US firm's space-based power grid to challenge China’s data center push

Aetherflux, a US-based space solar power company, plans to build a constellation of modular solar energy-harvesting satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) to address the massive and growing energy demands of AI data centers. Unlike traditional concepts that rely on large arrays in geostationary orbit for continuous sunlight, Aetherflux’s approach uses smaller satellites in LEO, transmitting energy via infrared lasers. The company’s new “Galactic Brain” project aims to launch the first orbital data center node by early 2027, seeking to overcome the energy-intensive cooling challenges faced by Earth-based data centers and to provide scalable compute capacity essential for advancing artificial general intelligence. Aetherflux enters a competitive field where other major players, including SpaceX and Relativity Space (led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt), are also pursuing orbital data centers. SpaceX plans to leverage its Starlink satellite infrastructure for this purpose, while Aetherflux emphasizes its role in helping the US compete with China’s growing space