Massive orbiting AI data centers could soon appear in the sky 100 times brighter than the brightest stars.
April 1, 2026
Original Paper
The Impact of Computing Data Centres Orbiting Earth
arXiv · 2603.28829
The Takeaway
To power the AI boom, companies are proposing 4-kilometer-wide solar arrays in space to provide constant energy. These structures would be so large and reflective that they would look like a chain of industrial moons, significantly altering the appearance of the night sky for everyone on Earth.
From the abstract
Artificial intelligence is projected to increase U.S. data centre power demand beyond 100 gigawatt by 2035 and global demand toward 1 terrawatt. In response, companies and governments have proposed placing computing infrastructure in sun-synchronous low-Earth orbit, where continuous sunlight could supply electrical power. Generating 5 GW would require solar arrays 4 x 4 kilometers in size. Although technically feasible, such structures at roughly 500 km altitude would dramatically alter both the