How Stupid Would It Be to Put Data Centers in Space?

How Stupid Would It Be to Put Data Centers in Space?(spectrum.ieee.org)

2 points by amaks 126 days ago | 4 comments

bediger4000 126 days ago |

Bottom line, with some solid but not necessarily heroic engineering, the cost of an orbital data center could be as low as three times that of the comparable terrestrial one.

"Could be as low" means the 3x cost is based on optimistic assumptions. When does something 3x as expensive ever get chosen? Usually we're concerned with shaving single digit percentages of costs.

__patchbit__ 126 days ago | |

As a rule of thumb use the mass to orbit launch cost curve and cadence of SpaceX vehicles to project forward the orbital station solar powered AI datacenter cost curve. It will be highly unlikely to cost $42 billion and not even one AI datacenter ever reaches orbit.

beardyw 126 days ago |

Is there a viable cooling strategy? I can't imagine one.

Link not working for me.

verzali 126 days ago |

When do the shipments from the asteroid mines start arriving?