CLOUD & COLOCATION
Q. WHY ARE ORBITAL DATA CENTRES BEING CONSIDERED?
» The consideration of orbital data centres is not driven by a single factor, but rather by a convergence of terrestrial constraints that are increasingly difficult to solve independently.
Global data centre energy consumption continues to grow at approximately 14 % CAGR through 2030. This growth trajectory places sustained pressure on power systems across all major regions, particularly where grid capacity is already constrained. In parallel, the time required to secure grid connections has become a major bottleneck, with lead times ranging from around two years in Mumbai to as long as ten years in cities such as Amsterdam and Tokyo. These delays are increasingly decoupling infrastructure demand from delivery timelines.
Cooling requirements add another layer of pressure. In modern highdensity facilities, cooling can account for a significant portion of total operational electricity consumption, typically estimated at between 10 – 30 % depending on configuration and workload density. As AI workloads continue to increase rack densities and thermal output, these requirements are
58 October 2026