Amazon founder and executive chair Jeff Bezos said on Friday that in the next 10 to 20 years, giant data centres could be built in space. He believes that these space-based data centres, which store massive amounts of computing power, could eventually work better than those on Earth because they would get unlimited solar energy without any interruptions, Reuters reported.
Space Data Centres: The Idea
Bezos shared his prediction during a fireside chat with Ferrari and Stellantis chairman John Elkann at the Italian Tech Week in Turin.
He said the world’s need for electricity and water to run huge data centres is growing fast, driven by cloud computing and artificial intelligence, as further stated by Reuters.
Space could solve these problems. “These giant training clusters will be better built in space, because we have solar power there, 24/7.
There are no clouds, no rain, no weather,” Bezos explained. He added that in the next decade or two, the cost of running data centres in space could actually be lower than on Earth.
Opportunities & Challenges Of Setting Up Space Data Centres
Bezos sees this as the next step in using space to benefit life on Earth, after weather satellites and communication satellites. He also mentioned that space could eventually be used for other types of manufacturing.
However, building data centres in orbit won’t be easy. Space data centres face challenges like complicated maintenance, limited ability to upgrade systems, high rocket launch costs, and the risk of failed launches.
The concept is gaining interest among large tech companies because of the growing energy demands of Earth-based data centres.
With uninterrupted solar power and fewer environmental constraints, orbital data centres could eventually provide an efficient way to handle the world’s increasing computing needs.
While still a long-term idea, Bezos’ vision highlights how space might play a bigger role in technology and infrastructure beyond satellites.
For now, tech companies are focusing on how to make Earth-based operations more energy-efficient, but orbital data centres could become a reality within the next 10 to 20 years.
