{"id":87327,"date":"2026-10-15T11:34:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:34:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/?p=87327"},"modified":"2026-10-15T11:35:51","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:35:51","slug":"de-cloud-verlaat-de-aarde","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/de-cloud-verlaat-de-aarde\/","title":{"rendered":"De cloud verlaat de aarde"},"content":{"rendered":"

English version: scroll down<\/span><\/p>\n

Van datacenters op aarde naar een gedistribueerd internet in de ruimte<\/i><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

In mijn vorige blog schreef ik dat de cloud kan worden gebombardeerd<\/b>. Dat klinkt misschien als een provocerende titel, maar het is eigenlijk een heel eenvoudige constatering: de cloud is geen wolk. Het zijn gebouwen. Met servers, kabels, transformatoren, koeling en enorme hoeveelheden energie. En die gebouwen staan ergens. En kabels liggen ergens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Daarmee blijft de cloud onderdeel van onze fysieke wereld. Maar wat als we die gedachte nog \u00e9\u00e9n stap verder doortrekken? Wat als de volgende generatie datacenters helemaal niet meer op aarde staat? Dat klinkt als sciencefiction. Toch wordt er serieus over nagedacht. Onder anderen Elon Musk heeft idee\u00ebn geopperd over datacenters in de ruimte. En wanneer je daar iets langer over nadenkt, ontstaat een fascinerend toekomstbeeld.<\/span><\/p>\n

Niet \u00e9\u00e9n cloud. Niet honderden datacenters verspreid over landen. Maar een wereldwijd computernetwerk waarvan een deel zich buiten de aarde bevindt. In satelietwolken rond de aarde.<\/span><\/p>\n

De ruimte als datacenter<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Op het eerste gezicht lijkt een datacenter in de ruimte absurd. Hoe krijg je daar servers? Hoe onderhoud je ze? Hoe krijg je de data heen en weer? En vooral: hoe koel je zo’n datacenter? Dat laatste is minder vanzelfsprekend dan het klinkt. In de ruimte is geen atmosfeer, dus je kunt niet simpelweg warme lucht naar buiten blazen. Warmte moet uiteindelijk via straling worden afgevoerd. Het is er wel extreem koud, maar in het vacuum is er weinig warmteoverdracht mogelijk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

En er staat nog iets anders belangrijks tegenover. De ruimte biedt een vrijwel onbeperkte toegang tot zonlicht. Op aarde gaat een groot deel van de beschikbare zonne-energie verloren door nacht, wolken, atmosfeer en locatie. In een geschikte baan rond de aarde kan een zonnepaneel veel directer en langduriger energie opvangen. De ruimte heeft dus een merkwaardige combinatie:<\/span><\/p>\n

Veel energie en weinig infrastructuur.<\/b><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Datacenters zouden kunnen worden ontworpen als grote zonne-energiecentrales waaraan compute-capaciteit is gekoppeld. De server wordt dan niet langer een apparaat dat energie verbruikt die ergens anders wordt opgewekt. De server wordt onderdeel van de energie-infrastructuur zelf.<\/span><\/p>\n

Van datacenter naar satellietcluster<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Maar het echte interessante punt is niet \u00e9\u00e9n datacenter in de ruimte. Het gaat om de mogelijkheid om heel veel kleine datacenters met elkaar te verbinden. Daarmee komen we terug bij het idee van Web3. Want Web3 gaat in essentie niet alleen over blockchain of cryptotechniek. Het gaat veel breder over de verschuiving van centrale platforms naar gedistribueerde infrastructuren.<\/span><\/p>\n

Data hoeft niet op \u00e9\u00e9n plek te staan. Identiteit hoeft niet door \u00e9\u00e9n partij te worden beheerd. Transacties hoeven niet via \u00e9\u00e9n centrale tussenpersoon te lopen. En \u2018compute\u2019 hoeft misschien ook niet vanuit \u00e9\u00e9n centraal datacenter te komen. Stel je voor dat duizenden satellieten rond de aarde draaien. Iedere satelliet bevat compute, opslag en communicatie. Via optische verbindingen en andere satellieten vormen ze samen \u00e9\u00e9n groot gedistribueerd netwerk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dan ontstaat iets dat veel lijkt op een Web3-infrastructuur in de ruimte<\/b>. Geen centraal datacenter. Geen centraal internetknooppunt. Maar een netwerk van onafhankelijke, onderling verbonden nodes.<\/span><\/p>\n

En dan verandert het begrip cloud<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

We noemen het nu nog de cloud. Maar eigenlijk is dat een merkwaardig woord. Een cloud suggereert iets abstracts en onzichtbaars. Terwijl onze huidige cloud bestaat uit enorme fysieke concentraties van computers. Misschien is de echte cloud van de toekomst veel letterlijker een netwerk van punten die overal om ons heen aanwezig zijn. Een deel op aarde. Een deel in datacenters. Een deel in satellieten. En misschien uiteindelijk compute op de maan of andere plaatsen in het zonnestelsel. Dan wordt de cloud geen plaats meer. Het wordt een ruimtelijk infrastructuurpatroon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Van geografische redundantie naar planetaire redundantie<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

In mijn vorige blog kwam ik uit bij een eenvoudige vraag: Waar zit mijn single point of failure? <\/i><\/b>We hebben die vraag jarenlang opgelost door meerdere datacenters te bouwen. Eerst \u00e9\u00e9n server. Toen \u00e9\u00e9n datacenter. Daarna meerdere datacenters. Vervolgens meerdere regio’s in de cloud. En uiteindelijk geografisch onafhankelijke locaties. Maar al die oplossingen hebben nog steeds \u00e9\u00e9n gemeenschappelijke eigenschap: Ze staan op aarde. En zijn daardoor fysiek kwetsbaar.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Een grote natuurramp, oorlog, stroomprobleem of geopolitieke gebeurtenis kan meerdere locaties tegelijk raken. Een datacenter in de ruimte verandert dat uitgangspunt fundamenteel. Je gaat van geografische redundantie naar iets wat je bijna planetaire redundantie<\/b> zou kunnen noemen. De infrastructuur bevindt zich niet alleen op verschillende plekken op aarde. Een deel bevindt zich buiten de aarde. Met een enorme redundantie.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Starlink als ontbrekende schakel<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Daarmee komt ook mijn vorige blog over Starlink<\/a> terug. Want een gedistribueerde infrastructuur heeft weinig waarde als de verbinding ermee afhankelijk blijft van dezelfde kwetsbare infra-structuur. Op aarde lopen onze digitale verbindingen grotendeels via glasvezel, telecomnetwerken, internet exchanges en datacenters. Satellieten kunnen daar een extra laag bovenop leggen. Starlink laat al zien dat een grote hoeveelheid satellieten samen een soort wereldwijd netwerk kan vormen. Combineer dat concept met compute. Dan krijg je iets interessants:<\/span><\/p>\n

Communicatie en computation worden onderdeel van hetzelfde gedistribueerde netwerk.<\/b><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Een satelliet is dan niet alleen een doorgeefluik voor data. Het wordt een computer. Een opslagplaats. Een netwerkpunt. En misschien uiteindelijk een volledig autonoom datacenter. Een internet dat niet meer aan \u00e9\u00e9n plek vastzit Daarmee verandert ook onze relatie met fysieke grenzen.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Vandaag is internet nog sterk verbonden met nationale infrastructuur. Data staat in een bepaald land. Een datacenter valt onder een bepaalde jurisdictie. Een internet exchange staat op een bepaalde fysieke locatie. Een kabel komt ergens aan land. Een satellietnetwerk trekt daar een nieuwe laag overheen. Als daar vervolgens compute en opslag aan worden toegevoegd, ontstaat een infrastructuur die veel minder afhankelijk is van \u00e9\u00e9n land, \u00e9\u00e9n datacenter of \u00e9\u00e9n kabel. Dat betekent niet dat geopolitiek verdwijnt. Integendeel.<\/span><\/p>\n

De ruimte wordt waarschijnlijk een nieuw geopolitiek domein. Wie de compute-infrastructuur in de ruimte beheert, krijgt een enorme strategische positie. De vraag is dus niet alleen technisch. Het is ook een vraag over macht, eigendom en digitale soevereiniteit.<\/span><\/p>\n

En dan wordt Web3 ineens heel concreet<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Misschien is dat wel het interessantste aan deze ontwikkeling. Web3 wordt vaak besproken als een abstract digitaal concept. Blockchain. Wallets. Decentralized identity. Smart contracts. Distributed storage. Maar uiteindelijk gaat het om een veel fundamenteler idee:<\/span><\/p>\n

Digitale infrastructuur hoeft niet op \u00e9\u00e9n centrale plek te bestaan.<\/b><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Dat idee wordt veel krachtiger wanneer ook de fysieke infrastructuur zelf gedistribueerd raakt. Van \u00e9\u00e9n server naar een netwerk van servers. Van \u00e9\u00e9n datacenter naar meerdere datacenters. Van meerdere datacenters naar een wereldwijd cloudnetwerk. Van een wereldwijd cloudnetwerk naar een netwerk van datacenters in de ruimte. Dat is geen kleine technische verbetering. Het is een fundamenteel ander architectuurmodel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Misschien is de toekomst geen cloud, maar een constellatie<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

We zijn ooit begonnen met computers in \u00e9\u00e9n ruimte. Daarna kwamen mainframes. Personal computers. Datacenters. De cloud. Edge computing. En nu ontstaat misschien een volgende stap: space computing<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dan wordt de aarde niet langer het centrum van onze digitale infrastructuur.<\/a> De aarde wordt \u00e9\u00e9n van de knooppunten. Misschien staan de meeste gebruikers en apparaten nog steeds hier. Maar de computers die onze data verwerken, kunnen zich op duizenden kilometers afstand bevinden. Een netwerk van satellieten kan data verplaatsen. Een andere satelliet kan de berekening uitvoeren. Een derde kan de data opslaan. Een vierde kan als netwerkroute fungeren. En ergens op aarde gebruikt iemand simpelweg een smartphone en merkt daar niets van. Dat is misschien het meest fascinerende perspectief. De infrastructuur wordt steeds complexer. Maar de ervaring wordt steeds eenvoudiger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Van de cloud naar de ruimte<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

De vorige blog begon met een ongemakkelijke gedachte: de cloud kan worden gebombardeerd. Maar misschien is de volgende stap in dat denken nog interessanter. Als we werkelijk digitale continu\u00efteit willen, moeten we niet alleen zorgen voor meerdere kopie\u00ebn. We moeten nadenken over verschillende fysieke domeinen. Aarde. Lucht. Ruimte. En uiteindelijk misschien zelfs meerdere hemellichamen. Dan ontstaat een digitale infrastructuur die niet meer afhankelijk is van \u00e9\u00e9n gebouw, \u00e9\u00e9n stad, \u00e9\u00e9n land of zelfs \u00e9\u00e9n planeet. De cloud was dus misschien nooit het eindstation.<\/span><\/p>\n

De cloud was slechts een tussenstap. Van fysieke servers naar virtuele infrastructuur. Van centrale infrastructuur naar gedistribueerde infrastructuur. Van aarde naar ruimte. En misschien is de uiteindelijke vraag niet meer: \u201cWaar staat mijn data?\u201d Maar: \u201cIn welk netwerk leeft mijn data?\u201d Dat is een veel fundamentelere vraag. En misschien staat het antwoord over een paar decennia niet meer ergens op aarde. Misschien staat het tussen de sterren.<\/span><\/p>\n

Photo: Created by ChatGPT<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u00a0 <\/span>Vertaald door ChatGPT \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Cloud Is Leaving Earth<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

From Earth-bound data centers to a distributed internet in space<\/i><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

In my previous blog post, I explored the idea that the cloud can be bombed<\/b>. It may sound like a provocative title, but the underlying observation is surprisingly simple: the cloud is not a cloud. It is made of buildings. Buildings filled with servers, cables, transformers, cooling systems, and enormous amounts of electrical power. And those buildings stand somewhere. So do the cables that connect them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The cloud, for all its apparent abstraction, remains firmly rooted in the physical world. But what happens if we take that idea one step further? What if the next generation of data centers no longer resides entirely on Earth?<\/span><\/p>\n

It sounds like science fiction. Yet it is becoming a serious subject of discussion. Elon Musk, among others, has floated ideas about putting data centers in space. And the longer you think about the implications, the more fascinating the possibilities become. Imagine a world with more than just one cloud, or hundreds of data centers scattered across different countries. Imagine a global computing network with a significant part of its infrastructure operating beyond Earth itself, distributed across constellations of satellites orbiting our planet. Not just cloud computing. Something much bigger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Space as a data center<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

At first glance, a data center in space seems absurd. How do you get servers up there? How do you maintain them? How do you move data back and forth? And perhaps most importantly, how do you cool a data center in space?<\/span><\/p>\n

That last question is less straightforward than it might seem. Space is extremely cold, but there is no atmosphere to carry heat away. You cannot simply blow hot air outside, as you would in a conventional data center. Heat must ultimately be dissipated through radiation, which requires carefully designed thermal systems. Still, space offers something that is increasingly valuable to our digital infrastructure: abundant access to solar energy<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Earth, the amount of solar energy we can capture is limited by night, clouds, atmospheric conditions, geography, and the infrastructure needed to convert and distribute that energy. In a suitable orbit, solar panels can receive sunlight more consistently, without many of the interruptions that affect terrestrial installations. Space therefore presents a remarkable combination: access to abundant energy and relatively little conventional infrastructure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Data centers could be designed as large solar-powered computing platforms, with processing capacity built directly into the energy system. Instead of being a facility that consumes electricity generated somewhere else, a server platform in space could become an integral part of the infrastructure that generates and uses its own power.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, the engineering challenges remain substantial. Radiation, maintenance, launch costs, thermal management, and the economics of moving data all have to be addressed. But the underlying idea is worth taking seriously. What if computing no longer had to depend entirely on the energy infrastructure we have built on Earth?<\/span><\/p>\n

From data centers to satellite clusters<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

The truly interesting possibility is not a single data center in space. It is the prospect of connecting thousands of smaller computing platforms into a single, distributed system. And this brings us back to the idea of Web3.<\/span><\/p>\n

Web3 is often associated with blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and smart contracts. But its underlying ambition is broader: a shift away from infrastructure controlled by a small number of centralized platforms toward systems that are more distributed, interconnected, and independently operated. Data does not necessarily have to reside in one place. Digital identity does not necessarily have to be managed by a single organization. Transactions do not always need a central intermediary. And perhaps computing itself does not have to depend on a handful of centralized data centers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now imagine thousands of satellites orbiting Earth, each equipped with some combination of computing power, storage, and communication capabilities. Through optical links and connections with neighboring satellites, they could form an interconnected network capable of distributing workloads and moving data across the constellation. The result would begin to resemble a Web3 infrastructure in space<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not one central data center. Not one central internet hub. But a network of interconnected nodes, potentially operated by different organizations and performing different roles. Some satellites might specialize in processing data. Others might provide storage or relay information across the network. Still others could coordinate connections between space-based systems and users on Earth. The important shift is architectural. Computing, storage, and communication would no longer need to be concentrated in the same physical location. Instead, they could become separate capabilities distributed across a much larger system.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then the meaning of the cloud begins to change<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

We still call it the cloud<\/i>. But the term is somewhat misleading. A cloud suggests something abstract, almost invisible. Yet today’s cloud consists of enormous physical concentrations of computing power, connected by cables and dependent on power grids, cooling systems, buildings, and supply chains.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps the cloud of the future will become more literal in an entirely different way: a network of computing nodes distributed throughout the space around us. Some on Earth. Some in conventional data centers. Some aboard satellites. And perhaps, eventually, computing infrastructure on the Moon or elsewhere in the solar system. At that point, the cloud is no longer really a place. It becomes a spatial pattern of infrastructure.<\/span><\/p>\n

A distributed system whose components exist across different locations, altitudes, and eventually perhaps even celestial bodies. The question is no longer simply where the cloud is hosted. It is how the cloud is organized across physical space.<\/span><\/p>\n

From geographic redundancy to planetary redundancy<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

In my previous blog post, I ended up with a deceptively simple question: Where is my single point of failure? For decades, we have tried to answer that question by adding redundancy. First, there was a single server. Then came the data center. Next, multiple data centers. Then geographically distributed cloud regions. Eventually, organizations began designing systems to survive the loss of entire facilities, cities, or regions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each step reduced the risk of a localized failure bringing everything down. But all these approaches share one fundamental characteristic: their infrastructure still exists on Earth<\/b>. And that means it remains exposed to the physical vulnerabilities of our planet. Natural disasters, wars, power failures, and geopolitical events can affect multiple locations simultaneously. Even geographically separated facilities may depend on the same electricity networks, telecommunications infrastructure, supply chains, or political circumstances.<\/span><\/p>\n

A data center in space would introduce a fundamentally different dimension of resilience. We could move from geographic redundancy toward something that might be called planetary redundancy<\/b>. Instead of distributing infrastructure across different places on Earth, we would distribute part of it beyond Earth altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n

This would not eliminate risk. Space infrastructure has its own vulnerabilities, from solar storms and radiation to orbital debris, hardware failures, and dependence on ground-based control systems. Nor would a satellite network automatically be independent of terrestrial infrastructure. But it would introduce a new physical domain in which critical computing resources could operate. And that changes the resilience equation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal would no longer be simply to ensure that another data center is available if one goes offline. It would be to design digital infrastructure that can continue operating even when an entire category of physical infrastructure is disrupted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Starlink as the missing link<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

This brings me back to my earlier blog post about Starlink<\/a>. A distributed infrastructure has limited value if the connections between its components still depend entirely on the same vulnerable infrastructure it is supposed to replace. Today, much of our digital connectivity relies on terrestrial fiber-optic cables, telecommunications networks, internet exchanges, and data centers. These systems are extraordinarily capable, but they also create physical dependencies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Satellite networks introduce another layer of connectivity. Starlink has already demonstrated how a large constellation of satellites can provide internet access across vast geographical areas. Its existing satellites are primarily designed for communications, not as a network of orbital data centers. But the broader architectural idea is compelling: what happens when we combine satellite connectivity with computing and storage? Something important begins to emerge.<\/span><\/p>\n

Communication and computation become parts of the same distributed network.<\/b><\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

A satellite is no longer just a relay for data traveling between two points. In a future system, it could also be a computing node, a storage resource, a network router, or perhaps eventually part of an autonomous data center. The network would not merely transport information between computers on Earth. It could also process and store that information along the way. The distinction between the network and the infrastructure running on top of it would begin to blur. And the internet itself would become less dependent on any single physical location.<\/span><\/p>\n

An internet that is no longer tied to one place<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

This shift would also change our relationship with physical borders. Today, the internet is deeply entangled with national infrastructure. Data is stored in particular countries. Data centers operate under specific legal jurisdictions. Internet exchanges occupy physical locations. Submarine cables come ashore at particular points along the coast. Digital information may travel globally, but the infrastructure that supports it is firmly embedded in geography and politics.<\/span><\/p>\n

A satellite network introduces another layer above that geography. Add computing and storage, and you begin to imagine an infrastructure that is less dependent on any single country, data center, or terrestrial cable. That does not mean geopolitics disappears. Quite the opposite. Space is likely to become another arena of geopolitical competition. The organizations and countries that control orbital computing infrastructure could acquire enormous strategic advantages. They might influence where data is processed, who can access computing resources, and how resilient critical digital services become.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who owns the satellites?<\/a> Who controls the software? Who decides which workloads can run on the network? Who has the authority to access or restrict the data? These are not merely technical questions. They are questions about power, ownership, and digital sovereignty. A distributed architecture does not automatically create a decentralized system in the political or economic sense. A constellation owned and controlled by a single company could still be highly centralized in terms of governance.<\/span><\/p>\n

The real question is whether we can distribute not only the hardware, but also the control, ownership, and decision-making that shape how the infrastructure operates. That is where the conversation becomes much more interesting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly, Web3 becomes very tangible<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Perhaps this is the most interesting aspect of the entire development. Web3 is often discussed in abstract digital terms: blockchain, wallets, decentralized identity, smart contracts, and distributed storage. But underneath all these technologies lies a more fundamental idea: Digital infrastructure does not have to exist in one central place.<\/span><\/p>\n

That idea becomes much more powerful when the physical infrastructure itself begins to follow the same principle. From one server to a network of servers. From one data center to multiple data centers. From multiple data centers to a globally distributed cloud. And from a globally distributed cloud to a network of computing platforms extending into space.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is not simply another incremental improvement in technology. It represents a potentially different architectural model for the digital world. Of course, putting computers in orbit does not automatically make the internet Web3. Nor does it guarantee decentralization. The architecture, ownership model, governance, and protocols will determine whether such a system genuinely distributes control or merely relocates centralized infrastructure beyond the atmosphere. But the possibility is worth exploring. What if the next stage of the internet involves not just decentralizing software and data, but also distributing the physical infrastructure on which our digital lives depend?<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps the future is not a cloud, but a constellation<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Our digital infrastructure has evolved through a series of transformations. Computers began in individual rooms. Mainframes followed. Then came personal computers, data centers, cloud computing, and edge computing. Each generation changed where computing happened, how it was delivered, and who could access it. Perhaps the next step is space computing<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In that world, Earth would no longer be the sole center of our digital infrastructure. It would become one node in a much larger system. Most users and devices might still be here on Earth. But the computers processing their data could be thousands of kilometers away. One satellite might relay information. Another might perform the computation. A third might store the results. A fourth might provide the next network connection. And somewhere on Earth, someone opens an app on a smartphone without noticing any of it. That may be the most fascinating aspect of this future.<\/span><\/p>\n

The infrastructure becomes increasingly complex, distributed, and geographically dispersed. Yet the experience for the user becomes simpler. We do not need to know which server processes a request today. In the future, we might not even need to know which planet, orbital platform, or network node does the work. We simply expect the service to function. The complexity disappears behind the experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the cloud to space<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

My previous blog post began with an uncomfortable thought: the cloud can be bombed. But perhaps the next step in that line of thinking is even more interesting. If we genuinely want digital continuity, we cannot rely on multiple copies of our data alone. We need to think about distributing the infrastructure itself across different physical domains. Earth. The atmosphere. Space. And perhaps, eventually, multiple celestial bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n

The objective would be to build digital infrastructure that does not depend entirely on a single building, city, country, or even planet. That does not mean we will abandon terrestrial data centers anytime soon. Earth will remain an extraordinarily important place for computing, particularly for applications that require low latency, frequent maintenance, and direct access to users. But the future may be more distributed than our current understanding of the cloud suggests.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps the cloud was never the final destination. Perhaps it was simply an intermediate step. From physical servers to virtualized infrastructure. From centralized systems to distributed networks. From infrastructure rooted entirely on Earth to infrastructure that extends into space. And maybe, in a few decades, the most important question will no longer be: Where is my data stored? Instead, we may ask: Which network does my data live in?<\/span><\/p>\n

That is a much more fundamental question. Because when computing, storage, and communication become distributed across a planetary\u2014or even interplanetary\u2014infrastructure, data is no longer defined by the place where it resides. It is defined by the network that sustains it. And perhaps, a few decades from now, the answer to where our digital world lives will no longer be found somewhere on Earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps it will be written among the stars.<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Perhaps the cloud was never the final destination. Perhaps it was simply an intermediate step. From physical servers to virtualized infrastructure. From centralized systems to distributed networks. From infrastructure rooted entirely on Earth to infrastructure that extends into space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":87330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1024,71,75,138],"tags":[546,1156,644,1157,649,651,680,682,905,965,1148,1149,1150,1151,1152,1153,230,1154,517,1155],"class_list":["post-87327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economische-groei","category-digital-economy","category-innovation","category-strategie","tag-digitalinfrastructure","tag-cloudinfrastructure","tag-decentralization","tag-interplanetaryinternet","tag-starlink","tag-satelliteinternet","tag-cloudcomputing","tag-artificialintelligence","tag-datacenters","tag-edgecomputing","tag-spacecomputing","tag-distributedinfrastructure","tag-planetaryredundancy","tag-resilientinfrastructure","tag-futureoftheinternet","tag-spacetechnology","tag-web3","tag-techinnovation","tag-digitalsovereignty","tag-internetofthings"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hanstimmerman.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/84392ca5-af38-4cdb-be43-443c660948a0.png?fit=1536%2C1024&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87327"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87334,"href":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87327\/revisions\/87334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hanstimmerman.me\/nl_nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}