Multiple companies are announcing ambitious plans for orbital data centers, with Elon Musk predicting space will be the cheapest place to run AI within 36 months. LoneStar has revealed plans for a lunar data center, while NVIDIA's Vera Rubin Space-1 project has generated significant media attention.
Despite the flurry of announcements and bold predictions, these orbital data center proposals share a critical gap: none have detailed how they plan to generate the massive amounts of electricity required. Data centers are among the most power-intensive facilities on Earth, requiring continuous, reliable energy sources to operate servers and cooling systems.