Space data centers could satiate 165% surge in AI power hunger

Researchers from NTU Singapore have proposed placing data centers in low Earth orbit (LEO) as a sustainable solution to meet the rapidly growing energy demands of AI computing. These space-based data centers would leverage the natural radiative cooling of the cold space environment and harness virtually unlimited solar energy, enabling net-zero carbon emissions. This approach addresses the challenges faced on Earth, such as high real estate costs in dense urban areas like Singapore and the significant energy and water consumption required for cooling terrestrial data centers. The team outlined two deployment strategies: orbital edge data centers, which process raw data on satellites equipped with AI accelerators to reduce transmission loads, and orbital cloud data centers, consisting of satellite constellations with servers, broadband links, solar panels, and radiative coolers to perform advanced computing tasks from space. Importantly, these concepts rely on existing launch and satellite technologies, making them feasible today. Given projections that AI-driven energy demand could surge by 165% by 2030, this innovative use of