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Nvidia Is Trying to Make a Computer for Orbital AI Data Centers

Powering it is probably easy. Keeping things cool in a vacuum is the hard part.

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Headshot of Jon Reed
Jon Reed Managing Editor
Jon covers artificial intelligence. He previously led CNET's home energy and utilities category, with a focus on energy-saving advice, thermostats, and heating and cooling. Jon has more than a decade of experience writing and reporting, including as a statehouse reporter in Columbus, Ohio, a crime reporter in Birmingham, Alabama, and as a mortgage and housing market editor for Time's former personal finance brand, NextAdvisor. When he's not asking people questions, he can usually be found half asleep trying to read a long history book while surrounded by multiple cats. You can reach him at joreed@cnet.com
Expertise Artificial intelligence, home energy, heating and cooling, home technology.
Jon Reed
2 min read
Jensen Huang stands in front of a large image with a computer chip and a satellite.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stands in front of a screen displaying the company's Space-1 Vera Rubin module for orbital AI data centers.

 Photo by Josh Edelson /AFP via Getty Images

Space may be the next frontier for the AI infrastructure boom, but it will take some work to make that happen, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said during his keynote address Monday at the company's GTC conference in San Jose, California. 

While the company already has chips in satellites, creating a data center in space is an entirely different beast, Huang said. "Obviously, very complicated to do so." 

AI Atlas

Nvidia isn't the only one eyeing orbit for AI factories. Elon Musk has talked often of putting data centers in space, which makes sense considering he recently merged the AI company he owns with the rocket company he owns. 

Read more: Nvidia GTC: All the AI and Robotics News From Jensen Huang's Keynote

Space has some distinct advantages for data centers. For one, there are no zoning boards or neighbors to worry about annoying. You could likely power an orbital data center with solar power. There's also a ton of room, although the number of satellites is making orbit crowded. 

Watch this: Highlights From Nvidia's GTC 2026 Keynote With Jensen Huang

But there's a big challenge that Nvidia is facing as it designs its Space-1 Vera Rubin module computer. How do you keep chips cool in a vacuum?

"In space, there's no conduction, there's no convection, it's just radiation," Huang said. "So we have to figure out how to cool these systems out in space."

It'll probably be a little bit before we get data centers beyond the atmosphere, but Nvidia had other announcements this week that will take off much sooner. There's NemoClaw, a tech stack for helping install the viral OpenClaw AI software. (If you feel comfortable installing that powerful AI agent, which, maybe, you shouldn't.) There was a collaboration with Disney to make a robotic Olaf, from the Frozen franchise, that can shuffle around Disney's theme parks. And then there's DLSS 5, an AI-powered upscaling tool for games that drew some pushback from gamers who worried it would undermine game creators' creative visions and look, well, sloppy.