NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wants the U.S. to move artificial intelligence data centers into Earth orbit, arguing that abundant solar power could ease terrestrial energy constraints while strengthening America’s position in the space and AI races.
Isaacman Sees Orbit Easing AI Power Crunch
"Let’s take our data centers, put them in Earth orbit, take advantage of that free fusion reactor that’s out there for us and use that to ensure we do win the … space race for sure, but the AI race, too," Isaacman said on Wednesday during an interview with Nexstar DC, as per a report by The Hill. He said orbital facilities could deliver "immense benefits" without competing for the same land and grid capacity as ground-based projects.
The pressure is growing. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates data centers could consume 11.8% of U.S. electricity by 2030, with scenarios ranging from 9.5% to 15.3%. The International Energy Agency expects global data-center electricity use to roughly double from 485 terawatt-hours in 2025 to 950 TWh by 2030.
Musk Pushes Space-Based AI Compute Ambitions
