'A decade or so away, well be viewing it as a more normal way to build data centers': Google and SpaceX are reportedly in talks to build data centers in orbit

Date:
Wed, 13 May 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Description:
There's more movement on the data-centers-in-space front, as Google and
SpaceX are apparently teaming up.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Google and SpaceX are
reportedly in talks over data centers in orbit It's the infrastructure that many big tech companies are investing in However, there are concerns over how feasible the technology actually is There's a lot of effort and money going into plans to put data centers in space mostly to meet the growing demands
of AI processing and Google and SpaceX are now reportedly in talks to
clutter up Earth's orbit even further.

As per The Wall Street Journal and "people familiar with the discussions", talks are underway between the two giant tech companies. Google would provide the data centers, and SpaceX would provide the rockets to get them where they need to be. There's not a lot of other detail here, although the report says Google is discussing its options with "other rocket-launch companies". It's a sensitive time for SpaceX, with an IPO expected in just a few months, and deals like this would certainly do no harm as far as the company's valuation goes. Latest Videos From You may like SpaceX warns investors that orbital AI data centers may not be commercially viable Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins 'absolutely' wants to put data centers in space Big Tech eyes orbital data centers for "near continuous" solar power

It's also worth noting that Google owns 6.1% of SpaceX. Google has made no secret of its plans to put data centers up in space: "There's no doubt to me that a decade or so away, we'll be viewing it as a more normal way to build data centers," Google CEO Sundar Pichai told Fox News in an interview last November. But can it work? Google has already spoken about data centers in space (Image credit: Getty Images) Given that so many big companies are investing in this technology, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it's all ready to go but that's not quite the case.

As it stands, the tech isn't currently available due to various engineering challenges, and people like OpenAI's Sam Altman don't think this is a
feasible idea in the short-term.

On the plus side: there's a lot of room up in space (though not quite as much as there used to be), and a lot of power , thanks to the constant
availability of solar energy. It wouldn't be necessary to disrupt neighborhoods or overload power grids every time a giant new data center needed to be built. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
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However, this is also incredibly costly and incredibly difficult from a technical perspective. Current data center technology isn't built to
withstand the extremes of space, and there's also the question of how repairs can be carried out in orbit.

For those who fully believe in the future of the technology, those problems can be overcome given time, funding, and further research. However, it's
going to be a while before we see this working at scale. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/a-decade-or-so-away-well-be-viewing-it-as- a-more-normal-way-to-build-data-centers-google-and-spacex-are-reportedly-in-ta lks-to-build-data-centers-in-orbit


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