Thread

Google’s Project Suncatcher to put ML infrastructure in space

233 points · 553 comments · xnx

neuronexmachina · 1790274986 · focus · HN ↗
Whenever I hear about this I can't help but be reminded of the Howard Hughes Glomar Explorer, where a hugely-expensive commercial project was actually part of a secret CIA initiative to recover a Soviet submarine: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glomar_Explorer" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glomar_Explorer
I'm not sure that's truly the case here, but it does seem like the tech Project Suncatcher is working on has at least some overlap with requirements for military SIGINT and in-orbit imagery processing.
1. maxlin · 1790292229 · focus · HN ↗
  While a bit tin foil hat-y, this is an interesting (conspiracy) theory, even while space datacenters aren't as impractical as some people try to make them to be.
  1. senordevnyc · 1790301189 · focus · HN ↗
    Some people, or physics?
    maxlin · 1790311084 · focus · HN ↗
    Some people, claiming to be the authority on laws of physics. While people actually doing this are obviously more credentialed and talented than said internet fools.
    It's getting quite tiresome.
    DoctorOetker · 1790322988 · focus · HN ↗
    Stefan-Boltzmann law considered conspiracy?
    maxlin · 1790364032 · focus · HN ↗
    Don't you think it's a _bit_ ignorant thinking the engineers at now several companies known for their genius didn't think of it? There's a meme for this kind of armchair drive-by commenting.
    And the preliminary design shapes aren't unknown. They just have huge ass solar panels and radiators. Plenty of space in ... space.
    senordevnyc · 1790368471 · focus · HN ↗
    Literally no one is saying it’s impossible. You claimed it’s not impractical, which is totally different. And yes, as of now, and likely for years to come, launching huge ass panels and radiators into space for data centers is going to be economically impractical, as compared with building the same amount of capacity on earth.
    And why haven’t these genius engineers delivered on basically any of Musk’s promises on time? Or at all, in many cases?
    maxlin · 1790372118 · focus · HN ↗
    >Literally no one is saying it’s impossible
    You have the entirely wrong impression of people here. TONS of people are saying exactly that, and trying to disqualify the whole debate.
    >likely for years to come
    Starship is putting its first business payload to orbit in two days. The craft represents making mass to orbit magnitude(s) cheaper. Read the text on your side mirrors.
    >any of Musk’s promises on time
    I find this argument so frivolous. Ok, so they've made what was considered impossible, _late_ on a few occasions? And they visibly iterate, showing failure, as if it makes them somehow worse? It does kind of sound like you are not the engineering type, or at least don't work with actual hard problems.
    The smartest people are still geniuses and the smartest even if they're late, while no one else is ahead of them.

Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.