Join the Center for a New American Security for a virtual panel on Wednesday, September 9, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. ET to discuss the technical and policy challenges to making orbital data centers a viable alternative to America’s increasingly constrained terrestrial AI buildout—from designing lightweight, energy efficient radiators and mass-producing cost-effective launch vehicles to expanding space launch infrastructure and creating faster licensing processes.  

Orbital data centers have risen as an attractive, space-based option for deploying the growing volume of advanced chips powering America’s frontier artificial intelligence (AI) models. Traveling in low Earth orbit and receiving near-continuous solar power, tight constellations of chip-bearing satellites could potentially offer scalable computational power without the site and energy constraints facing terrestrial data centers. Large AI and space companies are making substantial investments in orbital data center projects, and several others are positioning themselves to meet related supply chain demands across space-hardened semiconductors, satellites, and launch vehicles. However, technical challenges, physical and operational constraints on space launch infrastructure, and regulatory hurdles impact the viability and realistic timelines for orbital data centers to meaningfully contribute to America’s AI buildout.