Giant Solar Panels Required for Data Centers in Orbit

Solutions for the energy needs of data centers to be established in orbit were discussed at the 77th International Astronautical Congress held at the Antalya NEST Congress Center.

Energy Needs Addressed at the Congress

Solar panel technologies developed to provide energy to data centers in orbit were discussed at the 77th International Astronautical Congress held at the Antalya NEST Congress Center.

Gold from Redwire stated that data centers in orbit will be massive energy consumers and that the demand for power systems will increase as power requirements scale from kilowatts to megawatts.

Roll-Out Panel Technology

Gold shared details of the roll-out solar panel technology, which can be compressed like a carpet before launch and deployed in orbit to create a large surface area.

Stating that they have produced the largest solar array systems deployed in space by humanity for NASA, Gold emphasized that these systems work on a principle similar to camping tents, allowing them to fit into the limited cargo bays of rockets.

Silicon-Based Alternative Research

Pointing out that the biggest obstacle to generating high amounts of energy in space is the supply chain on Earth, Gold conveyed that they are working on alternatives such as silicon-based solar panels due to dwindling germanium resources.

He noted that silicon is cheaper and more abundant, and thanks to Redwire's lightweight roll-out technology, panels with a larger surface area can be utilized with low mass.

International Space Station Updates

It was reported that the next phase of Redwire's roll-out solar arrays will be sent to the International Space Station and the replacement of the old panels will be completed.

It was stated that these systems will be used for the International Space Station rather than directly for data centers in orbit.