Google is preparing for a future where artificial intelligence won’t be powered solely from Earth. CEO Sundar Pichai revealed during a Fox News interview that the company is moving ahead with plans to build AI-optimized data centers in space—an ambitious effort to solve the growing energy demands of advanced computing.

Earlier this month, Google announced Project Suncatcher, an initiative designed to capture and utilize solar energy in space to power next-generation data centers. According to Pichai, the sun provides an almost unimaginable supply of energy—far beyond what Earth currently produces—and tapping into it could dramatically reshape how AI systems are powered.

“One of our moonshots is to figure out how to one day run data centers in space so we can harness the sun’s energy, which outpowers Earth’s total production by a factor of 100 trillion,” Pichai said.

First Steps Begin in 2027

Google will begin testing hardware as early as 2027 through a partnership with satellite-imaging company Planet. Two initial satellites will launch into Earth’s orbit to evaluate the systems required for extraterrestrial data infrastructure.

Pichai believes this is only the beginning.
“A decade from now, space-based data centers will feel completely normal,” he predicted.

The New Race for Off-World Compute

Google is not alone in this futuristic sprint. Startups like Starcloud, backed by Y Combinator and Nvidia, have already launched the first AI-capable satellite into space. Starcloud CEO Philip Johnston projects that off-planet data centers could slash carbon emissions by up to 90%, even after accounting for launch emissions.

Falling satellite costs have made these experiments feasible, but the larger challenge remains: the unknown price of building full-scale solar-powered data centers in orbit. Meanwhile, Earth-based centers are becoming staggeringly expensive—McKinsey expects global investment needs to exceed $5 trillion by 2030.

Amid fierce competition in the AI sector, Google recently revived its status as a top contender with the release of Gemini 3. The company also announced a $40 billion expansion of U.S. data center infrastructure, including major development in Texas.

Still, analysts warn of a potential bubble. Overbuilding could leave companies with billions in stranded data-center assets.

“Overinvestment risks major financial losses, while underinvestment risks falling behind,” McKinsey cautioned.

Why Space Matters: AI’s Rising Energy Crisis

The push toward space stems largely from the escalating energy consumption of AI. A 2024 U.S. Department of Energy report found that national data center power usage has tripled in the past decade—and may double or triple again by 2028. U.S. data centers consumed over 4% of national electricity in 2023, a figure that could surge to 12% by 2028.

Google’s own demand has skyrocketed, with more than 30 million megawatt-hours used in 2023—double the amount consumed just five years earlier.

Although Google has tried to curb energy usage—reporting a 12% reduction in data-center emissions in 2024—experts warn the environmental impact of AI isn't yet fully understood.

“We must ensure the overall impact of AI on the planet is positive before deploying it at massive scale,” said Golestan Radwan, chief digital officer at the UN Environment Programme.