SpaceX is exploring an ambitious idea: building data centers in orbit to handle the surging computational demands of artificial intelligence. According to ScienceDaily, space-based facilities could harness abundant solar energy and sidestep many environmental challenges that plague terrestrial data centers. But the concept faces steep obstacles. Space is an unforgiving and expensive environment—cooling systems must contend with extreme conditions, maintenance requires specialized expertise and resupply missions, and hardware faces constant radiation exposure and collision risks from orbital debris.

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