Axiom Space, which has long announced plans to build a space data center, the Orbital Data Center (ODC), has shared its plans for the near future. It intends to build the first nodes in space by the end of 2025, the company’s press service reports. According to The Register, the startup also plans to create its own space station and use SpaceX capsules for manned missions.
The nodes, which will be part of the Kepler Communications optical laser network, will be able to operate independently of ground infrastructure and, along with other “smart” satellites, will be able to perform fairly complex calculations and store data on board. As Axiom promises, the ODC will provide a secure and scalable cloud platform. The space data center will be able to support tasks related to AI and machine learning, working directly with satellites, their constellations, and other spacecraft in low-Earth orbit.
According to an Axiom spokesperson, the company has been working on ODC since testing the AWS Snowcone module on the ISS, which is designed to collect, store, and transmit data, as well as process it at the edge. Since then, the company has conducted a series of demonstrations of Earth-independent cloud solutions. In the near future, it plans to send the AxDCU-1 device, powered by Red Hat solutions, to the ISS.
Image source: Kepler
In 2023, Axiom Space announced plans to demonstrate high-speed optical intersatellite communications (OISL) in the first module of the company’s commercial space station. However, the modules have been repeatedly delayed. In late 2024, Axiom Space changed its plans for the space station assembly order. Now, the Payload Power Thermal Module (AxPPTM) is to be launched first, followed by the habitation module, in order to quickly wean itself off the ISS.
The first series of Kepler satellites for space optical communications is planned to launch in the fourth quarter of 2025. According to Kepler itself, Axiom has entered into an agreement with it to host the payload – its first computing modules – on two Kepler satellites. The ODC nodes will be provided with optical links at speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps with the Kepler constellation in low Earth orbit and other satellites compatible with the SDA Tranche 1 space communications standards.
According to experts, the development of optical communications in space has received a big boost in the last few years due to significant investments in the industry by commercial entities, the Pentagon and NASA. In the future, it is planned to integrate new OISL solutions with data transfer rates of 10 Gbit/s into the optical communications system, as well as to use optical modules to connect future ODC nodes to the Earth. This will simplify communications between satellite groups and ground communication stations.