The accelerated expansion of artificial intelligence is pushing the technology sector toward increasingly radical decisions. With terrestrial data centers consuming enormous amounts of energy, water, and physical space, some of the industry’s most powerful figures have begun advocating a solution that, until recently, seemed like science fiction: moving part of this infrastructure off the planet. The information was highlighted in a report by The Verge.

Just in 2025, at least six AI-focused data center projects emerged, each requiring multiple gigawatts of power—a level that until recently was considered exaggerated or speculative. At the same time, public pressure against traditional data centers is growing, as they are seen as operations that consume vast natural resources, generate few direct jobs, and drive up electricity costs in nearby regions. In this context, space is increasingly viewed as a strategic alternative.

Orbital infrastructure enters big tech’s radar

The proposal is ambitious: create data centers in Earth’s orbit, functioning like large satellites equipped with solar panels. The theoretical advantage is clear—space offers continuous exposure to the Sun, potentially providing constant energy for processing massive data loads, especially those required by advanced AI models.

Figures like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Eric Schmidt have recently expanded the scope of their aerospace initiatives to include such projects. Alongside them, specialized startups have also joined the race. The U.S.-based Aetherflux has publicly presented concepts, while other initiatives are emerging through strategic partnerships, such as the collaboration between Google and Planet, and Nvidia’s support of Starcloud, which launched a satellite equipped with H100 GPUs in November.

Outside the Western sphere, China has advanced a set of satellites capable of performing supercomputing directly in space. In Europe, the topic is also gaining traction, seen as an emerging technological and economic opportunity.

Among the most detailed projects is Google’s Project Suncatcher. The initiative plans to launch two experimental satellites in 2027, with expansion plans for up to 81 units in low Earth orbit, synchronized with the Sun’s position. Each satellite would use TPU chips and communicate via lasers, forming a distributed structure very different from conventional constellations.

Costs, space debris, and risks put the idea to the test

Despite corporate enthusiasm, the proposal faces resistance in the scientific community. Astronomers and environmental experts warn that the cost of launching and maintaining equipment in space remains extremely high. Furthermore, the rapid increase in the number of satellites raises the risk of collisions in orbit.

Today, more than 14,000 active satellites circle the Earth—about two-thirds belonging to the Starlink constellation. Adding large orbital data centers could turn near-Earth space into an even more congested environment.