Should we build data centers in space?

Really? Putting data centers, where you need how many tons of fuel per pound of launch, chips last less than 5 years, and what about when the place gets "full".

I know this is a slight change to the topic, but I do think much of the anti data center emotions comes from the publics growing awareness that we are essentially being forced to buy a product that is designed to put us out of work and perhaps exterminate all of us. Why would anyone want such a product?

I don't think I have the same definition of "undoubtedly" as this question assumes. I can't believe it would be less costly to put a data center of a given size in space rather than on the ground.

And there are other factors to consider. The most common objections to data centers on Earth center on electricity consumption—with its associated costs—and water consumption for cooling. Neither concern goes away in orbit.

Moreover, wouldn't any advances in power and cooling technology that made orbital data centers viable be just as useful on the ground, at lower cost—and also address, in part, the objections to siting them down here?

Make no mistake: I think the objections to massive data-center construction here on Earth's surface are well founded. Regulation is badly needed here. And if I'm wrong, and space-based data centers turn out to be economically feasible, regulation will be needed there too.

Never!!!

not economically feasible. Investors have lost their heads and brains over AI. Not feasible either from space junk prerspective. One million low orbit satellites will eventually collide with each other or with space junk. Low earth orbit will become useless due to space junk. How much compute power will a single satellite have? not much.. earth based data centers have the compute power, so why bother with space based data centers? another way to separate investors from their money. Musk would be better off putting them on the moon or on mars. Data centers on earth are an electrical and water resource bane. Moving them to low orbit is still within the realm of earth and still a bane

Data centers in space is a bad idea. Lots of space junk falling from the sky will cause problems with the stratosphere. Lots of unneccessary space flights will cause pollution closer to earth.

No, we should be responsible caretakers of the heavens as well as Earth. Recklessly despoiling everything we touch will end in calamity for all living things. AI has great potential but not if we approach it in the manner of a nuclear arms race.

The data centers are a huge waste of resources. The only purpose is to amass a constantly searched database of corporate surveillance. That kind of surveillance is a direct violation of the 4th amendment. That number of satellites would make ground based astronomy impossible.

Not if they're going to compete with the nite lites in the sky. That's an outrageous proposal. I wish to hell our Capitol Hill Gang would remember what we hired them for -- not blotting out the sites we've adored, even worshipped since time immemorial!!! WE need to remember we're not here to make Musk rich & famous. Howabout setting up shop on the moon's far side in stead. Space has become sacred now there's a possibility it could be soiled. Leave Mama Earth & Father Sky alone. We have to have something to connect to on a spiritual level.

absolutely not! The universe does not belong to Elon Musk, Trump and their friends. We will lost -all of us- for the benefits of this bunch of fools, thiefs and murders that is managing the system

Building more data centers as satellites is a terrible idea. Space is already polluted with man made garbage and data centers on earth are bad enough. We need to STOP consuming obscene amounts of electricity and water to power AI and more unneeded technology.

Data centers are causing environmental damage; it is presently occurring and destroying water supplies and polluting the air and causing undue burdens on the population by overwhelming the stressed and expensive power usaage.

TL;DR I think it would cost around US$ 430,000 to put each *server* into low earth orbit, based solely on the weight of solar panels and batteries required to run it around the clock.

I'm not an expert in the field of anything. I've just used Google and some simple maths. Please feel free to fact check.

Google tells me the following: A typical AI server in a data centre consumes around 3kW. A typical solar panel produces around 200W per square metre. A lithium ion battery can store around 260Wh per kg. The ISS's solar panels weigh around 2.6kg per m². It costs around US$ 2,700 to launch a kilogram of material into low earth orbit.

Let's assume the servers need to be always on, since that's how normal data centres operate. Let's also assume the orbit is not one which avoids placing the satellite in the earth's shadow.

Since the satellite will be in the earth's shadow for half the time, each server would need 136kg of battery (12 hours × 3,000W ÷ 260Wh per kg), and 30m² of solar panels (3,000W × 2 (charge the battery and power the server) ÷ 200W per m²), which would weigh about 78kg.

It would therefore cost around US$ 431,600 to put a single server into low earth orbit. That's assuming the server itself weighs nothing, the cooling system for the server weighs nothing and draws no power, communication equipment weighs nothing and draws no power, the chassis connecting all of the above weighs nothing, and there are no fuel requirements to keep the satellite in the right place. I read recently in SciAm that in reality, orbital adjustments would be required continuously in a densely packed zone.

If a new generation of server hardware comes along in the future, obviously, whatever is orbiting at that time would not be upgradable.

For pity’s sake, what does it take for you to stop lining your pockets as a goal? How much do you need? What is it that you do not understand? Why do you pretend that you are helping? Why do you pretend?

This is not about helping people. It is about making money. Think about what you are doing to THE WORLD. Just THINK, and not acquire, not pretend. Use your power for good. Make a difference: that is REAL power. I plead to you. Go down in history.

Data centers in space? Even assuming they work - which is unknown - building, launching and operating spaceworthy data centers would exact a stupendous environmental cost both during production and after - SciAm’s own note featuring the Saturn-like skies enveloped in satellite rings is one case in point.

Much smarter solutions abound. China is already powering data centers, here on Earth, with renewable energy and placing them underwater to minimize climate and land use impact. It apparently understands that however data centers are built, preservation of habitable environment has to come first or there will be no one needing them.

But going that way would have the very un-American effect of forcing the hapless SpaceX investors to realize they’ve been duped by a glorified telecom company whose only profitable AI business is leasing cloud to Anthropic and Google AI. A true sheep in wolf’s clothing. (Except it would take a sheep about 83 years to eat all the grass off the 1000-acre future home of Gigasat, which SpaceX will cover in concrete by 2027.)

I would want to know more about the tradeoffs before answering definitively, however the thought of looking up and seeing all those satellites makes me feel sick. There are already too many.

The filling of the night sky with data center satellites is a horrible plan. Humankind will cease to have any connection to the universe, already severely impaired by lighting pollution at night. Earth-based astronomy will be made ineffective.

I am a retired earth scientist who was an early adopter of computers, the internet, and the web; but I am against the proliferation of data centers to support a technology (AI) that we have little demonstrated benefit and thus do not support data centers in space, on land, or undersea. In the 1960s, governments had the wisdom to prohibit by treaty atomic tests in space, in the atmosphere, and underwater. I think we need a similar approach to data centers.

Good lord, this is one of the dumbest ideas I've seen in my 70 years. Technically, financially, and ethically. The fact that anyone proposing this can be taken seriously for even five minutes shocks me. The fact that anyone proposing this is taken seriously on *any* topic shocks me almost as much.

We need no further evidence that there is no correlation between wealth and intelligence.

Why should the common good of the beautiful night skies, enjoyable by all and enjoyed by so many, be ruined but a few tech bros hunger for even more profits?

If all this data center capacity had truly been needed (spoiler: it isn’t) have the tech bros solve the problem, that they themselves are creating, down on earth. They should be smart enough for that.

how will this help since we have to get all the supplies uo there?

Not solving these problems terrestrially will only expand our human-caused problems into space. With a million new satellites in orbit it will only be a matter of time before the Kessler Syndrome (random satellite crashes triggering a chain reaction of crashes) is no longer theoretical. And a stream of satellites would certainly not produce the sense of awe and wonder (and humility) that the Milky Way gives us. Unless, of course, you're one of the tech bros that are in awe of themselves.

I would like to see real data on how building data centers for launch into orbit will reduce environmental impacts. There will be massive impacts to the atmosphere (CO2, toxic chemicals from rocket fuel) in holding all of these launches and again when satellites crash into the atmosphere. Meanwhile there would be additional satellites cluttering orbit leading to inevitable collisions totally messing up orbital space.

It sickens me that such horrible exploitation of our skies is even being considered. And what about people from nations that aren't involved in the production or use of these data centers, are their needs or opinions being considered? What about future generations who may never get to experience the awesomeness of the unpolluted night sky?

I vote Absolutely NO for the ruination of earth's skies for the use of AI data centers.

hard to imagine rockets being less environmentally impactful than earth bound systems. orbiting systems are appealing because space is unregulated and has no defenders. that has to change. Rapacious capitalism does not serve society, and neither would millions of satellites.

Without a proper offcial regulatory agency, and one that represents Earth's Global Human population, Outer Space could be defined by, but not limited to the SKY above any of many diverse areas of land or continents that would extend over such planetary land, and would include the various layers of atmosphere, from the horizon all around, at any given time, and include the outerspace beyond, on into the furthest reaches of the visible universe.

Therefore the use of "Outer Space" should rightly recognize the rights and privileges of those populations to enjoy the "Natural Condition" of the SKY above them, day or night, at any given time, as would be consistent with all other rights and freedoms granted by their governments and governmental

Agencies.

We need to respect the rights of Citizens regarding, litterally, the SKY above them.

i’m strongly opposed to putting data centers into orbit! most likely, they would be obsoleted by yet emerging technologies, and become space junk in a snap!