlink’s cutting-edge satellite internet technology. Together, the trio’s combined expertise provides Lumen Orbit with a formidable foundation for success.

The Road Ahead

Though the concept of space-based data centers may sound like the stuff of science fiction, the business logic is undeniable. As demand for efficient and sustainable data processing grows, Lumen Orbit’s proposal to leverage space as a new frontier for data operations is attracting investors and sparking industry-wide interest.

With deep-pocketed backers and a bold vision, Lumen Orbit is well-positioned to capitalize on a burgeoning trend. If successful, the company’s satellites could usher in a new era of data management, bringing faster speeds, lower costs, and greener solutions to an increasingly data-driven world.

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Europe’s Deadly Summer Heat Exposed The Cost Of A Warming Continent

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 23, 2026

Europe experienced its deadliest summer for heat-related deaths on record in 2026, with an estimated 24,400 excess deaths linked to extreme temperatures across 30 countries. Researchers estimate that human-induced climate change was responsible for around 32,000 of the deaths attributed to heat in the study’s broader analysis, accounting for 65% of the total.

The findings highlight the growing public-health consequences of global warming, largely driven by fossil fuel use, as extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe.

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A Summer Of Dangerous Heat

Between June and August, heatwaves pushed temperatures in Western Europe to an average of 2.9°C above the 1991–2020 norm, with some days reaching 12°C above average. Nearly a third of estimated heat-related deaths occurred during a particularly intense heatwave between 17 June and 1 July.

“These numbers are a stark reminder that our hotter, more extreme summers are having an increasingly severe impact on public health,” said Dr Clair Barnes, a researcher at Imperial College London and co-author of the study.

The estimated toll exceeded previous peaks of around 29,000 deaths in summer 2022 and 28,000 in 2003 across the region studied.

How Researchers Estimated The Toll

Researchers modelled the relationship between temperature and mortality across 854 urban areas in the EU, UK, Norway and Switzerland, covering around 40% of the population in the 30 countries studied.

The analysis incorporated temperature records, age, socioeconomic conditions, environmental factors and access to healthcare. By comparing actual temperatures with those expected without human-induced warming, the team estimated the additional deaths attributable to climate change.

Final official mortality figures for summer 2026 are not yet available in many countries, and heat-related deaths are often underreported because their effects can be difficult to identify directly.

Older People Face The Greatest Risk

People aged 85 and over accounted for roughly half of the estimated deaths. However, the impact extended across age groups, with around 800 excess deaths among adults aged 20–44 and approximately 6,000 among people under 65.

Southern Europe experienced the highest mortality burden, reflecting hotter temperatures and other vulnerabilities, including air pollution, limited green space and unequal access to healthcare and heat-alert systems.

Italy, France And Spain Record Highest Toll

Italy recorded an estimated 13,303 heat-related excess deaths, followed by France with 7,268 and Spain with 6,824. Germany recorded around 6,340, while the UK saw an estimated 4,354 deaths.

In the UK, the heat also placed significant pressure on healthcare services. Andrew Hartle, Professor of Practice of Anaesthesia at Imperial College Healthcare, said demand during the summer resembled that of a severe winter virus season.

Cities Urged To Strengthen Heat Protection

Researchers say cities can reduce the risks through climate shelters, external shading and building retrofits, alongside measures to help residents avoid exposure during the hottest hours. Checking on vulnerable people, staying hydrated and following heat alerts are also important.

The researchers stress that adaptation must go hand in hand with reducing fossil fuel use to limit further warming. The findings underline that extreme heat is already a major public-health threat across Europe, with thousands of lives at risk each summer.