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Sophia Space and Caltech Win Patent for Modular, Passively Cooled Orbital Data Centers

The patent could clear a path for scalable space-based computing that lets AI processes run in orbit to cut latency and reduce downlink demand.

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An artist’s conception shows a data center satellite that makes use of Sophia Space’s tile-based architecture. (Sophia Space Illustration)

Overview

  • U.S. Patent No. 12,679,564 for a “Space‑Based Data Centers” architecture was issued on July 14, 2026 and is jointly owned by Sophia Space and the California Institute of Technology.
  • The patent lists seven inventors drawn from JPL, Caltech and Sophia Space, and Sophia says those inventors retain equity and consulting roles with the company.
  • The claimed TILE architecture uses flat modular tiles that carry solar cells on the sunlit side, radiate waste heat from the dark side, and link by fiber optics so only data is shared between modules.
  • Sophia Space has a sponsored research agreement with Caltech, says it has raised $22 million, plans a 2027 on‑orbit TILE demonstration on an Apex Nova bus, and projects initial product sales in 2028 with multi‑satellite tests in 2029–2030.
  • The design builds on Caltech’s space solar power research and aims to let satellites and edge platforms run AI inference in low Earth orbit to lower latency, save ground bandwidth, and change how sensitive or time‑critical data is handled.