Several companies are making plans to start building data centers on the moon. It’s a big step toward building a true infrastructure in space. David Steinbach, the global chief investment officer at Hines, is absolutely convinced of the potential for lunar and deep space data centers. He believes there are tremendous possibilities for innovation in this new arena. These installations might remain permanently on the lunar surface. Or they might be sent to more distant space, beaming critical information back to our planet.
Ethos, a California-based startup, is creating groundbreaking technology to turn the moon’s most abundant material, anorthosite, into cement. This key technological advancement has the potential to be a game-changer in rapidly advancing the construction of lunar data centers. A Texas construction technology firm called ICON isn’t looking that far down the road. They want to advance 3D printing methods to build habitats on the lunar surface and on Mars.
The fast-growing space economy is driving a lot of buzz and enthusiasm about establishing these lunar data centers. They are poised to do so, given the industry’s growing demand for real estate. Steinbach reminds us that we’re only at the start of a long and important marathon. With major investments expected to flow, we’re just beginning to create the new infrastructure we need for the future. If anything, in this case, it’s deeper into orbit rather than outside of it on terra firma.
Building data centers on the moon isn’t as crazy of a concept as you might think. It symbolizes a missed opportunity to leverage the vast resources and benefits that space has to offer. Steinbach’s point was to highlight the enormous possibility of space. As he put it, “The sun gives you unlimited power, the vacuum gives you unlimited cooling and you have infinite real estate in the desert to deploy these technologies on.”
As the industrial warehouse sector on Earth faces challenges, evidenced by a national vacancy rate of 8.5% as of May due to tariff uncertainties, certain markets that support the space sector are experiencing significant undersupply. This highlights the opportunity and need for innovative solutions such as the lunar data centers we propose.
Many investors recognize the parallels between today’s nascent space economy and the time when the first railroads crossed our country. Similar to those days, whole communities sprang up along emerging intercity corridors. Steinbach asserts that more development and capital are crucial for supporting the infrastructure needed for this space real estate race. He continued, “You know, when the capital is hungry for good places to put their money, they’re looking for big returns, and this is one of those opportunities.
The joint project of Ethos and Ross Centers also underlines the possibilities of using lunar materials for building on other worlds. DLR Institute for Space Robotics Ross Centers said of Ethos, “Ethos takes the geological resources available on the moon, and it transforms them into buildable props. He continued, “it’s a completely different universe that’s yet to be created, and we create that universe. We just convert it into landing pads, highways, bases for data farms and all of those wonderful things.”
Together, this wave of technological innovation and investment interest creates a rosy outlook for lunar construction projects. As companies and investors align their visions with the possibilities offered by space infrastructure, excitement abounds in this new frontier. The centers ended on a high note. They promised, “Folks are very understandably enthusiastic about this vision! This is what folks have been waiting for. Not every generation gets to offer their citizens an entire new continent to discover.