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Cooling in Space
21–30 of 101 posts
Re: Cooling in Space
#22What I don't understand about building a space data center is that you need radiators to release heat. Otherwise, it will become a space thermos. What's even more incomprehensible is that you would need specialized equipment for space radiation, and GPUs are consumables. To make that profitable, you would need pricing that is many times higher than the cost of a regular data center. I don't understand why there are p…
I have the feeling that the only reason that might actually be done is to escape from any kind of jurisdiction. In space no one can hear you compute.
If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to just put it in the desert? Realistically, if noise from calculations is the problem, placing it in a remote area would be more economical.
Re: Cooling in Space
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
2-3x sounds like a very low estimate. There’s so much data center capacity being built all over the Earth. Thousands of large projects across US / China / Europe / Middle East. It would be astonishing if something that’s never been done before could be so cost-competitive immediately. Starlink wasn’t the first time LEO communications constellations were attempted. Multiple 1990s projects did it (Iridium, GlobalStar…)…
SemiAnalysis' report on orbital data centers estimated 4x terrestrial costs in 2026, then parity around ~2040. https://newsletter.semianalysis.com/p/to-boldly-go-the-case-...
Based on very specific assumptions: “…the world in which AI demand is so overwhelming as to exceed the already formidable datacenter capacity additions” — but also this same world is one where GPU chip supply is abundant, there just isn’t enough data centers to put them in.
This does not seem like the likeliest scenario to me.
Re: Cooling in Space
#24Only stating the solar panel - radiator area ratio and not mentioning the actual area that a data center should have, is a sin of omission - and a great one. Also, hand-waving numerous engineering problems just by saying “we’ve solve harder problems before / you can come up with a few designs” is the last thing I want to see in anything that comes up in Hacker News.
Re: Cooling in Space
#25There was also this[1] analysis in late 2025 from a former NASA engineer that looked at the impracticability.
[1] https://taranis.ie/datacenters-in-space-are-a-terrible-horri...
Re: Cooling in Space
#26Allow me to propose a modest alternative to space data centers, namely mountaintop data centers. This would consist of a container full of servers and GPUs and what else goes into a data center, a wind turbine for power and a communication module (say laser or microwave) for communicating with a base station with a fiber connection. This would be lifted on top of a mountain by a helicopter and bolted in place. Coolin…
What about the rough weather and difficulty of maintenance, especially in rough weather?
Re: Cooling in Space
#27Allow me to propose a modest alternative to space data centers, namely mountaintop data centers. This would consist of a container full of servers and GPUs and what else goes into a data center, a wind turbine for power and a communication module (say laser or microwave) for communicating with a base station with a fiber connection. This would be lifted on top of a mountain by a helicopter and bolted in place. Coolin…
What advantage does a mountaintop have versus a more accessible earth-based location?
I suspect one of the motivations for space datacenters is to try to stay out of the reach of all jurisdictions so you Musk can start to run his companies as an autonomous state.
Re: Cooling in Space
#28Allow me to propose a modest alternative to space data centers, namely mountaintop data centers. This would consist of a container full of servers and GPUs and what else goes into a data center, a wind turbine for power and a communication module (say laser or microwave) for communicating with a base station with a fiber connection. This would be lifted on top of a mountain by a helicopter and bolted in place. Coolin…
I think we can't rule out the explanation that all the ideas of space data centers could be connected to a desire by some of finding additional applications for rockets that can transport stuff to space.
Re: Cooling in Space
#29Allow me to propose a modest alternative to space data centers, namely mountaintop data centers. This would consist of a container full of servers and GPUs and what else goes into a data center, a wind turbine for power and a communication module (say laser or microwave) for communicating with a base station with a fiber connection. This would be lifted on top of a mountain by a helicopter and bolted in place. Coolin…
What would be accomplished by doing this vs placing them basically anywhere else on earth?
Re: Cooling in Space
#30Whyyyy are we not building distributed data centers under driveways? I want one under my driveway to melt the snow. It can use my power and water hookups if it pays for them.
Aren't some bitcoin farms used for heating in some places, like agriculture in greenhouses?