Feasibility study on space-based data centres shows ‘promising results’

Launched in 2023 and funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe program, the initiative studied the feasibility of space-based data centres to work toward the EU Green Deal’s objective of net-zero carbon by 2050 and transform the European space and digital ecosystem.

For this study, Thales Alenia Space coordinated a European consortium of partners who covered environmental aspects (Carbone 4, VITO), cloud computing (Orange Business, CloudFerro, Hewlett Packard Enterprise), launchers (ArianeGroup), and orbital systems (German space agency DLR, Airbus Defence & Space, and Thales Alenia Space).

The purpose of the ASCEND study was to compare the environmental impacts of space-based and Earth-based data centres. It was also intended to validate the technological feasibility of developing, deploying and operating such centres in orbit.

To significantly reduce the CO₂ emissions generated by the processing and storage of digital, the results of the study estimate that such space infrastructures would require the development of a launcher ten times less emissive over its entire lifecycle. Moreover, space data centres would not require water to cool them.

According to Thales Alenia Space, curbing the energy and environment impacts of data centres could kick-start major investments within the framework of the EU Green Deal, potentially justifying the development of a high-capacity, eco-designed and reusable launcher.

With ArianeGroup’s contribution and to analytics from ESA’s PROTEIN feasibility study, ASCEND validated the feasibility of a launcher capable of conducting multiple launches while mitigating their carbon footprint.

Modular space infrastructures would be assembled in orbit using robotic technologies from the European Commission’s EROSS IOD (European Robotic Orbital Support Services In Orbit Demonstrator), which is scheduled to fly its first mission in 2026.

The market for data centres by 2030 is estimated at 23GW of capacity; ASCEND aims to deploy 1GW before 2050.

The results of the study are also said to confirm the project’s economic viability, offering a prospect of a return on investment of several billion euros between now and 2050.

In a statement, Christophe Valorge, CTO, Thales Alenia Space, said: “The results of the ASCEND study confirm that deploying data centres in space could transform the European digital landscape, offering a more eco-friendly and sovereign solution for hosting and processing data. We’re proud to be contributing to an initiative supporting Europe’s net-zero objectives and strengthening its technological sovereignty.”

Thales Alenia Space and its partners now intend to pursue the ASCEND feasibility study to consolidate and optimise its results.