Caltech, Sophia Space Patent Cooling System for Orbital A.I. Data Centers by Early 2030s
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 30
Caltech, Sophia Space Patent Cooling System for Orbital A.I. Data Centers by Early 2030s
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 30
Summary
Caltech and Sophia Space said they received a patent for a cooling system aimed at making orbital A.I. data centers viable, with launches targeted for the early 2030s.
Cooling has been a central obstacle because space-based computing would need to handle energy-hungry chips continuously while relying on 24-hour solar power in orbit.
The patent adds momentum to a broader push for space-based computing and solar power, with Elon Musk floating about 1 million data-center satellites and companies including Google and Blue Origin pursuing related concepts.
The idea is gaining attention as backlash grows over the electricity and water demands of terrestrial A.I. data centers, though researchers say large-scale orbital systems remain years from deployment.