Orbital data centers, part 1: There’s no way this is economically viable, right?

Orbital data centers fail basic economic viability, with current launch costs making the concept unsustainable. A single SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch to low Earth orbit costs roughly $90 million, and even a modest data center would require dozens of such missions, pushing total deployment beyond $2 billion. This is three times the estimated cost of constructing an equivalent terrestrial facility. Without a dramatic—and currently unforeseen—reduction in launch expenses, the model cannot compete with terrestrial alternatives on cost or latency.