Space-based data center
 | This article possibly contains original research. (December 2025) |
Design of a sun-synchronous orbit data center, they would orbit above the dawn / dusk transition of the planet.
Sun-synchronous orbit animation of AI supercomputing satellites
Space-based data centers or orbital AI infrastructure are proposed concepts to build AI data centers in the sun-synchronous orbit or other orbits utilizing space-based solar power. Electric power has become the main bottleneck for terrestrial AI infrastructure.[1][2] Building AI data centers in space off-the-grid could become cost competitive with advancements in reusable rockets.[3][4]
Advantages
[edit]- Constant sunlight in the sun-synchronous orbit
- Solar irradiance is 36% higher in Earth orbit than on the surface[5]
- No weather storms or clouds
- No property tax or land-use regulation
- Saves space for other land use
- Ample space for scalability
- Won't strain the power grid
- Radiative cooling in space reduces energy needed for thermal control
Disadvantages
[edit]- High launch costs
- Solar hardware and computer hardware must survive launch, space assembly, radiation, microgravity, and orbital debris.
- Kessler syndrome – runaway space debris
- Maintenance and repair are difficult
- Latency and bandwidth constrained
- Limited life span of solar panels and electronics[6]
- Satellite flares could inhibit ground-based and space-based observational astronomy[7]
Size and power generated
[edit]It would take ~1 square mile solar array in earth orbit to produce 1 gigawatt of power at 30% cell efficiency.[8]
Companies pursuing space-based AI infrastructure
[edit]- Aetherflux[9]
- Blue Origin[10]
- Google – Project Suncatcher[11]
- Nvidia[12]
- OpenAI[13][14]
- SpaceX[15]
- Starcloud[16]
See also
[edit]- Interplanetary Internet
- Laser communication in space, microwave transmission, and communications satellite.
- Space launch market
- Space Network and Near Earth Network
- Solar cell research and solar-cell efficiency
- Solar panels on spacecraft
- Stargate
- Starlink
References
[edit]- ^ Phillips, Stephen Lacey, Nicola (May 22, 2024). "Energy is now the 'primary bottleneck' for AI".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ McGeady, Cy; Majkut, Joseph; Harithas, Barath; Smith, Karl (March 3, 2025). "The Electricity Supply Bottleneck on U.S. AI Dominance" – via www.csis.org.
- ^ "Exploring a space-based, scalable AI infrastructure system design". research.google.
- ^ Rogelberg, Sasha. "Google CEO Sundar Pichai says we're just a decade away from a new normal of extraterrestrial data centers". Fortune.
- ^ "Are solar panels more efficient in space?". August 28, 2024.
- ^ Staff, TechRepublic (December 11, 2025). "Tech Billionaires Race to Build AI Data Centers in Space".
- ^ Borlaff, Alejandro S.; Marcum, Pamela M.; Howell, Steve B. (December 12, 2025). "Satellite megaconstellations will threaten space-based astronomy". Nature. 648 (8092): 51–57. Bibcode:2025Natur.648...51B. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09759-5. PMC 12675296. PMID 41339506.
- ^ "The Space Review: US terrestrial non-fossil fuel energy vs. space solar power". thespacereview.com.
- ^ Calma, Justine (December 10, 2025). "The scramble to launch data centers into space is heating up". The Verge.
- ^ Peterson, Micah Maidenberg and Becky (December 10, 2025). "Exclusive | Bezos and Musk Race to Bring Data Centers to Space". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ https://www.forbes.com/sites/anishasircar/2025/11/11/google-unveils-project-suncatcher-to-run-ai-on-solar-satellites-in-orbit/[bare URL]
- ^ "NVIDIA's H100 GPU Takes AI Processing to Space - IEEE Spectrum". spectrum.ieee.org.
- ^ Weidner, Noah (December 11, 2025). "Billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Sam Altman have a crazy new idea for outer space". TheStreet.
- ^ Bussey, Emma (December 4, 2025). "Sam Altman eyes rocket company to take on Elon Musk in space race". FOXBusiness.
- ^ "SpaceX and In - flight Data Center: Could This Be Elon Musk's Next Big AI Story?". eu.36kr.com.
- ^ Singh, Pia (December 10, 2025). "'Greetings, earthlings': Nvidia-backed Starcloud trains first AI model in space as orbital data center race heats up". CNBC.