Elon Musk is pushing to build data centers in space. But they won’t solve AI’s power problems anytime soon

Fortune

by Sharon Goldman

February 19, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Elon Musk is advocating for the development of space-based data centers as a potential solution to the growing challenges of powering AI systems, which currently rely heavily on energy-intensive terrestrial infrastructure. While Musk and other proponents argue that orbital data centers powered by solar energy could become cost-effective within a few years, experts caution that meaningful scale is still decades away due to significant technical and logistical hurdles. Companies like SpaceX are exploring ambitious plans, including the deployment of millions of satellites and even constructing facilities on the moon to support these efforts. However, the immediate future of AI computing remains tied to Earth-based infrastructure, with massive investments continuing in supercomputers like Musk’s own Colossus project. The push for space-based solutions reflects the mounting pressure on the tech industry to address strained power grids, rising electricity costs, and environmental concerns. While the idea has been discussed for years as a speculative or long-term concept, the rapid growth of AI models—requiring exponentially more energy to train and operate—has added urgency to these discussions. Industry leaders like Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have also expressed interest in exploring space-based data centers, though their feasibility remains uncertain. Despite the potential benefits of solar-powered orbital systems, current limitations such as power generation, heat dissipation, launch logistics, and cost make them a poor substitute for Earth-based facilities. Experts emphasize that while limited space-based computing is feasible, it will not replace terrestrial infrastructure anytime soon. The renewed focus on space reflects broader industry challenges in meeting the energy demands of AI, with some warning that the world may soon face shortages of sufficient power to support advanced AI systems. Ultimately, while space-based data centers capture

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Originally published on Fortune on 2/19/2026