T+331: Checking in on K2 (with Neel Kunjur, Co-Founder and CTO)

K2 Space, co-founded by Neel Kunjur and his brother, has successfully launched its 20-kilowatt satellite Gravitas into orbit—marking a pivotal moment in their journey from contrarian visionaries to a proven player in the space industry. Despite the hype around Starship and orbital data centers, K2 has built a resilient business model not dependent on future launch vehicles or cost reductions, instead focusing on Falcon 9 while preparing for the next generation of 100-kilowatt 'Giga' class satellites. Kunjur argues that the true 'Moore’s Law of space' isn’t miniaturization, but scaling up—more mass, more power, more capability—because physics demands it. He dismantles the myth that you can incrementally scale from small to large satellites, explaining that high-power systems introduce intractable challenges in thermal management, arcing, and structural dynamics that only emerge at scale. K2’s strategy is to learn those hard lessons early by starting at 20kW, not 2kW, and using their operational satellites as testbeds for future tech. With major contracts from commercial and national security clients, including a partnership with SES on the Miosphere constellation and Anderil on Golden Dome, K2 is building a vertically integrated, power-optimized platform that’s uniquely positioned to lead the orbital data center revolution—without waiting for others to prove it’s possible.