Orbital Launches Plan for 100,000 Space Data Centers

A startup named Orbital has submitted a filing to the Federal Communications Commission, seeking authorization to deploy as many as 100,000 data center satellites. The overarching goal of this venture is to provide 10 gigawatts of computing power from space, addressing the growing demand driven by artificial intelligence.

These planned satellites will be positioned in low Earth orbit at altitudes between 500-850 kilometers. Orbital intends to rely on optical intersatellite links with third-party satellite constellations, such as SpaceX's Starlink, for its primary data pathways. The company aims for its first purpose-built orbital compute satellite, Orbital-1, to be operational by 2028.

Orbital's CEO, Euwyn Poon, brings manufacturing and mobility industry experience to the project. He highlights the emerging market for orbital data centers, noting the need for coordination as more companies pursue similar ventures. Orbital joins other entities like Starcloud and Cowboy Space in proposing space-based data center solutions.

The company is actively developing its satellite design in Los Angeles and is exploring manufacturing partnerships. Orbital anticipates that the launch of its business will be contingent on the readiness of launch vehicles like SpaceX's Starship in the coming years.