Forget about cloud computing - is space computing the next big thing? Say hello to ODCs.
The ODC (Orbital Data Center) is a new type of data center that operates in Earth's orbit, designed to provide in-space data storage, processing, and AI/ML solutions for satellites and spacecraft.
Yes, this isn’t just a hypothetical anymore.
Jason Aspiotis, global director of in-space data and security, Axiom Space, writes that “we have been developing ODC capabilities since 2022 with the launch of an AWS Snowcone to the International Space Station (ISS), followed by an array of demonstrations in Earth-independent cloud solutions from the station. In 2023, we announced our initial plans for an ODC Tranche 1 on Axiom Station, and in March, we shared news of the launch of a prototype data processing unit – AxDCU-1.”
In April of this year, Axiom announced the upcoming launch of its first two Orbital Data Center (ODC) nodes to low-Earth orbit (LEO), by the end of this year.
The idea of ODCs is something that I talked to one of my friends, Anush Devkar, about quite some time ago, and I admit, I was a bit dismissive of the idea at first.
But from a thermal perspective, I recall discussing the idea from the lens of a thermal engineer—space offers a prime environment for redistribution of energy and in-built cooling, crucial for maintaining the reliability of computers in these centers.
Cooling is actually a real problem for ODCs.
By some estimates published by the NREC, “data center energy demands are projected to consume as much as 9% of US annual electricity generation by the year 2030” such that around 40% of “data center total annual energy consumption is related to the cooling systems, which can also use a great deal of water.” These energy costs will only balloon further in the advent of prompt-based general intelligence and future artificial intelligence, so perhaps ODCs could be the solution?
Axiom Space cites a few potential use cases for ODCs, including:
On-orbit and real-time processing, exploitation, and dissemination (PED) of data from multiple national security and commercial satellites
Lower-latency multi-sensor fusion for terrestrial or Space threat detection and tracking
AI/ML and Large Language Models (LLM) to enable real-time and autonomous or semi-autonomous decision making for satellites and other space assets
Earth-independent endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities to enhance the cyber security of the thousands of national security, commercial, and civil space assets
But with these come major drawbacks.
The cost of launch might still be prohibitively high for data centers right now. Estimates from the SDC place the average yearly cost to operate a large data center ranges from $10 million to $25 million.
Most 42U server racks have a static weight capacity of 2,000 to 3,000 pounds (including the weight of the rack itself), and the estimated cost of bringing such a payload aboard a SpaceX falcon 9 would incur a little over a minimum $5.5 million alone spread across several launches, given their calculator. These rough cost estimates don’t include costs of regular operation and maintenance which may balloon the cost of ODCs far upwards of their terrestrial counterparts. The quantitative cost of internal cooling and the qualitative cost of high latency and low speeds may only further undermine the need for ODCs at this moment.
What do you think about ODCs?
Takeaways and Resources 🚀
Takeaway:
I think ODCs could be a feasible approach to data storage and compute requirements in the next 10 years, but at this moment, the sheer cost that would make a DC worthwhile for orbital insertion does not compare to what one could readily achieve on the ground.
Resources:
Per Aspera in-depth guide on ODCs: https://www.peraspera.us/p/realities-of-space-based-compute?utm_source=www.peraspera.us&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=realities-of-space-based-compute&_bhlid=731611876dec877f6736f28832e5da02128b1aa6
SpaceX calculator for payloads: https://rideshare.spacex.com/search?orbitClassification=2&launchDate=2025-09-19&payloadMass=2500
Axiom publishing: https://www.axiomspace.com/release/axiom-space-to-launch-orbital-data-center-nodes-to-support-national-security-commercial-international-customers
ODC logistics: https://blog.enconnex.com/server-rack-weight-exploring-static-vs-dynamic-load-capacity and https://www.streamdatacenters.com/resource-library/glossary/data-center-cost/#:~:text=Data%20Center%20Cost%20refers%20to,scalability%20in%20a%20secure%20environment.
NASA Photo of the Day 🌔
Explanation: This close-up from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera shows weathered craters and windblown deposits in southern Acidalia Planitia. A striking shade of blue in standard HiRISE image colors, to the human eye the area would probably look grey or a little reddish. But human eyes have not gazed across this terrain, unless you count the eyes of NASA astronauts in the sci-fi novel, "The Martian," by Andy Weir. The novel chronicles the adventures of Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded at the fictional Mars mission Ares 3 landing site, corresponding to the coordinates of this cropped HiRISE frame. For scale, Watney's 6-meter-diameter habitat at the site would be about 1/10th the diameter of the large crater. Of course, the Ares 3 landing coordinates are only about 800 kilometers north of the (real life) Carl Sagan Memorial Station, the 1997 Pathfinder landing site.
The idea sounds cool (pun intended) and appealing. What about radiation protection? Did they mention it? Because sensitive electronics, chips, onboard computers, etc will require heavy shielding from radiation if they are to work in space long-term. And then, the natural cooling of space is not really available anymore.. So it’s not as straightforward.