NASA chief revives idea of moving data centers into orbit

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on Wednesday suggested relocating data centers to Earth orbit, framing the move as a way to sidestep growing public anger over the facilities’ environmental and economic toll in American communities.

“Let’s take our data centers, put them in Earth orbit, take advantage of that free fusion reactor that’s out there for us and use that to ensure we do win the … space race for sure, but the AI race, too,” Mr. Isaacman said in an interview with Nexstar’s Vinay Simot.

He argued the approach would carry “immense benefits,” since companies could tap solar power — his “free fusion reactor” — to run the facilities without straining terrestrial electric grids.

Data centers, the physical backbone of the AI boom, have become a political liability as their footprint expands across the country. Residents in numerous states have complained the facilities drive up local electricity costs and carry environmental costs, and both parties have moved to distance themselves from the industry as the backlash grows.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, is a case in point. Mr. Shapiro signed Executive Order 2026-05 on Aug. 18, requiring data center developers to cover the full cost of new electricity generation and infrastructure needed to power their projects and secure local government approval before building — a sharp reversal for a governor who previously championed the industry’s investment in his state, including a $20 billion Amazon commitment. The order also removes data center proposals from Pennsylvania’s expedited Fast Track permitting program and bars developers from using nondisclosure agreements tied to their projects.

Wednesday’s remarks were not the first time Mr. Isaacman has floated sending data centers to space. During an early-August appearance on a New York Post podcast, he called the idea a “fantastic” fix for public complaints, saying tech leaders including Elon Musk see consensus building against the facilities.

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“Elon [Musk] and others in the industry are like, ’Let’s take the data centers that no one likes in your backyard — it seems like there’s a lot of consensus on that — and put them into space where they won’t bother anyone,’” Mr. Isaacman said at the time, adding that orbital data centers would require solar panels “the size of several football fields.”

Not every Trump administration official is on board with restricting data centers on the ground, however. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on Sunday cautioned against state-level moratoriums, warning they could cost the U.S. its edge over China in the global race for AI dominance.

“There’s been a push from some states where they’re talking about a statewide moratorium, and what I’ve found is that most of this country wants to make sure the United States wins this race to be the AI capital of the world, that we do not relinquish this to China,” Mr. Zeldin said on John Catsimatidis’ radio program, “The Cats Roundtable,” on 77 WABC.