# Amazon Web Services (orbital edge precursors): orbital data center program

> United States (United States), big tech. Stage 4 of 7: Payload demo flown. An AWS Snowcone ran ML on the ISS during Axiom Ax-1 in April 2022.

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- This Markdown version: https://spacenexus.us/orbital-data-centers/aws-orbital-edge.md
- Data as of: 2026-10-05 (last evidence review)
- How the numbers are made: https://spacenexus.us/orbital-data-centers#method

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## Stage evidence

- An AWS Snowcone ran ML on the ISS during Axiom Ax-1 in April 2022. Sources: [Axiom Space](https://www.axiomspace.com/news/snowcone)

## Approach

- Orbit: ISS; LEO
- Architecture: No Amazon orbital data center program. Precursors: AWS Snowcone on the ISS and AWS software on a D-Orbit carrier
- Power: Host-provided
- Cooling: Host-provided
- Compute: AWS Snowcone; AWS Outposts hardware planned on Starcloud-2 (Starcloud claim)
- Customers: Not applicable

## Milestones

| Date | Status | Confidence | Milestone | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2022-01 | achieved | Confirmed | AWS edge software runs on a D-Orbit ION carrier with a Unibap computer. 42% image size reduction reported. | [Edge Industry Review](https://www.edgeir.com/aws-d-orbit-unibap-collaborate-to-bring-edge-computing-to-space-20221201) |
| 2022-04-08 | achieved | Confirmed | AWS Snowcone runs ML object detection on the ISS (Ax-1) | [Axiom Space](https://www.axiomspace.com/news/snowcone); [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/23/aws-sent-a-snowcone-to-space/) |
| 2026-02 | achieved | Company claim | Starcloud says it will fly AWS Outposts hardware on Starcloud-2. Starcloud CEO statement; no AWS statement found. | [DatacenterDynamics](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/starcloud-to-launch-aws-outposts-hardware-in-space-aims-to-deploy-fleet-of-88000-satellites/) |

## Announced next steps (as the organisation stated them)

No dated next step announced.

## What to watch (SpaceNexus note, not a prediction)

Whether AWS itself confirms the Outposts flight on Starcloud-2.

## Cautions

- No AWS or Amazon statement on orbital data centers found.

## Sources

- [Axiom Space](https://www.axiomspace.com/news/snowcone)
- [Edge Industry Review](https://www.edgeir.com/aws-d-orbit-unibap-collaborate-to-bring-edge-computing-to-space-20221201)
- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/23/aws-sent-a-snowcone-to-space/)
- [DatacenterDynamics](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/starcloud-to-launch-aws-outposts-hardware-in-space-aims-to-deploy-fleet-of-88000-satellites/)

## Licence and credits

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