“AI Infrastructure Expansion vs. Environmental Preservation Clash” The Promise and Perils of Space-Based Data Centers, Breaking Corporate Dominance as the Key

Debate over night sky degradation intensifies amid space data center initiatives
Coexistence of energy potential and risks including heat, collisions, and atmospheric pollution
Rising need for globally coordinated infrastructure governance

As plans to utilize low Earth orbit as a computational hub take shape, controversy surrounding the night sky is surfacing. Big Tech is positioning space-based data centers as a solution to overcome terrestrial power and cooling constraints, while the astronomical community is pushing back forcefully, citing damage to observational environments and erosion of shared human heritage. As the axis of debate shifts from technological feasibility to issues of public value and benefit distribution, the establishment of a global coordination framework is emerging as a decisive factor in determining future social acceptance.

Astronomical Community Backlash Over “Threat to Human Heritage”

According to Space.com on the 23rd (local time), leading global research institutions, including the UK’s Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO), have submitted formal objections to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding SpaceX’s “space data center project” and Reflect Orbital’s “orbital mirror deployment plan.”

In January, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated, “To fully unlock AI’s potential, energy-intensive computing infrastructure must be moved into space,” formalizing a vision for a constellation of one million space-based data center units. Reflect Orbital, founded by former SpaceX intern Ben Nowack, is pursuing a project to deploy 50,000 large mirrors, each 55 meters wide, into low Earth orbit to beam sunlight toward ground-based solar power plants.

The astronomical community warns that if millions of artificial structures occupy low Earth orbit, the visibility of the night sky—preserved over millions of years—would be fundamentally compromised. The core concern centers on artificial changes in night sky brightness. Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, stated, “If the mirrors reflect light directly, they could appear several times brighter than a full moon,” adding that “this constitutes an unacceptable destruction of a core element of human cultural heritage.” Researchers estimate that if 50,000 mirrors fill orbital space, global sky brightness could increase by up to threefold. This would effectively eliminate even remote “Dark Sky” reserves free from light pollution, making it nearly impossible to find true darkness anywhere on Earth.

Advantages in Clean Energy and Cooling Cost Reduction

The acceleration of space data center initiatives by Big Tech is driven by the potential advantages of the space environment. Google plans to launch two prototype units by early 2027, while Starcloud intends to deploy satellites equipped with Nvidia H100 GPUs (graphics processing units) to demonstrate the operation of Google’s AI models in space. Starcloud ultimately aims to build a five-gigawatt-class data center featuring massive solar panels spanning four kilometers in both width and length.

China is also moving rapidly. In May of last year, it launched 12 satellites equipped with AI computing capabilities and plans to build a system consisting of 2,800 satellites. The European Union’s ASCEND project has concluded, following research, that space data centers are feasible, targeting the launch of a 10-megawatt commercial service by 2036 and scaling up to one gigawatt by 2050. In Japan, telecommunications firm NTT and satellite company SKY Perfect JSAT have established a joint venture, “Space Compass,” to pursue integrated space computing.

The most significant advantage of space-based data centers lies in access to virtually unlimited clean energy. While terrestrial solar power generation is highly dependent on night cycles, cloud cover, and seasonal variations, solar panels in orbit beyond the atmosphere can receive uninterrupted, intense sunlight 24 hours a day. According to Google’s analysis, solar panels in space can generate power up to eight times more efficiently than those on Earth. In an era where AI data centers are often described as “electricity-hungry behemoths,” this presents a compelling solution. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that global data center electricity consumption will exceed 1,000 terawatt-hours annually this year, a figure comparable to Japan’s total annual electricity usage.

Space also eliminates the need for thousands of tons of water for cooling data centers. With temperatures approaching minus 270 degrees Celsius, space offers an extreme cryogenic environment. If effectively utilized, space itself can function as a massive cooling system. Through radiative cooling methods, substantial reductions in cooling energy consumption are possible, while also avoiding environmental issues associated with coolant discharge. Europe’s investment in the ASCEND project is likewise driven by the goal of deploying over 1,000 data center blocks in space to achieve climate neutrality. Additionally, the ability to bypass complex processes such as land acquisition, construction permits, environmental assessments, and local community consent is cited as a further advantage.

Need for Global Coordination Framework for Sustainability

Despite these advantages, significant challenges remain before space data centers can become a practical reality. Heat management stands out as the most critical obstacle. The vacuum of space can trap heat internally, functioning like a thermos. While radiating heat via infrared emission is being considered as a solution, its application has so far been limited to small-scale systems such as the International Space Station (ISS).

The growing saturation of low Earth orbit is another source of concern. SpaceX alone has launched over 9,000 satellites into low Earth orbit, while China has also deployed thousands of satellites under its own standards. Despite the vastness of space, the risk of collisions between space-based data centers and other satellites cannot be ruled out, and debris generated from such collisions presents an additional hazard.

Environmental impacts are also drawing scrutiny. Experts estimate that, considering satellite replacement cycles, one aging satellite could burn up in the atmosphere approximately every three minutes. During this process, substances such as aluminum oxide and lithium may accumulate in the upper atmosphere, raising concerns about potential damage to the ozone layer and broader climate effects. Currently, an average of about three satellites or rocket debris pieces re-enter and burn up daily, but as large-scale satellite constellations are deployed, increased launch frequencies could exacerbate atmospheric pollution. Concerns over night sky degradation fall within the same continuum of issues.

Nevertheless, global trends suggest that the commercialization of space data centers is already being treated as an inevitable future. Experts emphasize that protecting space and the Earth’s environment—both considered shared assets of humanity—requires a global coordination model. This would involve joint investment by nations and corporations to build orbital infrastructure, operated as a form of public communications network. One economist explained, “Many of the concerns surrounding space data centers stem from a business structure dominated by specific private corporations. Moving away from monopolistic approaches toward a model where governments and major companies jointly fund and build global communications infrastructure could provide a more viable solution,” adding, “If an international coordination framework is established, the legitimacy of profit-sharing structures would be strengthened, thereby enhancing social acceptance of public value.”