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Google’s Project Suncatcher to put ML infrastructure in space

233 points · 553 comments · xnx

  1. fwlr · · focus · HN ↗
    Yes, the physics are worse, and yes, the economics are worse, but data centers in space have the crucial advantage that they are out of range of the molotov-throwing arm of Joe Public (recently unemployed).
    1. thelastgallon · · focus · HN ↗
      Businesses run anywhere real money can be made. Middle east is the most volatile place. Yet, the businesses are perfectly okay building infrastructure to extract, refine and ship oil from there.

      If real money can be made, there is no need of datacenters in space. Offer some country some money and they'll let you build whatever you want. The whole idea is entirely unprofitable thats why they are making up things that won't work economically. Keep giving us money indefinitely, we'll keep spending, money can be made after a few decades of spending ... trust us.

      1. ericd · · focus · HN ↗
        The real point is power limitations, putting stuff in space in the right orbit lets you turn solar power into reliable base load.
        1. vkou · · focus · HN ↗
          The problem with space is that you need to radiate all that waste heat.
          1. hdgvhicv · · focus · HN ↗
            Easy enough to do with a long tall stalactite shaped satelite.

            Getting it up there and unfolding is an engineering problem, but if you have about 5 times the height as the width of your solar facing front it’s just a matter of moving heat around internally

            1. XorNot · · focus · HN ↗
              No it's also all the minor problems: lubricants don't flow the same, grease dries out on bearings, rocket launches shake the hell out of their payloads, the thermal differentials across a structure are enormous, vibration doesn't damp into the earth it just rings through the structure till it's lost as heat.

              All solvable, but all difficult and unexpected problems which make everything about operating in space difficult.

              And probably the biggest one: absolutely no possibility of service or cheap replacement (sure you don't repair a computer on earth, but you don't need a rocket launch to put a new rack in).

              1. hdgvhicv · · focus · HN ↗
                Sure. But radiating the heat isn’t a problem.
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