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GMoromisato 2 hours ago [-]
If data centers in space end up being economically viable, then I don't see how anyone can catch SpaceX. They are ten years ahead in both launch capability and satellite manufacturing.
zactato 42 minutes ago [-]
How are they solving the heat dissipation issues?
lopsotronic 13 minutes ago [-]
For real. It's an enormous problem solved only with 1) sheer scale, and 2) Science Fiction.
Both of those are expensive as hell, by the way.
Cooling via radiation follows Stefan–Boltzmann: P = εσAT⁴. Let's assume a good surface (emissivity ~0.9) at 300 K (27 °C) at 400 W per square meter per side. A flat panel radiating from both faces into deep space gets 800 W/m, not including the losses from, say, the Sun, or from IR coming off the Earth. Now, input power. Sunlight in orbit ~1,360 W/m², assume ~22% cell efficiency, we got 300 W/m². So each 1 MW compute, 3,300 m² of solar panel and minimum 1,200–1,500 m² of radiator.
In case ya didn't know - 1 MW is tiny from a present-day-datacenter perspective. It's like 8 racks. So we're talking orbital megastructures here, many many many square kilometers, and this is with all the best case assumptions, and magic radiator panels that never see the sun, or the earth, or the moon.
This is just the basic numbers here, by the way. There's a garbage truck full of other unsolvable problems if you poke your head in there.
Aside from the "Avoid Regulations" aspect, and the "Everything That Burns Deorbiting is Depreciation" aka "The Starlink Trick", I'm not sure what the hell the draw is.
xnx 27 minutes ago [-]
No solution, but that is the crux of the problem. They probably need to make a radiator that 1000x smaller and lighter.
That's the neat part: you don't (ergo, this is yet another marketing crap)
10xDev 4 hours ago [-]
And just like that Elon Musk shifted the overton window away from "unthinkable" on yet another topic.
GMoromisato 2 hours ago [-]
It's physically impossible
It's technically impossible
It won't be profitable <= You are here
It's bad for the environment
It needs to be nationalized
This is just a joke, obviously, but the debate over on ArsTechnica about Falcon 9 going away is all about how it needs to be nationalized.
zactato 42 minutes ago [-]
I think one of the reasons for putting these in space is to move them beyond the borders of any national control.
GMoromisato 22 minutes ago [-]
You can't launch from the US without the federal government giving you permission. And SpaceX does not have (nor are they planning) any launch pads outside the US. [And because of ITAR, I'm not even sure they'd be allowed to build one.]
However, I do think avoiding local control (state/city permits) is a reason for this.
Both of those are expensive as hell, by the way.
Cooling via radiation follows Stefan–Boltzmann: P = εσAT⁴. Let's assume a good surface (emissivity ~0.9) at 300 K (27 °C) at 400 W per square meter per side. A flat panel radiating from both faces into deep space gets 800 W/m, not including the losses from, say, the Sun, or from IR coming off the Earth. Now, input power. Sunlight in orbit ~1,360 W/m², assume ~22% cell efficiency, we got 300 W/m². So each 1 MW compute, 3,300 m² of solar panel and minimum 1,200–1,500 m² of radiator.
In case ya didn't know - 1 MW is tiny from a present-day-datacenter perspective. It's like 8 racks. So we're talking orbital megastructures here, many many many square kilometers, and this is with all the best case assumptions, and magic radiator panels that never see the sun, or the earth, or the moon.
This is just the basic numbers here, by the way. There's a garbage truck full of other unsolvable problems if you poke your head in there.
Aside from the "Avoid Regulations" aspect, and the "Everything That Burns Deorbiting is Depreciation" aka "The Starlink Trick", I'm not sure what the hell the draw is.
TPU: 100,000+ watts/square-meter
Radiator: ~300 watts/square-meter
https://youtu.be/ktdbUIZKeSE?t=76
However, I do think avoiding local control (state/city permits) is a reason for this.