Nvidia GPUs head to space next month in first step toward AI data centers in orbit

A fridge-sized satellite packed with Nvidia H100 GPUs is preparing to launch into orbit next month, marking what could be the beginning of a space-based data center revolution.

Redmond-based startup Starcloud plans to send its 130-pound Starcloud-1 satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in November. The company claims this tiny orbital computer will deliver 100 times more powerful GPU processing than any previous space-based operation.

The appeal is compelling: constant, unfiltered sunlight provides unlimited renewable energy without Earth's atmospheric interference, cloud cover, or day-night cycles. Heat dissipation becomes effortless too, with space's vacuum acting as an infinite cooling system, eliminating the massive water requirements of terrestrial data centers.

Despite launch costs, Starcloud estimates their space facilities will be 10 times cheaper than Earth-based counterparts. "In 10 years, nearly all new data centers will be being built in outer space," predicts CEO Philip Johnston.

With data center power demands expected to surge 165% by 2030, the timing seems opportune. Still, challenges remain: solar flares, space debris collisions, and potential attacks from adversary nations all pose risks to these orbiting digital workhorses.