tech
December 18, 2025
Billionaires want data centers everywhere, including space
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TL;DR
- Tech billionaires and AI companies are increasingly interested in space-based data centers due to the high power demands of AI and the environmental impact of Earth-based data centers.
- Companies are developing satellites with solar panels to house data centers in orbit, theorizing unlimited solar power access.
- Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Eric Schmidt are expanding their companies' focus to include space data centers, with startups like Aetherflux and partnerships like Nvidia's with Starcloud emerging.
- Scientists like astronomer Jonathan McDowell express skepticism, highlighting the high cost of space launches and the potential for increased space debris.
- Google's Project Suncatcher aims for a cluster of 81 satellites in low Earth orbit, connected by lasers, to function as a data center.
- Experts like Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti and Jonathan McDowell warn of collision risks from space debris due to the close proximity of proposed satellite clusters.
- Concerns also exist regarding heat dissipation in a vacuum and potential light pollution from reflective surfaces interfering with astronomical research.
- Despite concerns, companies like Google and Starcloud plan launches in the coming years, indicating continued investment in the concept.
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