Artificial intelligence is driving demand for computing infrastructure beyond what many terrestrial data centers can support, prompting interest in orbital data centers powered by near-continuous solar energy. This white paper explores how space-based computing could reduce power, cooling, and land constraints while enabling in-orbit data processing, sovereign computing, and new AI applications. It examines emerging architectures, key industry players, launch and communications technologies, and potential business models, while acknowledging significant challenges around cost, thermal management, radiation, networking, maintenance, regulation, and commercial viability. Although still in its early stages, orbital data centers could become an important extension of future global cloud and AI infrastructure if these technical and economic hurdles are overcome.

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