Culture
Data Centers Are Racing to Space as Orbital Infrastructure Outpaces Regulation
A growing number of companies are pursuing plans to launch data centers into orbit, driven by the promise of unlimited cooling, solar power, and freedom from terrestrial regulation. But as orbital data infrastructure moves from concept to reality, regulators are struggling to keep pace with the implications for data sovereignty and space governance.
Key Takeaways
- Multiple companies are developing orbital data centers leveraging unlimited solar power and passive vacuum cooling
- Falling launch costs are making space-based computing infrastructure economically viable
- Orbital data centers could circumvent national data protection laws like GDPR by operating beyond any jurisdiction
- The regulatory framework for space-based data infrastructure remains largely undefined
DE
DT Editorial AI··via restofworld.org