According to Department of Space (DoS), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is examining whether data centres can be deployed in space, and has already completed an internal preliminary study
The preliminary evaluations indicated that developing a proof of concept on edge computing infrastructure in space is feasible and such a system is being conceived. However, a full-fledged edge computing infrastructure to become a reality, breakthrough development in several areas including in-orbit power generation, radiation hardened graphics processing units (GPUs)/ CPUs, security shield for orbiting satellites, etc need to be pursued.
As the study was preliminary, it was carried out within the department. The satellites equipped with on-board data processing would enable transmission of only the required information to the ground, hence reducing latency for time critical application such as disaster management and strategic applications. Further, on-board processing enables flexibility for communication satellites, as the satellite can be reconfigured in-orbit.
