Investor Pitch Summary
Key metrics, configuration, and investment thesis for the Centradiant Pathfinder: a 55 kW orbital compute node powered by the D3 spinning disk liquid droplet radiator.
The Thermal Unlock for Orbital Computing
Every orbital data center architecture hits the same wall: heat rejection in vacuum. Conventional panel radiators mass 25–35 kg/kW(th), making orbital compute economically impractical. Centradiant's spinning disk liquid droplet radiator achieves 4.4 kg/kW(th), 6–8× lighter than the state of the art. 48 analysis scripts validate every subsystem.
D3 Pathfinder Configuration
| Subsystem | Choice | Mass (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Power system | 145 m² triple-junction GaAs + PMAD + battery | 218.5 |
| Thermal: rotating | PCHE, 27K laser-drilled SS nozzles, dual-Ti mesh, CB-DC705 | 164.5 |
| Compute payload | 64× H100/B200, 8mm Al shielding (700km SSO) | 118.9 |
| LDR structure | 6 CFRP spokes, hub, rim collector (10m radius disk) | 74.0 |
| Structure & mechanisms | Spacecraft bus structure | 50.0 |
| Thermal: rotary joint | Galinstan thermal (no fluid seal) | 26.6 |
| ADCS & propulsion | Reaction wheels + electric prop (~50 m/s ΔV) | 18.0 |
| Avionics & comms | Ka-band data + S-band TT&C | 11.3 |
| Thermal: bus side | Cold plates, water loop | 9.5 |
| DRY MASS | 812 kg | |
| System margin (15%) | N/A | 122 |
| LAUNCH MASS | 934 kg | |
Competitive Position
| Company | Max Thermal | GPUs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centradiant | 55 kW | 64 | TRL 3–4 |
| Loft Orbital | ~2 kW | 1–2 | Flying |
| OrbitsEdge / HPE | ~4 kW | 1–4 | ISS demo |
| DARPA Blackjack | ~1 kW | 0 | Flying |
13.7× more thermal rejection than nearest competitor. Full market analysis →
Risk Summary
- Ceramic bearing (ISS SARJ)
- Solar array (iROSA)
- Spacecraft bus
- Centrifugal dynamics
- CB-DC705 fluid (STS-77 heritage)
- PCHE heat exchanger
- Disk deployment (solar sail heritage)
- Mesh capture @ We≈58
- Galinstan rotary joint
- CB-DC705 droplet formation
Investment Thesis
The Ask
$2–3M pre-seed, 18-month runway to TRL 5 ground demonstration, SBIR Phase II award, and OTA pipeline established. Covers 4 FTE ($1.2M), ground prototype ($0.4M), patent prosecution ($0.1M), SBIR cost-share ($0.3M), and working capital ($0.5M).
Competitive Moat
Provisional patent filed with 48 claims (8 independent) covering the centrifugal LDR mechanism. 48 analysis scripts validating every subsystem. First-mover advantage in thermal management for orbital compute. ITAR + spectrum rights create durable barriers.
Technical Differentiation
The spinning disk architecture achieves 934 kg launch mass, 61.7% five-year reliability, and 34.2°C Tj margin. CB-DC705 (DC-705 + 100 ppm carbon black) achieves near-unity emissivity at 377μm droplet diameter. Centrifugal collection eliminates the parasitic power and complexity of electromagnetic or electrostatic steering.