As artificial intelligence workloads continue to surge and put pressure on terrestrial infrastructure, an Indian space technology startup is preparing to enable a data centre in orbit. The move reflects growing global interest in using space to overcome power and cooling limits faced by Earth-based data centres.
Space tech startup Agnikul Cosmos has developed the capability to host space-based data centres using its extendable upper rocket stage. In its first commercial agreement, the company has partnered with cloud services firm NeevCloud to support hosting of the latter’s AI SuperCloud platform in space, a publication reported.
“We are providing a platform to host our partner entity’s data centre in orbit in the upper stage. This is a natural extension of our rocket, which has already been designed to function in orbit in the upper stage after you eject a satellite. We are now going to work with NeevCloud to repurpose it to host their DC,” said Srinath Ravichandran, co-founder and CEO of Agnikul Cosmos.
NeevCloud is an Indian company that supports AI firms globally by offering cloud-based AI solutions using GPU-driven cloud infrastructure.
According to Ravichandran, discussions between Agnikul and NeevCloud initially focused on hosting payloads in space. These talks later evolved into a plan to align on hosting a full data centre in orbit. On a global level, several technology companies are exploring orbital data centres to deal with energy and cooling challenges on Earth. SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is among those actively working in this area. In India, Agnikul’s approach may be the first instance of a rocket company enabling data centre hosting in its upper stage.
Agnikul’s existing rocket design allows the upper stage to continue operating in orbit after satellite deployment. With patented technology already in place, the startup is now adapting this architecture to support space-based data centres. NeevCloud will develop a stack of GPUs and related network systems that can be integrated into Agnikul’s upper stage to form an orbital data centre.
On timelines, Agnikul plans to demonstrate a basic prototype of the data centre module during an upcoming test launch in the coming months. The company then aims for a full launch into space by 2027.
Interest in orbital data centres is growing due to advantages such as energy availability, environmental sustainability, and lower cooling costs. “The impact from solar energy is much more powerful, and the fact that cooling here is almost available for free,” Ravichandran said.
He added that satellite mass and technical specifications are already defined, and both companies will now customise their platforms to ensure reliable operation of a data centre in space.
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