The CEO of internet exchange operator DE-CIX, Ivo Ivanov, has argued that proposals to put AI data centres in orbit are focused on the wrong challenge, as attention turns to SpaceX’s anticipated IPO.
In a blog post, Ivanov said debate about space-based compute has placed too much emphasis on latency and processing power, and not enough on the practicalities of building reliable, predictable connectivity between orbit and Earth.
“Elon Musk himself has noted that orbital infrastructure is only a few milliseconds away, but latency is only part of the equation. Predictability and resilience matter just as much,” Ivanov wrote.
Ivanov pointed to conditions that could complicate high-bandwidth laser and optical communications, including cloud cover, atmospheric turbulence, and the “complexities of satellite-to-ground handovers”.
He also argued that moving compute to orbit does not reduce the need for robust networks, and may increase it. “Moving compute into orbit may help address power and cooling challenges, but it doesn’t remove the need for fast, resilient, and predictable networking. In fact, it makes it all the more vital,” he wrote.
The comments come amid renewed industry discussion of orbital data centres as demand for AI compute grows and hyperscalers face power and cooling constraints on the ground. Ivanov’s post cites examples of ongoing activity beyond SpaceX, including Google’s Project Suncatcher, Amazon’s satellite-to-cloud ground station infrastructure, and the European Space Agency’s OFELIAS project involving organisations including the German Aerospace Center and DE-CIX.
Ivanov said the bigger question is whether terrestrial and orbital infrastructure can function as part of a single interconnected system. “Getting compute into orbit is one thing, but weaving together data centers on Earth, cloud platforms, edge locations, satellites, and eventually orbital compute into a single digital ecosystem capable of supporting AI at planetary scale is another thing entirely,” he wrote.
Ivanov’s blog post is available at https://www.de-cix.net/en/resources/articles/space-may-solve-earths-data-center-problem
