Lonestar’s Freedom Data Centre: Why We’re Sending Data Storage to the Moon In February

The first data centre on the moon will launch next month, with Florida-based Lonestar Data Holdings launching the “Freedom Data Centre”. This is a compact information hub that will be sent aboard an upcoming lunar lander mission by Intuitive Machines, who have space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch in February.

SpaceX Is Launching a Data Centre to the Moon

This is no gimmick, there could potentially be benefits of being able to store data on the Moon. It provides a level of security in case anything puts Earth-based data at risk. It will also harness the power of the sun to run the mini data centre, which could prove a lot more environmentally friendly when compared to a lot of the data centres here on Earth.

The Florida company has already attracted partners and supporters that will boost the profile of the project, including AI firm Valkyrie as well as the state of Florida, the Isle of Man, and band Imagine Dragons, who have teamed up with Bethesda Games Studio to debut a track via the Moon.

Children of the Sky (A Starfield Song) is the aptly-named song, and the track “will be transmitted back to Earth from the surface of the Moon as part of Lonestar’s Freedom Mission flying with Intuitive Machines to the South Lunar Pole in early 2025,” 

Lonestar managed to test data storage on the moon in February last year and on board the ISS back in 2021. This doesn’t mean it will be easy, and the harsh environment as well as difficulties maintaining the data centre will be a huge challenge. The data centre will have a ground-based backup, so don’t expect stories of lost Bitcoin or family photos on the Moon.