This paper examines whether orbital data centers could offer a viable alternative to the increasingly resource-intensive computing infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence. It evaluates the technical, economic, environmental, and governance challenges of moving computation into space, arguing that policymakers should address questions of orbital debris, liability, market concentration, and data sovereignty before commercial development outpaces regulation.

The infrastructure of artificial intelligence (AI) depends on critical minerals and rare earth elements, making their supply chains a central factor in national security, economic stability, and global technology competition and governance.