AI data centers — in space

As resistance to massive data centers grows on Earth, companies like SpaceX and Google are exploring AI infrastructure in orbit instead

Photo by -/ESA/AFP via Getty Images

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The backlash against data centers has arrived. From New York to Florida, legislators are pushing moratoriums and new restrictions on the sprawling facilities that power the AI boom.

So some of the biggest names in tech are looking up for a fix.

SpaceX, Google $GOOGL, and a growing list of startups are racing to build data centers in orbit. The concept is real enough that Google has prototype satellites slated for launch in 2027, SpaceX has filed to deploy up to a million satellites, and a startup called Starcloud has already sent an Nvidia $NVDA H100 GPU to orbit, where it has been running AI workloads.

Even more than the lack of NIMBY issues in space, the fundamental appeal comes down to energy. Solar panels in space generate five to eight times more power than equivalent panels on the ground — no clouds, no atmosphere, no night in the right orbit. For companies facing five-to-ten-year........

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