Space-based data centers may be too expensive for business

The rapid growth of AI and cloud services is forcing companies to seek new energy sources for data centers (DCs). In recent years, the idea of creating orbital data centers powered by solar energy has gained popularity. However, a new study by Vyacheslav Turyshev, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, shows a massive engineering gap between this attractive concept and commercial reality. This is reported by Ixbt.com .

The study created a mathematical model analyzing the cost and efficiency competitiveness of orbital centers against terrestrial facilities. It accounted for equipment mass, energy consumption, communication with Earth, radiation exposure, and satellite lifespan. Estimates suggest that by 2028, all global data centers will consume between 325 and 580 TWh of electricity annually, fueling interest in space-based computing.

Although orbit offers constant sunlight, the laws of physics negate these advantages. The biggest problem is the cooling system. While servers on Earth are cooled by air or liquid, there is no convection in a vacuum. The only way to dissipate excess heat is through massive radiators radiating energy into space. For example, a 1 MW computing node would require approximately 5,600 square meters of solar panels and 2,500 square meters of radiators.

Economic calculations are even more complex. For an orbital data center to compete with terrestrial facilities, the total cost of manufacturing and launching it must be between $250 and $1,000 per kilogram. Current commercial flights are significantly more expensive, even excluding the cost of the equipment itself. Therefore, space-based cloud platforms remain purely theoretical for now.