Google’s plan to put datacenters in space is not just a far-off dream; it’s a long-term economic strategy with a specific target. According to new research from the company, by the middle of the 2030s, the running costs of a space-based datacentre could be “comparable to one on Earth.”
This 10-to-15-year timeline is based on the “falling cost of rocket launches.” The company is betting that this trend will continue, making the initial, massive expense of launching 80-satellite constellations economically feasible.
Once in orbit, the operational costs are projected to be very low. The primary cost on Earth, electricity, is “unlimited” and “low-cost” in space, thanks to solar panels that are eight times more productive. This eliminates a huge operational expense, helping to balance the high capital cost of the launch.
This mid-2030s target is what justifies Google’s “moonshot” research today. The company is investing in solving the “significant engineering challenges” now, so that it will be ready to capitalize on this economic shift when it happens. The first prototypes, launching in 2027, are a key part of this long-range plan.
This research provides a clear financial roadmap for the orbital datacentre industry, which includes competitors like Elon Musk and Starcloud. It signals that tech giants are no longer asking if space datacenters will be viable, but when.