European Institute of Space Policy (ESPI) in the report from 5 August 2026 year warns, that Europe risks becoming dependent on the orbital computing infrastructure of the US and China. The rate of development of space data centers (ODC) these countries are significantly ahead of the European ones.
The rapid progress of China is especially noted. IN 2025 ADA Space company launched the first 12 satellites of the Three-Body network (planned 2800 satellites). IN 2026 China confirmed successful orbital tests of computing capabilities. Other Chinese companies (China Mobile, Comospace, Shanghai Xingshu тощо) are also actively deploying their own networks. Beijing sees orbital computing as a strategic priority for technological sovereignty and setting global standards.
In the USA, development is mainly commercial: companies Starcloud and Cowboy Space have already received the status of "unicorns" with a rating of more than 1 billion dollars each.
Europe, on the other hand, is limited to research and small demonstrations. There is no full-scale deployment strategy. ESPI recommends to the European Union:
recognize ODC as a priority of technological sovereignty;
to create a flagship initiative within the framework of the EU research program for 2028-2034;
to ensure early demand from the European Space Agency and the EU through contracts for data processing in space;
launch the "European ODC Challenge" to support start-ups;
actively participate in the formation of international standards and regulation.
Without urgent coordinated action, Europe may lose ground in space computing to the US and China.
Source: https://spacenews.com