First data center creates on surface of Moon

By Alimat Aliyeva

Lonestar Data Holdings is approaching the Earth's natural satellite to place its first physical data center on the Moon.

The space startup will use SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and connect it to the Athena Intuitive Machines lunar lander at the end of next month to launch a fully assembled data center.

Cheaper rocket launches, an abundance of solar energy, and affordable cooling systems have spurred a race among startups to transform space into a massive data center capable of meeting the growing computing demands of technologies like artificial intelligence.

Lonestar CEO Chris Stott stated that the company is doing everything possible to ensure the mission goes smoothly. The data center’s system will be powered by solar energy and use naturally cooled solid-state drives. The clients of the Freedom Data Center include the state of Florida, the government of the Isle of Man, the artificial intelligence firm Valkyrie, and the pop-rock band Imagine Dragons.

The concept of space-based data centers is attracting increasing attention as the energy demand to support operations on Earth continues to rise dramatically. However, deploying data centers in space comes with challenges, such as complex maintenance, limited upgrade options, and high launch costs. Additionally, there is always the risk of failed rocket launches.

"When you launch a satellite into space, there are two factors," says Chris Quilty, CEO of industry research company Quilty Space. "If it fails, it's dead. It is impossible to restore it."

The idea of using space for data storage is becoming more feasible as technology advances. The Moon’s low gravity and constant solar energy could provide significant advantages for running energy-intensive systems, while also reducing the environmental impact of Earth-based data centers. While challenges remain, the vision of expanding human infrastructure beyond Earth could be a game-changer for the tech industry, particularly as the demand for cloud computing and AI processing grows exponentially. The Moon could become an essential hub in the future of global data management.