Why does Baiju Bhatt think AI data centers should be built in space?

Baiju Bhatt told Shawn Ryan that orbital data centers avoid the costs people complain about on the ground. Satellites in a sun-synchronous polar orbit are lit almost continuously, so ordinary solar panels produce more power. Orbit needs no land, water or real-estate permits, and the satellites are not plugged into any local grid, so they add nothing to household power or water bills.

• Shawn Ryan framed the episode as a follow-up to his interview with Erin Brockovich about data centers' energy and water use.
• Bhatt said data centers are unpopular in American politics but need not be if they are built in orbit.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on The Shawn Ryan Show (2026-10-27). Read the whole episode summary →

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