AkaSci 🛰️6d ago

The solar array for the proposed SpaceX mini AI data center satellite will be around 175 m in length with a total area of ~1,000 sq m.

It is significantly longer than the Starship V3 rocket, which stands at 124.4 m and the ISS which spans 109 m.

Current Starlink v2 mini solar array is ~30x4 m.

Mini Sat AI will provide 100 kw of AI computing; future models 1,000 kw.

A million of them will light up the night sky, if this monstrosity ever sees the light of day.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/musk-offers-sneak-peek-at-orbiting-data-centers-theyre-bigger-than-iss
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Guillaume Rossolini6d ago
Show threadAkaSci 🛰️

Blue Origin has filed for a 51,000 Orbital Data Center Satellite plan.

Another startup called Starcloud has also filed an FCC request to operate an 88,000 satellite constellation to support its own orbiting data center ambitions.

No doubt, other countries will enter the race.

Plus there are many thousands of additional comm satellites planned for launch.

Everyone seems to be making light of light pollution, space safety and the impact on Earth's atmosphere.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/blue-origin-joins-the-race-for-orbital-data-centers-with-51k-satellite
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Mar 25 at 12:30amWeb
Show threadbaloo6d ago

@AkaSci orbiting datacenter is sooooo disconnected.

Do they realize a satellite will not receive “free power” half of its time around orbit?
What about cooling? Do they plan to use an air radiator? In the vacuum of space? Do they know the efficiency of thermal radiation?
Do they have any space-grade CPU that can run up there? Do you know how long a regular x86 can run before crashing because of the radiation in space? How do they plan on making cpu that can be have any uptime AND be cooled?
How do they plan on servicing the satellites after launch?
Do they know the weight of a compute rack on earth? Do they know the cost of lunching a 1000kg of payload to space?

Obviously they have to know all those limitations, but why are they trying to scam investors so bad?!

Show threadrickf5d ago
@AkaSci At this rate, mankind is going to be trapped by its own greed and complacency inside this overheating polluted sphere...*shudder*