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xAI joins SpaceX

spacex.com

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Re: xAI joins SpaceX

#761

Post by solid_fuel »

onlyrealcuzzo wrote: post #678
n_u wrote: post #463

A former NASA engineer with a PhD in space electronics who later worked at Google for 10 years wrote an article about why datacenters in space are very technically challenging: https://taranis.ie/datacenters-in-space-are-a-terrible-horri... I don't have any specialized knowledge of the physics but I saw an article suggesting the real reason for the push to build them in space is to hedge against political pushback pr…

> A former NASA engineer with a PhD in space electronics who later worked at Google for 10 years wrote an article about why datacenters in space are very technically challenging It's curious that we live in a world in which I think the majority of people somehow think this ISN'T complicated. Like, have we long since reached the point where technology is suitably advanced to average people that it seems like magic, wh…

It's just the thought process that comes with shallow understanding:

    "I can buy a server"
    "We can put things in space"
    "What do you mean I can't get a server in space?!"

Re: xAI joins SpaceX

#762

Post by Sparyjerry »

derektank wrote: post #557
Buttons840 wrote: post #50

SpaceX is too big to fail. It's important for national security. I wonder if Elon wants to tangle all his businesses into SpaceX so they are all kept afloat by SpaceX's importance.

How vital is it really to national security? Starlink will have competition from Amazon Leo in the next few months. And while SpaceX is obviously in the lead in launch capability with Starship, there are multiple launch providers capable of providing roughly the same services the Falcon 9 and Heavy provide today.

The same services as Falcon 9 are 20x the cost and launch 1/20th as much as well. That's like producing hand made good in America versus via a manufacturing line in China.

Re: xAI joins SpaceX

#763

Post by Sparyjerry »

GMoromisato wrote: post #592
SimianSci wrote: post #113

The Goalpost shift continues, If elon were working for me, I would have fired him for having never delivered on any of his projects. Hyperloop > Neuralink > Self-Driving Cars > Robotaxi fleets > Personal Robots > Orbital Datacenters > [Insert next]

I'm amazed at this kind of thinking. I get it, obviously, and it's not uncommon, but still. Elon Musk has already revolutionized three industries: 1. EVs: Before Tesla, no one thought electric cars could be a mass-market product. And even today, the Model 3 and Model Y are at the top of almost all sales lists. 2. Orbital Launch: No one expected Space X to succeed. What does a software guy know about real engineering?…

Don't forget that Musk also founded Open AI (ChatGPT).

Re: xAI joins SpaceX

#764

Post by SergeAx »

byearthithatius wrote: post #580
rainsford wrote: post #548

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We also shouldn't overlook the fact that the proposal entirely glosses over the implication of the alternative benefits we might realize if humanity achieved the incredible engineering and technical capacity necessary to make this version of space AI happen. Think about it. Elon conjures up a vision of the future where we've managed to increase our solar cell manufacturing capacity by two whole orders of magnitude an…

So what are the other things? You said he glossed over them and didn't mention a single one.

If we (as in "civilization") were able to produce that many solar panels, we should cover all the deserts with them. It will also shift the local climate balance towards a more habitable ecosystem, enabling first vegetation and then slowly growing the rest of the food chain.

Re: xAI joins SpaceX

#766

Post by rlt »

taurath wrote: post #468
n_u wrote: post #463

A former NASA engineer with a PhD in space electronics who later worked at Google for 10 years wrote an article about why datacenters in space are very technically challenging: https://taranis.ie/datacenters-in-space-are-a-terrible-horri... I don't have any specialized knowledge of the physics but I saw an article suggesting the real reason for the push to build them in space is to hedge against political pushback pr…

We don’t even have a habitable structure in space when the ISS falls, there is no world in which space datacenters are a thing in the next 10, I’d argue even 30 years. People really need to ground themselves in reality. Edit: okay Tiangong - but that is not a data center.

We also don't have fully reusable launch vehicles, yet. But we will shortly. That will decrease the cost of launch by at least an order of magnitude.

Still there will be a lot of engineering problems to solve.

2-3 years seems very short, but 10 years seems long to me.

Re: xAI joins SpaceX

#767

Post by panick21_ »

As a fan of space this makes me sad. AI Datacenters are complete nonsense. And binding all of this stuff SpaceX is idiotic. SpaceX could do so many great things for space and now its all messed up in the AI race.

Re: xAI joins SpaceX

#768

Post by duped »

Buttons840 wrote: post #50

SpaceX is too big to fail. It's important for national security. I wonder if Elon wants to tangle all his businesses into SpaceX so they are all kept afloat by SpaceX's importance.

SpaceX could fail tomorrow and nothing would change with national security.

Re: xAI joins SpaceX

#769

Post by YetAnotherNick »

jhanschoo wrote: post #706
YetAnotherNick wrote: post #639

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It(Solar) works, but it isn't somehow magically better than installing solar panels on the ground Umm, if this is the point, I don't know whether to take rest of author's arguments seriously. Solar only works certain time of the day and certain period of year on land. Also there is so limited calculations for the numbers in the article, while the article throws of numbers left and right.

> Solar only works certain time of the day and certain period of year on land The same goes for LEO!

Most space datacenter plan plans to use sun-synchronous orbit.

Re: xAI joins SpaceX

#770

Post by duped »

alangibson wrote: post #220
dahinds wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't really true, though? The ISS does it with radiators that are ~1/2 the area of its solar panels, and both should scale linearly with power?

ISS radiators run on water and ammonia. Think about how much a kg costs to lift to space and you'll see the economics of space data centers fall apart real fast. Plus, if the radiator springs a leak the satellite is scrap.

Even if power cost nothing the limiting factor on data center value creation is distance to where the data is requested. Putting it in space is dumb.
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