Tech voices float space data centers after Texas election shift

In short: After Democrats won key races in Texas, some tech voices began promoting the idea of building data centers in space instead.

What's going on

Texas is a major hub for data centers, which are large buildings full of computers that power apps, websites, and AI systems. After Tuesday’s elections, many Democratic candidates won races in Texas and elsewhere, including candidates who have criticized data center growth.

In response, a group of tech investors, employees, and online personalities started talking about moving future projects away from Texas, and even off Earth. Elon Musk posted on X that “data centers in space” were looking appealing. Others echoed the idea, and some also pointed to underwater data centers as another option.

The basic pitch is that orbit could offer more room and fewer local political fights. But putting a data center in orbit is not like renting a new warehouse. It is more like trying to run a server room on a ship that you can only reach by rocket, where every repair trip is costly.

Some companies are already testing parts of this. Google has launched a satellite it says includes “data center class” TPU chips (specialized computer chips for AI). SpaceX has said it wants to deploy thousands of AI satellites starting as soon as late 2027. Blue Origin has filed for permission to launch satellites that it describes as an “orbital data center system.”

What to watch

Experts cited by WIRED noted major limits, including much higher costs, smaller scale than the biggest land-based sites, and dependence on successful rocket launches. On the ground, Texas politics could still shape data center projects through permits, fines, and possible new rules, although the state’s split government may slow major changes.

Source: Wired