New Delhi: Sam Altman has dismissed the feasibility of orbital data centres, calling the concept “ridiculous” under current technological and economic conditions, even as Elon Musk and Sundar Pichai explore space-based infrastructure to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.
Altman Questions Practicality of Space-Based Data Centres
Speaking during his visit to New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Altman said deploying data centres in orbit is not viable at scale in the near future. He cited high launch costs and maintenance challenges, particularly the difficulty of repairing hardware in space.
“Putting data centres in space with the current landscape is ridiculous,” Altman said, adding that orbital data centres are unlikely to play a meaningful role this decade due to economic and technical constraints.
Altman’s remarks highlight ongoing debates within the technology industry over how to support AI’s rapidly expanding infrastructure requirements.
Musk Pushes Vision of AI Infrastructure in Space
Musk, who leads space exploration company SpaceX, has strongly advocated for orbital data centres, arguing they could eventually become the most cost-efficient solution for powering AI systems.
Speaking earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Musk said space would soon become the lowest-cost location for AI computing infrastructure, possibly within two to three years. He has also suggested that Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots could one day assist in maintaining such orbital facilities.
According to reports, Musk believes integrating AI and space technologies could accelerate the deployment of scalable computing infrastructure beyond Earth.
Google Plans Experimental Launch by 2027
Meanwhile, Google is also pursuing the concept as part of its long-term innovation strategy. Pichai described orbital data centres as a “moonshot” project aimed at harnessing solar energy more efficiently in space.
Google plans to launch small experimental machine racks aboard satellites starting in 2027, marking the company’s first step toward testing the feasibility of space-based computing. The initiative, reportedly known internally as Project Suncatcher, is expected to begin with limited testing before potential expansion.
Pichai said that although the idea may seem futuristic today, space-based data infrastructure could become more common within the next decade.
Driven by AI’s Massive Energy Demands
The growing interest in orbital data centres reflects concerns about the enormous energy consumption required to power AI systems on Earth. Space-based infrastructure could potentially access uninterrupted solar energy while reducing environmental and land-use pressures associated with terrestrial data centres.
However, experts remain divided on the timeline, with some viewing orbital computing as a distant possibility and others considering it a transformative future solution for AI development.
