Don’t forget power it as well. Watched a video where someone did the math and to generate the power required of a typical data center you’d need a solar array something like 40 times the size of the one on the ISS. It would be an absolute behemoth of a satellite and that’s without taking into account the cooling which would likely double the size again. Of course once you get that big then you have to worry about keeping the thing in orbit because moving that much mass isn’t exactly easy. No matter how you slice it it’s a stupid ass idea that doesn’t work.
Power is pretty much the only part of space data centres that does make sense. You can put them in an orbit to get 24hr solar power and its stronger than on the ground as there’s no atmosphere in the way. Large foldable solar panels are available, and unlike radiators you don’t have to pump liquids through them.
Other than hype (which is by far the major driving force behind companies talking about them) access to that power without regulation is the reason you would want to put them in space.
It still doesn’t make sense because of the power density. The size of the solar array you would need is completely impractical. Even a “large foldable solar panel” isn’t going to cut it. Most satellites are relatively low power and even then the size of the solar arrays they have relative to the volume of the satellite is massive. Something as energy hungry as a data center pretty much demands a “small” nuclear generator to power it and the practicality of getting that into orbit nevermind the issues when it eventually de-orbits makes that a nonstarter.
Also, with all that surface area on panels, I feel like there’s a way of having them double as heat radiators - one side captures energy, the other radiates it out…
The solar panels have to be kept cool too though, moving electrons through the panels is generating heat before it even gets to a processor and without air, cooling them will require radiators of their own.
Unrelated, but anyone deep enough in the comments to read this, you might consider checking out the game Stationeers - a brutally complex base/space station/colony building game that will eat years of your life if you let it, stay away. Huge fun.
Could you live without learning a made-up assembly-like programing language just so you can have your solar panels track the sun, only to find out you know very little about “azimuth” and “elevation” and now your potatoes aren’t growing because you can’t power that grow light.
I mean, you could, but are you even living at that point?
Did you mention how fun it is to find out you got your gaseous fuel stoichiometry wrong? It’s a blast.
I’ve actually done both those things in real life believe it or not. But for the solar tracking I went lazy and used a pair of photoresistors and some canned PID code with a little tuning for my motor.
Don’t forget power it as well. Watched a video where someone did the math and to generate the power required of a typical data center you’d need a solar array something like 40 times the size of the one on the ISS. It would be an absolute behemoth of a satellite and that’s without taking into account the cooling which would likely double the size again. Of course once you get that big then you have to worry about keeping the thing in orbit because moving that much mass isn’t exactly easy. No matter how you slice it it’s a stupid ass idea that doesn’t work.
Power is pretty much the only part of space data centres that does make sense. You can put them in an orbit to get 24hr solar power and its stronger than on the ground as there’s no atmosphere in the way. Large foldable solar panels are available, and unlike radiators you don’t have to pump liquids through them.
Other than hype (which is by far the major driving force behind companies talking about them) access to that power without regulation is the reason you would want to put them in space.
It still doesn’t make sense because of the power density. The size of the solar array you would need is completely impractical. Even a “large foldable solar panel” isn’t going to cut it. Most satellites are relatively low power and even then the size of the solar arrays they have relative to the volume of the satellite is massive. Something as energy hungry as a data center pretty much demands a “small” nuclear generator to power it and the practicality of getting that into orbit nevermind the issues when it eventually de-orbits makes that a nonstarter.
Starlink sats are of the order of 20-50kW, an AI focused rack in a data centre is on the order of 100kW, powering the things is definitely feasible.
Unlike:
All of which are somewhere between horrible and impossible for data centres in space.
This makes sense to me.
Also, with all that surface area on panels, I feel like there’s a way of having them double as heat radiators - one side captures energy, the other radiates it out…
The solar panels have to be kept cool too though, moving electrons through the panels is generating heat before it even gets to a processor and without air, cooling them will require radiators of their own.
Oh. Good point.
Unrelated, but anyone deep enough in the comments to read this, you might consider checking out the game Stationeers - a brutally complex base/space station/colony building game that will eat years of your life if you let it, stay away. Huge fun.
It’s suggestions like these that make me glad I don’t have a gaming rig.
Could you live without learning a made-up assembly-like programing language just so you can have your solar panels track the sun, only to find out you know very little about “azimuth” and “elevation” and now your potatoes aren’t growing because you can’t power that grow light.
I mean, you could, but are you even living at that point?
Did you mention how fun it is to find out you got your gaseous fuel stoichiometry wrong? It’s a blast.
I’ve actually done both those things in real life believe it or not. But for the solar tracking I went lazy and used a pair of photoresistors and some canned PID code with a little tuning for my motor.
And I fix lawnmowers for most of my neighborhood.