Why moving datacenters to space needs to happen.....today!

Let me back up a bit and show my age. Yes, I'm getting old and the luxury of age affords me ability to look at a past in information technology and see where we are heading in the future. Also, understanding the important problems we need to solve in order to advance and move into an even brighter, safer and more productive future.

In my incredible career I have been so blessed to spend much of my career in the wild world of data centers. Back when we were 'building the cloud' before we even called it the cloud. Back when global networks were stitched together with duct tape, peering points more unorganized than your basement closet and bandwidth throughput that was unreliable at best. It's incredible to see the transformation over time and how things have proliferated. One thing is very clear, it's been a ride, fast moving, always evolving but oddly resistant to change. 

Case in point: datacenter cooling

For years, I was bugged by the fact that we were blowing around hot air from servers and trying to cool it with... more air. Which, newsflash, is an insulator. That’s like trying to cool a pizza oven with a blow dryer. So, I built a prototype immersion computer with my business partner starting the immersion cooling revolution and we built something better: immersion cooling with directed flow. That all ultimately became LiquidCool Solutions. We patented the tech and now own the seminal patents around immersion cooling. Years later, the industry finally caught on (and yes, others are now trying to dance around our patents---but that’s another story).

The point? Real innovation that solves the right problems eventually breaks through. And---the next big breakthrough for data centers is about to leave Earth. Literally.

Say Hello to the Vacuum of Space

Contrary to popular belief, the vacuum of space is the perfect home for the next generation of data centers. Space offers a unique environment where uninterrupted solar power, extreme cold, and high-security isolation come together to solve the biggest problems plaguing Earth-bound data infrastructure. It’s not science fiction---it’s an elegant solution to a growing problem.

Data centers on Earth are power-hungry giants. In 2023, U.S. data centers pumped more than 105 million tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere---over 2% of total national emissions. That’s nearly as much as the entire commercial airline industry. And with the explosive growth of AI, that number is set to multiply 100x. Shifting compute to orbit could dramatically reduce this footprint, relying on clean space-based solar energy and eliminating the need for carbon-intensive cooling systems.

Why does space work so well? Let’s break it down:

• Unlimited Power: Solar energy in space is constant—no clouds, no outages, no grid dependency. Just 24/7 sunlight providing an endless, clean power supply.

• Free Cooling: Space is cold. Really cold. Near absolute zero. That makes it the most efficient cooling environment imaginable—perfect for managing the intense heat from modern AI and HPC workloads.

• Physical Security: Space-based data centers are inherently secure. No break-ins, no EMP threats, and no natural disasters. Yes, threats like anti-satellite weapons exist, but next-gen countermeasures and orbital defense strategies are already in the works.

• Uptime Like Never Before: No floods, fires, brownouts, or rodents chewing through cables. Just stable, resilient infrastructure operating above it all.

• Global Connectivity: Space nodes can beam encrypted, high-speed data directly to users anywhere on the planet—no telecom monopolies, no spying routers, and no “last mile” problems.

In short, space doesn’t just solve the challenges of modern data centers---it leapfrogs them. With the right innovations, orbital data infrastructure isn’t just possible. It’s inevitable and the work Starlink has done proves the viability. 

Space wins.

Enter: Secured2 and Particle Beam

This is where things get really exciting. At Secured2, we’ve built something called Particle Beam---our quantum-secure®, seabed-to-space communications network. Developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense, and now moving forward with rocket legends like Phantom Space, this isn’t sci-fi. It’s real, it’s working, and it’s launching.

Particle Beam does what no other system can: It secures your data using the immutable laws of physics---not math-based encryption (but we can integrate with it). That means it can’t be broken by quantum computers. It uses our shrink > shred > secure > restore process to eliminate data as a target. And it spans everything----from undersea wireless to global fiber optic networks to orbiting satellites.

Think of it as the world’s first truly secure, sovereign, and scalable private digital backbone.

But wait, don't rockets cost $100M per mission?

Our business partner Phantom Space is doing for rockets what Henry Ford did for the automobile industry---taking something once rare, expensive, and complicated, and making it fast, modular, and cost-effective. By designing rockets using off-the-shelf components and proven technologies, Phantom avoids the high costs and delays of building everything from scratch. Their Daytona rocket, for example, uses standardized parts and a streamlined manufacturing process that dramatically cuts the price of launches. Instead of $100 million+ missions, Phantom is bringing costs down to just a million dollars per launch (or less), without sacrificing reliability or performance.

What really sets Phantom apart is their approach to scalability. They’re building rockets and satellite buses the way modern tech companies build software---iteratively, efficiently, and with a focus on repeatability. This means faster production, quicker deployment cycles, and more frequent access to orbit. For companies like Secured2, this is a game-changer. Instead of waiting years and spending tens of millions to get to space, we can now launch secure communications and AI data infrastructure on a schedule that makes sense--and a budget that doesn’t require a government contract. Private companies can now own and control their own collocation in space. Almost on par with total cost of ownership pricing from terrestrial datacenters but with a slight premium for all the new capabilities. 

So Why Now?

Because we’re running out of time. Nation-states are overrunning our infrastructure and breaching the very foundation of our digital lives. AI is accelerating these threats. Quantum computing is here, and your “secure” data won’t be.

We need a new model---one that doesn’t patch over old problems, build from failed frameworks, but builds from first principles. In space. With physics-based security. At scale.

Final Thought: Space Isn’t the Frontier. It’s the Foundation.

We’re not building this just for governments or mega-corps. We’re building it for you. For your family. Your business. Your right to privacy. Your right to fast, secure access anywhere in the world.

So the next time someone asks why we’re putting data centers in orbit, you can say:

“Because the Earth is out of room......and......out of excuses.”

The future is off-planet. And Secured2 and Phantom Space have made it a reality!