NASA chief proposes moving data centers to orbit to silence local opposition

In a Wednesday episode of "Pod Force One," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman outlined a futuristic remedy to the growing controversy over data-center construction in the United States: launch the facilities into orbit. He explained that space-based centers could draw on abundant solar energy supplied by fusion reactors, eliminating the need for costly terrestrial power connections. Isaacman said the approach would silence the "NIMBY" opposition that has plagued many of the 1,500 data centers currently being built, two-thirds of which are slated for rural sites, according to Pew Research Center.

A recent one outlet voter poll indicated that 70% of respondents disapprove of nearby data-center projects, a sentiment that mirrors the same level of support for a return to the Moon. While acknowledging that the economics may not balance for the first five to ten years, Isaacman likened the timeline to Amazon's early years, suggesting the model could eventually succeed. He also referenced industry figures like Elon Musk as proponents of moving unwanted infrastructure off Earth.