Space Is the Next Frontier—For Data Centers
Imagine this: a data center, not in a warehouse or underground bunker, but orbiting Earth, powered by the sun and shielded from the chaos of terrestrial threats. What once sounded like science fiction is fast becoming reality. According to a recent Communications of the ACM article, data centers are going to space—and the potential benefits are out of this world.
The Power Play: Solar Energy at Scale
Energy efficiency is a primary driver behind this shift. Solar energy harvested in space is about 40% more efficient than on Earth, thanks to the absence of atmospheric interference. And because space-based systems don’t rely on water-intensive cooling, they sidestep one of the most environmentally costly aspects of traditional data centers.
Even more compelling? The cost of running these orbital servers could plummet to $0.001 per kilowatt-hour—a stark contrast to the $0.05 per kWh we pay on Earth today.
Going Green in Orbit
Conventional data centers contribute heavily to global emissions, especially through their cooling processes. But even accounting for the emissions from rocket launches, space-based facilities could emit up to ten times less greenhouse gas. With zero water usage and fully solar-powered operations, they offer a radically more sustainable approach to handling our ever-growing data needs.
Cybersecurity at Escape Velocity
Beyond energy and sustainability, space-based data centers provide a new layer of security and resilience. By physically distancing data from Earth-bound threats—cyberattacks, natural disasters, and geopolitical instability—these off-world servers enhance data sovereignty and reduce risk. They’re also immune to local outages and are expected to offer tighter compliance for cross-border data regulations.
Pioneers Already Making Moves
This isn’t just theoretical. Several companies are already testing the waters (or vacuum, in this case):
- Lonestar Data Holdings is piloting storage systems aboard the International Space Station and plans to launch a lunar-orbiting data center by 2027.
- Starcloud is prepping a 2025 launch of a satellite that will boast onboard GPU capabilities exceeding any current spacecraft.
The Challenges Are Real—but Surmountable
Of course, sending data centers to orbit isn’t cheap. Launch costs range from $7.5 million to $67 million per mission. And let’s not forget the technical hurdles: managing heat in a vacuum, shielding against space debris, and overcoming latency issues for real-time applications.
Yet, as launch prices fall and technology advances, these barriers are becoming less daunting.
Final Thoughts
As our digital world grows exponentially, the infrastructure supporting it must evolve. Space-based data centers may soon offer a solution that’s not only cleaner and more efficient but also more secure. With companies already proving the concept and eyes set on the stars, the question isn’t if space will host our data—but when.
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Article derived from: Fisher, L. (2025, May 14). Datacenters Go to Space. Communications of the ACM. https://cacm.acm.org/news/datacenters-go-to-space/
