“Data centers in space, where electricity from the sun is abundant, and cooling is free … This is on the verge of becoming a multi-trillion-dollar industry.”

Michael Gorton
Serial Entrepreneur and Investor
…on a space-based solution for AI, blockchain, and cloud computing energy needs, via LinkedIn.

The founder of telehealth pioneer Teladoc is looking up—way up—for the next big innovation in data centers.

Dallas-based innovator Michael Gorton, a 15-time entrepreneur and investor, points to a growing challenge: AI, blockchain, and cloud computing are consuming massive amounts of energy in traditional data centers. The terrestrial facilities—often spanning 6 million square feet—can use more power than medium-sized towns. Over the next decade, he notes, nearly a trillion dollars will be invested in power infrastructure improvements just to meet data center demands.

One solution? Move those power-hungry operations to space.

In a LinkedIn post, Gorton says about five companies are capable of making this vision a reality, but singles out Phantom Space as being ahead of the curve. The company’s founder, space industry veteran Jim Cantrell, has already secured a patent for his “Phantom Cloud” concept, which promises to reduce costs while increasing efficiency.

While one post commenter notes cooling challenges in the vacuum of space, Gorton suggests that heat radiation there could actually be more efficient since it happens electromagnetically rather than through conduction.

“We love changing the world, and the course of humanity,” Gorton wrote, inviting others to bring their “creativity, work skills, dollars, and resources to the table.”

For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last Word.

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