Context:

Recently, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company has begun work on a long-term research initiative, Project Suncatcher, aimed at deploying solar-powered data centres in space by 2027.

About Google’s Project Suncatcher:

Project Suncatcher is a long-term research initiative announced by Google, which seeks to gradually shift computational workloads to space-based, solar-powered satellite constellations.

Key Features:

• • Deployment of small-scale data centre racks aboard satellites as early-stage prototypes
  • Use of Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), Google’s custom AI chips optimised for large-scale machine learning workloads
  • Optical (laser) inter-satellite links to enable data-centre-level computation across satellite constellations
  • Reliance on solar energy, ensuring continuous, clean, and uninterrupted power supply
  • Use of chips tested for radiation tolerance to withstand harsh space conditions

Google plans to launch two prototype satellites by early 2027, in partnership with Planet Labs, as part of a learning and validation mission.

Reasons Behind Space-Based Data Centres:

• • Environmental limits on Earth: AI-driven data centres consume vast amounts of electricity and water. Global electricity demand from data centres is projected to rise sharply by 2030, exacerbating climate stress.
  • Advantages of space: Near-unlimited solar energy availability, zero freshwater consumption, and minimal land-use constraints.
  • Energy and infrastructure security: Terrestrial data centres face risks from natural disasters, cable disruptions, and grid failures, whereas space offers more predictable solar exposure.
  • Data sovereignty considerations: The Outer Space Treaty (1967) creates a legal grey zone that could enable multi-country data hosting beyond traditional national jurisdictions.
  • Lower space access costs: Reusable launch vehicles and growing private-sector participation have significantly reduced the cost of accessing space.

Challenges and Concerns:

• • High costs: Launch, maintenance, upgrades, and in-orbit repairs remain expensive and technically complex.
  • Latency issues: Long communication distances introduce delays, limiting suitability for real-time applications.
  • Cybersecurity risks: Securing space-based data infrastructure lacks clear global standards and enforcement mechanisms.
  • Regulatory gaps: Legal ambiguity may allow concentration of space infrastructure in the hands of large technology corporations.

Other Companies Exploring Space-Based Data Centres:

Implications for India and Global Governance

For India:

• • Opportunities for ISRO–private sector collaboration in space-based computing and cloud infrastructure
  • Relevance for the expansion of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
  • Need to develop indigenous capabilities in space-based AI, cloud computing, and data storage

For Global Governance:

• • Urgent need for:
    • International norms governing commercial computing activities in space
    • Cybersecurity frameworks for protecting space-based digital assets
    • Principles ensuring equitable access and preventing monopolisation of space infrastructure

Conclusion:

Google’s Project Suncatcher signals a potential shift toward space-based computing to address Earth’s resource constraints and the rapid growth of AI workloads. While it offers promise in terms of energy sustainability, climate mitigation, and data resilience, it also raises significant cost, regulatory, and equity challenges. Ensuring that outer space remains a shared, secure, and sustainable global commons will be critical as this frontier evolves.