Symphony Space is getting into the orbital data center (ODC) game.
The VA-based startup, which unveiled its hosted payload satellite in March, announced a more powerful concept today—called Adagio-XL—targeting the ODC market.
“It’s a reaction to the demand signals that we had received from others interested in working with us,” CEO Merry Walker told Payload. “They wanted to take this modularity that we’re doing for payload hosting and to focus it on the ODCs. We couldn’t use our existing infrastructure…so we sized it up.”
Electric city: Symphony is aiming to launch Adagio-XL in late 2029. While the sat has the same 1,200 kg payload capacity as Adagio, its main upgrade is generating 100 kW of power—200 kW on later iterations—a dramatic increase from Adagio’s 12 kW. The platform also includes increased radiative technology to help dissipate heat from power hungry GPU payloads.
Unlike many of the ODC companies that have emerged this year, Symphony’s platform offers the ability to replace payloads on demand. Like Adagio, Adagio-XL will come equipped with a robotic arm capable of accepting and integrating new payloads mid-flight.
For the data-center biz, which is constantly upgrading its underlying technology, Walker predicts this capability could be a game changer.
“Depreciation of data centers is very steep,” Walker said. “The chips are being upgraded all the time, and so being able to have the most recent technology on board is very important to data center operators.”
With a total expected lifetime of 15 years on orbit, Adagio-XL will be capable of fielding as many as eight GPU-generation upgrades during a single mission.
This little piggy: Symphony Space has based its space data center go-to-market strategy on conversations with terrestrial counterparts.
In May, the company signed an agreement with Catalyst Data Centers, a terrestrial data-center developer, giving Symphony access to Catalyst’s broad customer base and expertise in data-center design. The hope is that this partnership will create a shared pipeline of customers and know-how, making orbital rack-space at least as accessible as terrestrial alternatives.
Exclusive: Tilebox Launches AI-Focused Update
Tilebox announced an update today aiming to make AI agents more effective geospatial-data analysts.
Orbital Raises $5M Pre-Seed to Build ODC Constellation
Orbital’s ODC concept instead relies on a network of relatively smaller satellites, which can together handle large AI inference workloads, and remain in constant contact with the ground.
Reflex Aerospace Taps Arkadia Space for 2027 Mission
Reflex Aerospace selected Spanish startup Arkadia Space to provide a propulsion system for its satellite mission, launching in 2027.
NewOrbit Raises $18.5M to Build VLEO Spacecraft at Scale
While NewOrbit has yet to fly in any orbit, the company is targeting a first flight of its VLEO-capable NEO-1 satellite in 2028.
LA-based startup Orbital announced a $5M pre-seed funding round yesterday to bankroll a new orbital-data-center (ODC) constellation.
a16z’s startup accelerator Speedrun led the round, which also included participation from Basis Set, Human Element, Wayfinder Ventures, Antler, Anti Fund, Ascent Venture Partners, Rubik Ventures, Zero Knowledge Ventures, LYVC, Feld Ventures, New Legacy, FNDR, UpHonest Capital, and Asterisk.
Not another ODC: Orbital’s vision of in-space data centers was born in response to early ODC concepts that proposed large-scale satellites.
Keep reading