The future of artificial intelligence computing could be even stranger than science fiction. As demand for AI power grows, traditional data centers on Earth are running into limits — from land and energy shortages to local opposition over water and electricity use. Engineers and tech leaders are now exploring something that once felt impossible: putting data centers in space.

The idea is to build computing facilities that float in orbit, powered by nearly constant solar energy and free from Earth’s crowded land and resource constraints. Big names in tech are already talking about it, with plans for test launches in the next few few years. These space data centers might look like massive satellite structures covered in solar panels and packed with computing chips. In orbit, they could operate almost around the clock without clouds or weather blocking their energy source.

But it’s not guaranteed. Challenges include extremely high launch costs, the need for radiation-proof components, and cooling systems suitable for the vacuum of space. Some experts think it could take a decade or more before it becomes economically real.