Google's data center energy chief: space data centers could cost up to 100 times more than those on Earth
What was said? Amanda Peterson Corio, Google's head of data center energy, said at The Information's WTF summit that data centers in orbit could cost up to 100 times as much as those on the ground, pointing to launch costs and the difficulty of maintaining and upgrading hardware in space. "Let's explore all the terrestrial options before we go extraterrestrial," she said, as reported by The Information's Amir Efrati on 1 November.
Why it stands out: Google is itself testing the idea. Its Project Suncatcher prototype satellite, carrying Google TPUs, reached orbit on 1 October, and Google works with Planet Labs on clusters of compute satellites. Google's own Suncatcher researchers have written that space-based compute could be roughly comparable in cost to terrestrial data centers per unit of power if launch prices fall to around $200 per kilogram, which they expect around the mid-2030s depending on SpaceX's Starship. Peterson Corio did not dismiss the concept: she called it interesting and part of Google thinking 10 to 30 years ahead, but said it is not close.
The other side: SpaceX's orbital data center plans underpin part of its roughly $1.8 trillion market value, and Elon Musk has argued that compute in orbit will eventually dwarf what is built on Earth. A wave of space compute startups is being funded on the same thesis.
Her view of the real bottleneck: She said the US has enough power and that the constraint is permitting and grid interconnection studies, which Alphabet's Tapestry project is working with grid operator PJM to speed up. She blamed much of the local backlash against data centers on newer, less experienced developers and said she supports higher standards. According to The Information, Google pre-pays grid upgrades over 15 to 20 years in more than nine states, posts restoration bonds and has stopped using NDAs with local governments.
Caveats: These were conference remarks, not a published cost model. "Up to 100 times" is a ceiling rather than a central estimate, and she did not name the newcomers she criticised.
Sources: The Information · Free Press Journal · Google Research on Project Suncatcher · Earlier Dealroom coverage: Suncatcher in orbit
