Which in turn are getting dunked on by actual spacecraft engineers (junction temps, arrhenius relationship to reliability, fluids loops pumping, thermal fatigue, TID). Nobody who knows what they are talking about thinks it's impossible. The question is it economical or desirable.
Many users defended space-based AI data centers as feasible and economically sensible when pursued by capable teams like SpaceX, while negative users responded with direct insults and accusations of stupidity toward proponents.
Also remember any barely competent engineering team can put a GPU on a spacecraft and make it run some of the time over 6 months or a year. This is not an the hard part of space datacenters.
Which in turn are getting dunked on by actual spacecraft engineers (junction temps, arrhenius relationship to reliability, fluids loops pumping, thermal fatigue, TID). Nobody who knows what they are talking about thinks it's impossible. The question is it economical or desirable.
The whole AI datacenter in space discourse is so bad. You have illiterate AI bros being dunked on by people who took high school physics (space is not cold! vacuum in an insulator!). Themselves being dunked on by STEM graduates (Stefan-boltzmann! only 100m^2 of radiators!). 1/2
@lougrims It's just the bell curve graph all over again.
@bad_at_schedule I can't remember when I came across it tbh. But at least someone who hasn't done physics since high school probably won't remember it...
@lougrims What sort of high school physics are you guys learning that doesn't teach stefan boltzmann?
@lougrims The way to check is very simple. If Musk is doing it - it’s not only possible but also makes economic sense
@lougrims It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for Elon fan boys to appreciate the difference between "possible" and "offering any benefit whatsoever over the current more boring alternative"
@lougrims "Nobody who knows what they are talking about thinks it's impossible. The question is it economical or desirable." That's the place the conversation should be. But instead it's physics illiterates arguing as if they have hidden knowledge.
@lougrims It’s hilarious when someone is so confidently wrong.
You put a data center in space for the near unlimited solar power it has nothing to do with cooling.
You’re right cooling is likely harder in space but it’s easier to solve than the energy build out necessary on earth.
@lougrims The heat thing seems silly. We’ve been dissipating waste heat from spacecraft for decades. At this point this is an engineering question, but a theoretical one. My question is why put a data center in space? What does that give you that makes it worth the cost, vs just …
@lougrims We just don't need more data centers, on Earth or in space
@lougrims I remember being so confused when people started talking about space datacenters- like, forget all the cooling problems, forget getting it there, how the hell do you plan to keep it operational?
Maintenance costs alone break the entire idea. Component failure scales with heat.
@lougrims The safe bet would be to trust in the 24 year old Space company that built reusable rockets, operates a constellation of over 10,000 satellites that are in constant, rapid motion and sends more payload into orbit than the rest of the planet combined.
@lougrims Tech Ingredients demonstrats radiating heat into space from the ground.
https://youtu.be/5zW9_ztTiw8?si=KVS943JqKXJcJ9OZ
@lougrims @defnotbeka It’s not impossible, but it’s an incredibly stupid idea.
@lougrims I’ve heard a grand total of zero people mention liquid droplet mercury radiators in said dialectic and this makes me sad
@lougrims Its not even “datacenter” in space. It’s just 1 rack. You will never have a datacenter with racks placed kilometers apart communicating wirelessly. Model training needs nanoseconds level cache sync.
@SummersJohns69 @lougrims You're aware that SpaceX is not a viable company, right? It runs at a massive loss by burning through investor capital and government grants.
@nirbheek @lougrims @defnotbeka There are no nimbys under the sea either and it also has the distinct advantage of being a giant heat sink
