Google’s “Project Suncatcher” is, at its core, a “great escape.” It’s an escape from the $3 trillion, carbon-intensive, and resource-hungry trap of “earthbound datacenters.”
The tech industry’s “rising demand for AI” is forcing a $3 trillion spend “from India to Texas.” This “sprawl” is causing “rising concern” over its massive “impact on terrestrial resources,” specifically land, water, and grid-based power.
Google’s “moonshot” research, released Tuesday, is its escape plan. By moving 400 miles up, Google aims to “minimize” this terrestrial impact entirely. The orbital model uses zero water, zero land, and is powered by 8x-more-efficient solar panels.
This escape is made possible by “falling… rocket launch” costs. Google’s research suggests that by the mid-2030s, the cost of “escaping” to orbit will be “comparable” to the cost of staying on Earth.
This “great escape” is not without its own perils. The “rocket launch” escape-vehicle “emits hundreds of tonnes of CO2.” And the “new world” of orbit is already “polluted” for astronomers. But for Google, the $3 trillion “trap” on Earth may be the greater danger.