Data Centers in Space — or a Trillion-Dollar Distraction?

Everyone is talking about building data centers in orbit. The pitch is exciting. The funding is flowing.

But here is the uncomfortable truth: we are not even using the compute already in space.

Today, a significant share of in-orbit computing capacity sits idle. Not because there is no demand — but because we have not solved the fundamentals. And yet, instead of fixing what is broken, the industry is doubling down on building more.

Why? Because building new infrastructure is easier to sell than fixing systemic problems.

Let us be honest about what is holding us back:

• No real standardisation → software must be rewritten for every satellite.
• Weak isolation → operators will not risk third-party code.
• Cybersecurity gaps → too much uncertainty.
• Heavy deployment tools → updates are slow, complex, and inefficient.

Until these issues are solved, adding more compute in space will not unlock value — it will just add more unused capacity.

So the real question is: are we scaling the future, or scaling inefficiency?

The good news: this is solvable.

At Parsimoni, we are tackling the root of the problem with the hardware-agnostic App Store for Satellites, powered by SpaceOS. A platform designed for secure, lightweight, standardised deployment of in-orbit applications — with strict isolation built in.

This is not theoretical. It has already been validated on the ground (in partnership with ESA) and in orbit.

The next wave of value in space will not come from more hardware. It will come from actually using what is already there.

Together with our partners, we are building that future — and we are looking for others who want to do the same.