Earth’s Resources Strained: Is Orbital AI the Only Answer?

The insatiable demand for AI is straining Earth’s resources, with a $3 trillion datacentre expansion threatening to consume alarming amounts of power, land, and water. This crisis is forcing tech giants to ask a critical question: Is orbital AI the only viable long-term answer?
Google is formally exploring this question with “Project Suncatcher.” The initiative is a direct response to the “impact on terrestrial resources” caused by the AI boom. By moving datacenters to space, the company aims to create a “scalable space-based AI” that doesn’t compete with humanity for water and land.
The plan’s viability rests on two pillars: energy and cost. In space, solar panels are 8-times more productive, offering a clean, “unlimited” power source. Concurrently, falling rocket launch prices are making the economics of space deployment plausible, with potential for cost-parity by the mid-2030s.
This path is not without its own environmental thorns. The CO2 emissions from rocket launches are substantial, and the proliferation of satellites is a “bug on the windshield” for astronomers. It presents a trade-off: a high-emission launch for a potentially low-emission operational life.
With competitors like Elon Musk and Nvidia also betting on space, a clear industry trend is emerging. Google’s 2027 prototypes will be the first step in determining if this resource-driven “moonshot” can solve the $3 trillion problem or if it will create a new set of problems in orbit.