From Grid to Orbit: Space Data Centers and Economy at Scale

Overview

Data centers in orbit: infrastructure, operations, and policy

This workshop brings together participants from industry, government, and academia to explore both research frontiers and practical challenges in building data centers and computing infrastructure in orbital environments.

As data center expansion on Earth places growing demands on existing power grids and water systems, computing in orbit is emerging as a bold complement to terrestrial infrastructure.

Our goal is to identify emerging issues and possible collaborations toward building large-scale space data centers — and to define how each sector can contribute to this integrated effort, from earth-to-orbit supply chains to in-space assembly, operations, and policy.

Workshop topics

In-space computing architectures and data-center infrastructure
In-space manufacturing, assembly, and deployment
Launch logistics, operations, and supply chain management — including earth-to-orbit supply chains connecting launch activities to "last-mile" logistics for in-space data center assembly
Business models, investment, and economic viability
Regulatory and policy landscape
AI and data workloads for orbital platforms
Resilience, security, and fault tolerance
In-space autonomous systems, human-robot interaction and teaming

Who you'll hear from

All speakers and panelists are listed alphabetically by last name.

Speakers

Todd Allen

Chihiro Kikuchi Collegiate Professor; Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering, University of Michigan

Nathaniel Bleier

Assistant Professor, Computer Science & Engineering, University of Michigan

Chris Giebink

Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan

Koki Ho

Dutton-Ducoffe Professor & Associate Professor, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech

Benjamin Jorns

Professor, Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan

Mack Kira

Professor of EECS & Physics, Co-director, Quantum Research Institute, University of Michigan

Cara Leckey, Ph.D.

Center Chief Technologist, Office of the Director, NASA Langley Research Center

Di Liang

Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan

Tengfei Luo

Professor, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Zetian Mi

Pallab K. Bhattacharya Collegiate Professor of Engineering; Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan

Siqian Shen

Professor, Industrial and Operations Engineering & Civil and Environmental Engineering; Associate Director, MICDE, University of Michigan

Leia Stirling

Professor, Director of Center for Ergonomics, Industrial and Operations Engineering & Robotics, University of Michigan

Lulu Zhao

Assistant Professor, Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (CLaSP), University of Michigan

Shasha Zou

Professor, Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (CLaSP), University of Michigan

Panelists and Other Key Participants

Linkan Bian

Professor & Department Head, School of Industrial Engineering and Management, Oklahoma State University

Kwang-Cheng Chen

Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida

Alexander Cucos

GNC Engineer II, SpaceX

Gianluca Cusatis

Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University

Karthik Duraisamy

Arthur B. Modine Professor of Engineering; Samir and Puja Kaul Director of MICDE, University of Michigan

Yueyue Fan

Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, UC Davis

Michael Fletcher

President, MJF Consulting, LLC

Song Gao

Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst

John Gearig

Aethero

Oliver Jia-Richards

Assistant Professor, Aerospace Engineering & Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan

Harrison Kim

Program Director, National Science Foundation (NSF), ENG/CMMI; Professor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Jingjing Li

Professor, Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Penn State University

Max Li

Assistant Professor, Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan

Priyank Patel

Aerospace Engineer, Aethero

Seetha Raghavan

Program Director, National Science Foundation (NSF), ENG; Professor & Associate Dean, College of Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Muhammad Shahbaz

Assistant Professor, Computer Science & Engineering, University of Michigan

Chun-Yung Sung

Space Force MD2-STS Technical Director and Chief Engineer; former Technical Director & Chief Architect, Raytheon Intelligence and Space, Lockheed Martin, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, and Bell Labs

Serife Tol

Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan

Daniel Welling

Assistant Professor, Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (CLaSP), University of Michigan; Director, Center for Space Environment Modeling

Venue & Accommodation

Getting here & where to stay

Venue

Day 1 (Thursday, September 24): Rackham Amphitheater, 4th Floor, Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan, 915 E Washington St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 — through the afternoon panels, then the group moves to the IOE Building on North Campus for the poster session, reception, and career fair (4:00–5:30 PM).

Day 2 (Friday, September 25): IOE Commons, G690 & G610, 1205 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109.

Please note: food and drinks are not permitted in the Rackham Amphitheater (only water is allowed); no breakfast will be served during Thursday check-in.

Getting to the Rackham Amphitheater (Day 1)

The Rackham Building is on Central Campus at 915 E. Washington St., at the corner of Washington and Fletcher; the Amphitheater is on the 4th floor. Open in Google Maps · Rackham Building information (rackham.umich.edu). Metered street parking and the nearby Forest and Church Street structures serve the building; U-M campus buses (Central Campus routes) and TheRide also stop within a short walk.

Rackham Graduate School building, University of Michigan

Rackham Graduate School — the Amphitheater is on the 4th floor.

Getting to the IOE Building (Day 1 late afternoon & Day 2)

The Industrial and Operations Engineering Building is on North Campus at 1205 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109. Open in Google Maps · Department of Industrial & Operations Engineering (ioe.engin.umich.edu) · Directions & contact info. On Thursday, the group travels from Rackham to the IOE Building for the Poster Session and Reception, after the Government and Industry Panel (ending at around 3:30 PM). Visitor parking is available in the North Campus structures near Beal Avenue, and the free U-M Blue Bus routes connect North Campus to Central Campus and downtown hotels.

North Campus courtyard near the IOE Building, University of Michigan

North Campus, near the IOE Building.

Getting between Central Campus and North Campus

The University of Michigan's Central Campus (downtown Ann Arbor) and North Campus are about 2 miles / 10 minutes apart by car, separated by the Huron River. The easiest connection is the free U-M campus bus system, which anyone may ride — no ID required. Blue Buses on the Commuter North and Bursley–Baits routes run every 5–10 minutes on weekdays between the Central Campus Transit Center (on North University Ave.) and North Campus stops including the Duderstadt Center and Pierpont Commons; the ride takes about 10–15 minutes. Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) between the two campuses typically costs $8–12 and takes under 10 minutes. Walking is possible but not recommended between sessions — it's a 35–45 minute uphill route via the Broadway or Fuller Road bridges. TheRide (AAATA) public buses also connect downtown with the Plymouth Road corridor near the DoubleTree.

Traveling to Ann Arbor

By air. The closest major airport is Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), about 25 miles (30–40 minutes by car) from Ann Arbor, with nonstop service from most major U.S. cities and many international destinations. Ground options from DTW include rental cars, taxis and rideshare (Uber/Lyft, typically $50–70 to Ann Arbor), and the Michigan Flyer / AirRide motorcoach, which runs frequent daily departures between DTW and downtown Ann Arbor (Blake Transit Center) at roughly $15–18 one way; advance booking is recommended.

By train. Amtrak's Wolverine line serves the Ann Arbor station (325 Depot St.) with several daily trains connecting Chicago, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Detroit, and Pontiac. The station is a 10–15 minute walk or short rideshare from Central Campus and downtown hotels.

By car. Ann Arbor is reached via I-94 (east–west) and US-23 (north–south), about 45 minutes from Detroit and 4 hours from Chicago. Visitor parking is available in public structures and lots; workshop-specific parking guidance will be posted with the venue details.

Getting around. Downtown Ann Arbor and Central Campus are compact and walkable. TheRide (AAATA) local buses, free U-M campus buses, and rideshare cover longer hops, including between downtown hotels and North Campus.

Hotel options — nights of September 23 & 24

Room blocks under the group name "U-M Space Data Center Workshop" have been reserved at the hotels below (the Residence Inn block is under "UM Industrial Operations Engineering Block"). Rates are per night, plus tax. Please book through the guest booking links before each block expires — the earliest deadline is August 23, 2026.

Hotel	Nightly rate	Parking	Room block
DoubleTree by Hilton Ann Arbor North 3600 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105	$142 + tax	No charge	Expires Sept 6, 2026 Guest booking link →
Vanguard Hotel 201 Glen Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104	$269 + tax	Valet only: $40 per night	Expires Sept 2, 2026 Guest booking link →
Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown 120 W. Huron St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104	$180 + tax (breakfast included)	Valet: $38 per night · off-site parking in nearby Ashley and Ann garage	Expires Aug 23, 2026 Guest booking link →

About the hotels. The DoubleTree Ann Arbor North sits on Plymouth Road closest to North Campus (roughly a mile away, a few minutes by car or bus), with free on-site parking — the most convenient and economical option if the venue is on North Campus. The Vanguard Hotel, an Autograph Collection property on Glen Avenue, is the most upscale of the three and sits right at the edge of Central Campus, steps from the Medical Campus and a short walk to downtown. The Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown is in the heart of downtown on Huron Street, with suite-style rooms and breakfast included, within easy walking distance of Central Campus, restaurants, and the Amtrak station.

Logistics

Practical guides for the day

A few printable references to help you get around and stay connected during the workshop.

Parking & Bus Guide

Where to park near the Rackham Building on Central Campus for Day 1, including nearby structures and lots, approximate rates, and walking distances — plus how to use the free University of Michigan Blue Bus to move between Central and North Campus over the course of the workshop.

Download Parking & Bus Guide (PDF)

WiFi Guide

Step-by-step instructions for connecting to WiFi on the University of Michigan campus, for attendees who are not U-M students, faculty, or staff and need a visitor connection for the workshop.

Download WiFi Guide (PDF)

Lunch Guide

A list of restaurants and quick lunch options within walking distance of the Rackham Building on Central Campus, for the Day 1 lunch break, 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM (lunch on your own). Cross from Rackham is Michigan League (https://uunions.umich.edu/league/) where there is a dinning place for quick lunches.

Download Lunch Guide (PDF)

Getting to the Reception — Blue Bus, 3:30 – 4:00 PM (Day 1)

Student volunteers will be stationed at the Blue Bus stops just outside the Rackham Building from 3:30 – 4:00 PM on Thursday, September 24, to help guests catch the right bus and guide them back to the IOE Building on North Campus.

Evening & Day 2 Venue: IOE Building

The Poster Session & Reception takes place at the IOE Building, 1205 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, from 4:00 – 5:30 PM on Thursday, September 24.

On the morning of Friday, September 25, all meetings and mingling take place in the same IOE Building, across both IOE Commons and IOE G690.

Agenda

Thursday–Friday, September 24–25, 2026

Day 1 (Thursday) meets in the Rackham Amphitheater, 4th Floor, Rackham Graduate School through the afternoon panels, then moves to the IOE Building on North Campus for the poster session, reception, and career fair. Day 2 (Friday morning) meets in the IOE Commons, G690/G610. All times Eastern.

DAY 1 — THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 · MORNING (Rackham Amphitheater, 4th Floor)

8:00 – 8:30 AM

Registration & check-in

Please note: food and drinks are not permitted in the auditorium; only water is allowed; no breakfast will be served.

8:30 – 8:40 AM

Welcome Remarks

Todd Allen, Chihiro Kikuchi Collegiate Professor; Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering, University of Michigan

8:40 – 8:45 AM

Workshop Vision, Goals & Logistics

Siqian Shen (Organizing Committee Chair; Professor, IOE & CEE; Associate Director, MICDE, UMich)

8:45 – 9:15 AM

Keynote: Building the Lunar Frontier

Cara Leckey, Ph.D., Center Chief Technologist, Office of the Director, NASA Langley Research Center

This presentation will give an overview of NASA's current plans to establish a permanent Moon base. Realization of this goal requires advancements in off-earth manufacturing, payload handling and logistics, lunar infrastructure construction and sustainment, autonomous assembly, and data handling and analysis.

25-min talk + 5-min Q&A

9:15 – 10:30 AM

Technical Talk Session 1

Five talks, each 15 min:

9:15 · Orbital Computing: Feasibility and Challenges — Nathaniel Bleier, Assistant Professor, Computer Science & Engineering, University of Michigan
9:30 · From Chip to Orbit: Integrated Photonics for Space-Based Computing, Communications and Beyond — Di Liang, Professor, EECS, University of Michigan
9:45 · Space Weather Operational Risks: Thermospheric Drag & Ionospheric Irregularities — Shasha Zou, Professor, CLaSP, University of Michigan
10:00 · In-Space Logistics and Its Challenges — Koki Ho, Dutton-Ducoffe Professor & Associate Professor, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech
10:15 · Human-Robot Teaming in Space — Leia Stirling, Professor, Director of Center for Ergonomics, IOE & Robotics, University of Michigan

10:30 – 10:40 AM

Water Break & Panel Setup

10:40 – 11:15 AM

Panel 1: Building in Space — Infrastructure Management & Operations at Scale

In-space manufacturing, construction, and assembly; deployment and servicing operations; autonomous systems and human-robot teaming for in-space assembly and servicing; in-space logistics and its operational challenges; earth-to-orbit supply chains

Panel Lead: Max Li (AERO/IOE/CEE, UMich); Serife Tol (ME, UMich)
Panelists: Linkan Bian (Professor & Department Head, IEM, Oklahoma State University); Gianluca Cusatis (Professor, CEE, Northwestern University); Yueyue Fan (Professor, CEE, UC Davis); Koki Ho (Associate Professor, Aero, Georgia Tech); Jingjing Li (Professor, IME, Penn State); Shasha Zou (Professor, CLaSP, UMich)

11:15 – 11:45 AM

Government and Industry Panel: Policy, Business Models, Funding, and Collaboration

Open-floor session with interaction from participants and the audience, focused on policy design, business models, potential funding mechanism, and collaboration opportunities across academia, industry, and government.

Panel Lead: Siqian Shen (Professor, IOE & CEE; Associate Director, MICDE, UMich)
Panelists: Michael Fletcher (MJF Consulting; former NASA); Harrison Kim (NSF); Cara Leckey (NASA); Priyank Patel (Aethero); Seetha Raghavan (NSF)

11:45 AM – 1:00 PM

Lunch on your own

See the "Logistics" tab for a list of nearby dining options, which will also be provided at check-in table.
Speakers and panelists will join an invitation-only lunch discussion in the East Conference Room on the 4th floor of Rackham (outside the Amphitheater on the same floor; box lunches are provided in the invitation-only luncheon session).

DAY 1 — THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 · AFTERNOON (Rackham Amphitheater, 4th Floor), THEN IOE BUILDING

1:00 – 1:30 PM

Keynote: Overview of the USSF Institute: Space Power and Propulsion for Agility, Responsiveness, and Resilience (SPAR)

Benjamin Jorns, Professor, Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan

SPAR is a five-year, $35M USSF Space Strategic Technology Institute developing advanced space power and propulsion technologies. Led by the University of Michigan with seven university partners and ten small businesses, and advised by aerospace primes and government partners, the institute advances next-generation space power and propulsion capabilities. This talk overviews SPAR's goals, organizational structure, and recent results.

25-min talk + 5-min Q&A

1:30 – 2:45 PM

Technical Talk Session 2

Five talks, each 15 min:

1:30 · Solar Energetic Particles and Data Center Resilience: Forecasting the Risk with CLEAR Space Weather Center of Excellence — Lulu Zhao, Assistant Professor, CLaSP, University of Michigan
1:45 · Quantum Solutions for Computing, Sensing, and Navigation in Space — Mack Kira, Professor of EECS & Physics, Co-director, Quantum Research Institute, University of Michigan
2:00 · Data Centers in Orbit: Thermal and Energy Feasibility from Chip to Radiator — Tengfei Luo, Professor, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame
2:15 · Microconcentrating photovoltaics for space power — Chris Giebink, Professor, EECS, University of Michigan
2:30 · Emerging Ferroelectric Nitride Technologies for Space and Data-Center Electronics — Zetian Mi, Professor of EECS, University of Michigan

2:45 – 2:55 PM

Water Break & Panel Setup

2:55 – 3:30 PM

Panel 2: Computing & Ecosystem in Orbit — Infrastructure, AI/Data Workloads, Energy Control

In-space computing hardware and system architectures; AI and data workloads for orbital platforms; resilience, security & fault tolerance; data-center infrastructure and operations in orbit; space communications; power and energy control; thermal management.

Panel Lead: Nathaniel Bleier (CSE, UMich)
Panelists: Alexander Cucos (GNC Engineer II, SpaceX); Kwang-Cheng Chen (Professor, EE, USF); Karthik Duraisamy (Professor, AERO; Director, MICDE, UMich); John Gearig (Aethero); Chun-Yung Sung (Space Force MD2-STS Technical Director and Chief Engineer); Daniel Welling (Assistant Professor, CLaSP, UMich)

3:30 – 4:00 PM

Head to the IOE Building (North Campus)

Travel from the auditorium to the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering building; directions and transportation guidance will be provided on site.

4:00 – 5:30 PM

Poster Session and Reception — IOE Building

Student poster session; drinks & light refreshments; social networking; meeting collaborators and employers (career fair)

Closing remarks — Siqian Shen, Workshop Organizing Committee Chair

DAY 2 — FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 · HALF DAY (9:00 AM – 11:30 AM) — IOE Commons, G690, G610

8:30 – 9:00 AM

Check-in & light breakfast (in IOE G610)

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Day 2 Opening & Framing

Siqian Shen, Workshop Organizing Committee Chair — summary of discussion from previous day

9:30 – 11:30 AM

Meeting and Discussion (in IOE G690)

We have tables set up with themes related to Day 1's Panel 1, Panel 2, and Gov & Industry panel.
Attendees are encouraged to join their interested tables and further discuss. Student volunteers will take notes for preparing our final workshop report. (The report will be shared with government agencies, universities and industry collaborators for dissemination purposes.)
We also provide open networking space for forming new research collaborations across institutions and sectors.

Coffee and snacks will be provided.

11:30 AM

Workshop Adjourns

Poster Submission

Call for student posters

Students and postdoctoral researchers are invited to present posters during the poster session, reception, and career fair, 4:00 – 5:30 PM on September 24, in the IOE Building (North Campus).

Posters may address any workshop topic: in-space computing architectures and hardware; in-space manufacturing, assembly, and deployment; launch logistics and earth-to-orbit supply chains; AI and data workloads for orbital platforms; resilience, security, and fault tolerance; autonomous systems and human-robot teaming; business models and economic viability; regulatory and policy issues; and environmental, energy, and sustainability dimensions of data centers on Earth and in space.

Key dates

Poster abstract submission deadline: Monday, September 14, 2026
Notification of acceptance: Friday, September 18, 2026
Workshop & poster session: Thursday, September 24, 2026

Format & logistics

Recommended poster size: 36″ × 48″ (portrait or landscape); easels and poster boards provided
All poster presenters must also register for the workshop (registration is free)

Submit a poster abstract

Organizing Committee