US-based satellite startup Orbital aims to establish data centers in space to meet rising computing needs driven by artificial intelligence. Founder and CEO Euwyn Poon said the company plans to launch its first data center satellite next year on a shared payload. It has applied to the Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy 100,000 satellites in low Earth orbit at altitudes of 500 to 800 kilometers, aiming to deliver 10 gigawatts of computing capacity for AI tasks. Deployment is expected to accelerate later this decade once SpaceX’s Starship reduces launch costs. Poon noted that while large-scale space infrastructure remains futuristic, constellations of 10,000 to 100,000 smaller satellites are already feasible, as shown by existing projects.
