The Chief Executive Officer of Voyager Technologies, Dylan Taylor, has stated that while space-based data centers hold promise, the challenge of effective cooling remains a significant barrier for this emerging technology. He described the goal of deploying such data centers within two years as "extremely challenging," noting that breakthroughs in cooling technology have not yet been achieved.

The core cooling challenge involves the difficulty of dissipating heat in a vacuum. Taylor, in an interview, pointed out that despite SpaceX possessing heavy-lift rockets capable of delivering components to space, the absence of a viable solution to transfer the heat generated by equipment remains a primary bottleneck for the development of space-based data centers.

"It seems counterintuitive, but actually cooling equipment in space is very difficult because there is no medium to conduct heat away," he explained. "All heat dissipation must occur through radiation, which requires a radiator facing away from the sun to complete the process."

In space, the vacuum environment acts as a perfect thermal insulator, preventing the rapid transfer of heat through convection. Heat can only be slowly dissipated through radiation, converting it into infrared light. This method is highly inefficient, capable of removing only a few hundred watts per square meter at most. Large AI clusters would require massive passive cooling panels, placing extremely high demands on radiator design.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has long been optimistic about the future of space-based data centers and cited their construction as a key reason for the recent merger between SpaceX and AI startup xAI. This transaction, valued at $1.25 trillion, aims to create a space-based computing network to address core issues faced by terrestrial data centers, such as high electricity costs and low cooling efficiency.

Musk believes that the evolution of AI technology is heavily reliant on large ground-based data centers, which have immense energy consumption and cooling demands. Earth-based energy solutions are insufficient to meet the global AI power deficit. Space offers nearly constant solar energy without the high costs of land operations and cooling maintenance. By launching a network of millions of satellite-based orbital data centers, solar power could be directly converted into computing power.

Voyager Technologies, which became publicly listed in June 2025, is known for its Starlab project. This initiative plans to replace the International Space Station upon its scheduled retirement in 2030. Taylor stated that the company is on track for a 2029 launch target and is currently collaborating with Palantir, Airbus, and Mitsubishi on the project. The company has already deployed its own cloud computing equipment on the International Space Station.

Voyager Technologies also plans to leverage its laser communication tools to play a leading role in the space data center sector. Taylor said, "We are confident this technology will mature gradually, and we believe we have the capability to generate and process data in space."

Interest in investments in the space industry has been boosted by plans from the administration to increase defense spending and reform the US space program over the past year. Additionally, the highly anticipated initial public offering of SpaceX, expected later this year, has also fueled investor enthusiasm.

Last year, as the IPO market reopened after years of sluggish activity, a wave of space technology companies went public. However, this path has not always been smooth. The stock price of Voyager Technologies has fallen by more than half since its listing, while the market capitalization of rocket manufacturer Firefly Aerospace has decreased by nearly two-thirds since its IPO in August 2025.