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[Scott Manley] Does It Make Sense To Put Data Centers In Space? Can They Really Cost Less To Operate? (www.youtube.com)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/24946971

TL;DW:

Does It Make Sense To Put Data Centers In Space?

At some point in the future, yes.

Can They Really Cost Less To Operate?

In theory, yes.

Scott expresses concerns that current startups have not adequately addressed some of the practical challenges, such as cooling.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (6 children)

Up there the sun always shines (assuming a convenient sun synchronous orbit), so you have access to uninterrupted solar power. That's the only advantage I can think of. You're going to need a lot of solar panels though, and even more radiators to radiate all the heat away. And a number of other disadvantages.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Considering some data centers basically need a power plant to run, the amount of solar panels needed would be insane. Plus, unless you keep the data center between the planet and the sun, you still have shade.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

There is such a thing as Sun-synchronous polar orbits (an example).

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Neat

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