tech
April 3, 2026
Space Data Centres: SpaceX and Blue Origin Race to Orbit While Scientists Question the Physics
The pitch is seductive in its simplicity: AI needs more power than terrestrial grids can supply, so move the data centres into orbit, where the sun never sets and the electricity is free. SpaceX, Blue Origin, and a growing constellation of startups are now racing to make that vision real. The problem, according to the scientists and engineers who would have to make the physics work, is that the vision skips several chapters of thermodynamics, economics, and orbital mechanics that have not yet been written.
TL;DR
- SpaceX and Blue Origin are proposing large satellite constellations for orbital data centers to power AI.
- Startups like Starcloud and Aethero are also raising significant funding for similar ventures.
- The primary drivers for orbital data centers are the growing electricity demands of terrestrial data centers and AI.
- Scientists point to major challenges in heat dissipation, radiation, latency, and cost as significant obstacles.
- Orbital data centers are currently not economically competitive with terrestrial facilities due to high launch costs.
- Astronomers are concerned about the impact of mega-constellations on the night sky and orbital environment.
- While not impossible in the long term, orbital data centers are unlikely to be a near-term solution to current power demands.
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