Technology that matters

Data Centers

SpaceX Eyes Orbital Data Centers to Challenge AWS and Google

What Happened According to reports from Ars Technica, SpaceX is investigating the feasibility of deploying data centers in Earth orbit as an alternative to traditional ground-based facilities. These orbital data centers would function similarly to the massive warehouse-sized facilities currently operated by major cloud providers like Amazon Web Services and Google, but would be located in space rather than on Earth. The concept involves replicating the essential components of modern data centers—including racks of servers, storage systems, high-speed networking equipment, power systems, and cooling infrastructure—in a space-based environment.

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Glass Substrates Could Revolutionize AI Chip Performance

What Happened Absolics, a South Korean semiconductor company, is launching commercial production of glass substrates designed specifically for AI chip packaging. These substrates, measuring 700 micrometers to 1.4mm thick, replace traditional organic materials like fiberglass-reinforced epoxy that currently serve as the foundation for connecting multiple silicon chips. The technology addresses a fundamental problem in modern computing: as AI workloads increase and chip packages grow larger, the heat generated causes traditional substrates to physically warp.

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AI Demand Drives Data Centers to Arctic Circle for Cheap Energy

What Happened Tech companies are increasingly building data centers in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions to support the massive computational requirements of artificial intelligence systems. This northward migration is driven by AI labs’ exponential growth in compute consumption, which has created an urgent need for cost-effective power sources and cooling solutions. The trend represents a significant shift in data center geography, with operators seeking locations that offer both cheap electricity—often from renewable sources like hydroelectric power—and natural cooling from cold climates.

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Microsoft Tests Superconducting Cables for AI Data Centers

What Happened Microsoft has begun investigating high-temperature superconductors (HTS) as a replacement for copper wiring in data center power systems, according to a recent company blog post. The initiative comes as AI data centers face an unprecedented power crunch that’s straining electrical grids worldwide. The company specifically highlighted three key advantages of HTS technology: improved energy efficiency through reduced transmission losses, increased electrical grid resiliency, and dramatically reduced space requirements for moving large amounts of power.

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AI Data Centers Head to Space as Major Tech Giants Race to Orbit

What Happened The space-based computing revolution has moved from concept to active development, with several major players making concrete moves toward orbital AI infrastructure: Starcloud became the first company to successfully train a large language model in space using an NVIDIA H100 GPU in 2025, proving the technical feasibility of the concept. The company has since filed with the FCC for a constellation of up to 88,000 satellites. SpaceX submitted FCC applications in January 2026 for millions of satellites dedicated to space-based computing, leveraging their Starlink manufacturing and launch capabilities.

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