Space data center cooling problem still needs solution

Voyager Technologies CEO Dylan Taylor said two years would be an “aggressive” time frame for space data centers and cooling remained a challenge for the developing technology.

Although SpaceX has heavy-lift rockets to carry components into space, Taylor told CNBC’s Morgan Brennan that the lack of a cooling solution to transfer heat remains a major hurdle.

“It’s counterintuitive, but it’s really hard to cool things in space because there’s no medium to conduct heat from hot to cold,” he said. “So essentially, all heat dissipation has to happen through radiation, which means you have to have a radiator facing away from the sun to do that.”

Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has long touted a future with data centers in space, and has emphasized that structure as a key reason for combining rocket company SpaceX and artificial intelligence startup xAI in a deal worth $1.25 trillion this week.

Voyager, which opened to the public in June, is widely known for its work. Starlab The project will replace the International Space Station, which is planned to be retired in 2030.

Taylor said that the company is on track to reach its 2029 launch target for the project it is working on. palantir, Airbus And Mitsubishi. Voyager already has its own cloud computing device on the ISS.

President Donald Trump’s plans to increase defense spending and revamp the nation’s space program helped spur interest in space technology investments last year. SpaceX’s highly anticipated public offering towards the end of this year also increased the interest of investors.

A number of space technology companies went public last year as the IPO market reopened after years of drought.

But the path hasn’t always been so rosy for the industry.

While Voyager’s shares have lost more than half their value since its debut, the rocket maker Firefly Aviation It has lost almost two-thirds of its value since its IPO in August.

Taylor said Voyager is ready to direct the attack on data centers in space with the help of laser communications tools.

“We have great faith that the technology is mature and in our ability to generate data in space and process data in space,” he said.