NTU Singapore scientists propose carbon-neutral data centres in space
Nanyang Technological UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
An out-of-this-world idea: placing data centres in space could pave the way for sustainable computing with unlimited solar energy and free cooling, says scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore). The researchers outline a practical path to building carbon-neutral data centres in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), a concept particularly relevant to land-scarce cities like Singapore, where limited land and high real estate costs make conventional data centres increasingly expensive. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Electronics, the study presents a framework for how satellites equipped with advanced processors could serve as orbital edge and cloud data centres. The new paper asserts that space offers two unparalleled environmental advantages, virtually unlimited solar energy and natural radiative cooling enabled by the extreme cold temperatures. In addition, virtual models show that solar-powered orbital data centres could offset their launch emissions within a few years of operation.
- Journal
- Nature Electronics
- Funder
- National Research Foundation Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research