# Lonestar Data Holdings: orbital data center program

> United States (United States), startup. Stage 4 of 7: Payload demo flown. Its Freedom storage payload flew on Intuitive Machines IM-2, launched 2025-02-26; the lander tipped over after landing.

- Canonical page: https://spacenexus.us/orbital-data-centers/lonestar-data-holdings
- This Markdown version: https://spacenexus.us/orbital-data-centers/lonestar-data-holdings.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

- Its Freedom storage payload flew on Intuitive Machines IM-2, launched 2025-02-26; the lander tipped over after landing. Sources: [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lunar-data-center-achieves-first-success-en-route-to-the-moon-302392544.html)

## Key figures

- Freedom storage: 8 TB. Sources: [Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/phison-and-lonestar-launched-cornerstone-of-lunar-data-center-into-space-last-night-lands-on-the-moon-in-early-march)
- Sidus agreement value (preliminary): $120M. Sources: [Sidus Space](https://sidusspace.com/2025/04/02/sidus-space-signs-extended-and-amended-preliminary-120m-agreement-with-lonestar-for-lunar-data-storage-spacecraft/)

## Approach

- Orbit: Lunar surface demos (IM-1, IM-2); next a hosted payload in LEO on Sidus LizzieSat-4; long-term Earth-Moon L1
- Architecture: Storage-first: off-planet sovereign data storage and disaster recovery (StarVault) with edge processing, starting as hosted payloads
- Power: Host-provided
- Cooling: Host-provided (not disclosed)
- Compute: Freedom (IM-2): a Microchip RISC-V processor with 8 TB of storage, built by Spacebilt (then Skycorp)
- Customers: State of Florida, Isle of Man government, Valkyrie AI and others named over time; governments and financial institutions targeted

## Milestones

| Date | Status | Confidence | Milestone | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2021-12-17 | achieved | Reported | First software-defined payload test on the ISS. Ran an Ubuntu VM on an existing ISS server. | [Satellite Evolution](https://www.satelliteevolution.com/post/lonestar-brings-the-edge-of-the-cloud-to-space-via-software-defined-payload-at-the-iss) |
| 2023-03-06 | achieved | Confirmed | $5M seed. Led by Scout Ventures. | [The Register](https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/07/lonestar_secures_funding_for_lunar/); [SpaceNews](https://spacenews.com/lonestar-raises-5-million-for-lunar-data-centers/); [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lonestar-data-holdings-inc-successfully-completes-5m-in-oversubscribed-seed-financing-301762600.html) |
| 2023-03-07 | achieved | Confirmed | IM-2 lunar data center payload promised for October 2023. It launched on IM-2 on 2025-02-26, about 16 months later; the host lander set the date. | [The Register](https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/07/lonestar_secures_funding_for_lunar/) |
| 2024-02-22 | achieved | Company claim | Independence payload: data storage test from the lunar surface (IM-1). Launched 2024-02-15 on Odysseus; store-and-return test after landing. | [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lonestar-data-holdings-independence-payload-makes-history-with-successful-test-of-data-storage-concept-from-the-surface-of-the-moon-302074489.html) |
| 2025-02-26 | achieved | Confirmed | Freedom payload launched on IM-2 Athena. 8 TB storage payload on Falcon 9. | [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lunar-data-center-achieves-first-success-en-route-to-the-moon-302392544.html); [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IM-2) |
| 2025-03-05 | achieved | Company claim | In-transit storage and edge-processing tests completed. Company says tests ran en route to the Moon. | [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lunar-data-center-achieves-first-success-en-route-to-the-moon-302392544.html) |
| 2025-03-06 | failed | Confirmed | Athena landed on its side; lander operations ended less than 13 hours after landing. Lonestar said its payload was intact; no surface data operations confirmed. | [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IM-2); [FOX 13 Tampa Bay](https://www.fox13news.com/news/lunar-data-center-intact-despite-lunar-landers-botched-landing-st-pete-company-says) |
| 2025-04-02 | achieved | Confirmed | Sidus Space preliminary agreement, about $120M, for six lunar data storage spacecraft. Preliminary agreement, not a firm order. | [Sidus Space](https://sidusspace.com/2025/04/02/sidus-space-signs-extended-and-amended-preliminary-120m-agreement-with-lonestar-for-lunar-data-storage-spacecraft/) |
| 2026-01-14 | achieved | Reported | $6.6M seed-plus round; Stephen Eisele named CEO. Founder Chris Stott became executive chairman. | [DatacenterDynamics](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/lunar-data-center-firm-lonestar-data-raises-66m-swaps-ceo/); [St. Pete Innovation District](https://stpeteinnovationdistrict.com/blog/lonestar-shines-again) |
| 2026-04-15 | achieved | Company claim | StarVault storage service announced; second Sidus payload ordered. First payload then set for October 2026 on LizzieSat-4. | [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lonestar-announces-starvault-the-worlds-first-commercial-space-based-data-storage-service-and-expansion-of-its-orbital-data-center-with-sidus-space-302742619.html); [Via Satellite](https://www.satellitetoday.com/technology/2026/04/15/lonestar-expands-launch-plans-for-orbital-data-storage-payload/) |
| 2026-05-11 | achieved | Confirmed | NASA Ames Space Act Agreement. Framework for lunar storage, off-world compute and spectrum; no funds disclosed. | [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lonestar-signs-nasa-space-act-agreement-to-advance-space-based-super-compute-data-storage-and-spectrum-for-resilient-space-infrastructure-302767759.html) |
| 2026-09-28 | slipped | Confirmed | LizzieSat-4 (carrying the first StarVault payload) moved to NET April 2027. Sidus moved LS-4 to SpaceX Bandwagon-6. | [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sidus-space-to-launch-lizziesat-4-and-lizziesat-5-together-on-spacex-bandwagon-6-302891457.html) |

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

- NET April 2027: First StarVault storage payload on Sidus LizzieSat-4 (Bandwagon-6). Sources: [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sidus-space-to-launch-lizziesat-4-and-lizziesat-5-together-on-spacex-bandwagon-6-302891457.html)
  - Slipped from October 2026 to NET April 2027. Source: [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sidus-space-to-launch-lizziesat-4-and-lizziesat-5-together-on-spacex-bandwagon-6-302891457.html)
- 2027: Second StarVault payload. Sources: [Lonestar](https://lonestar.space/press-releases/starvault-the-world-s-first-commercial-data-storage-service-from-space)
- 2027 (Sidus, April 2025; at risk, agreement preliminary): First multi-petabyte storage spacecraft at Earth-Moon L1. Sources: [Sidus Space](https://sidusspace.com/2025/04/02/sidus-space-signs-extended-and-amended-preliminary-120m-agreement-with-lonestar-for-lunar-data-storage-spacecraft/)

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

Whether LizzieSat-4 launches with the first StarVault payload in or after April 2027.

## Funding

Counted in the tracker's verified total: $5M.

- 6 Mar 2023: Seed, $5M. Sources: [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lonestar-data-holdings-inc-successfully-completes-5m-in-oversubscribed-seed-financing-301762600.html); [SpaceNews](https://spacenews.com/lonestar-raises-5-million-for-lunar-data-centers/)
- 18 Oct 2023: Pre-Series A, $825K (not verified to our standard). single source. Sources: [DatacenterDynamics](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/lunar-data-center-company-lonestar-data-raises-825000/)
- 14 Jan 2026: Seed-plus, $6.6M (not verified to our standard). second source is a local innovation-district blog; kept out of the core total. Sources: [DatacenterDynamics](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/lunar-data-center-firm-lonestar-data-raises-66m-swaps-ceo/); [St. Pete Innovation District](https://stpeteinnovationdistrict.com/blog/lonestar-shines-again)

## Cautions

- "World's first commercial space-based data storage service" is marketing for a service whose first payload has not launched.
- "Intact" after IM-2 is the company's statement; no surface data operations were confirmed.
- The $120M Sidus figure is a preliminary agreement, not a firm order.

## People

- Stephen Eisele (CEO since January 2026)
- Chris Stott (founder, executive chairman)
- Jose Hernandez (board)

## Sources

- [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lunar-data-center-achieves-first-success-en-route-to-the-moon-302392544.html)
- [Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/phison-and-lonestar-launched-cornerstone-of-lunar-data-center-into-space-last-night-lands-on-the-moon-in-early-march)
- [Sidus Space](https://sidusspace.com/2025/04/02/sidus-space-signs-extended-and-amended-preliminary-120m-agreement-with-lonestar-for-lunar-data-storage-spacecraft/)
- [Satellite Evolution](https://www.satelliteevolution.com/post/lonestar-brings-the-edge-of-the-cloud-to-space-via-software-defined-payload-at-the-iss)
- [The Register](https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/07/lonestar_secures_funding_for_lunar/)
- [SpaceNews](https://spacenews.com/lonestar-raises-5-million-for-lunar-data-centers/)
- [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lonestar-data-holdings-inc-successfully-completes-5m-in-oversubscribed-seed-financing-301762600.html)
- [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lonestar-data-holdings-independence-payload-makes-history-with-successful-test-of-data-storage-concept-from-the-surface-of-the-moon-302074489.html)
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IM-2)
- [FOX 13 Tampa Bay](https://www.fox13news.com/news/lunar-data-center-intact-despite-lunar-landers-botched-landing-st-pete-company-says)
- [DatacenterDynamics](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/lunar-data-center-firm-lonestar-data-raises-66m-swaps-ceo/)
- [St. Pete Innovation District](https://stpeteinnovationdistrict.com/blog/lonestar-shines-again)
- [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lonestar-announces-starvault-the-worlds-first-commercial-space-based-data-storage-service-and-expansion-of-its-orbital-data-center-with-sidus-space-302742619.html)
- [Via Satellite](https://www.satellitetoday.com/technology/2026/04/15/lonestar-expands-launch-plans-for-orbital-data-storage-payload/)
- [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lonestar-signs-nasa-space-act-agreement-to-advance-space-based-super-compute-data-storage-and-spectrum-for-resilient-space-infrastructure-302767759.html)
- [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sidus-space-to-launch-lizziesat-4-and-lizziesat-5-together-on-spacex-bandwagon-6-302891457.html)
- [Lonestar](https://lonestar.space/press-releases/starvault-the-world-s-first-commercial-data-storage-service-from-space)
- [DatacenterDynamics](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/lunar-data-center-company-lonestar-data-raises-825000/)

## Licence and credits

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