Even though McCalip's analysis already puts the kibosh on the financial side, Andrew Côté's exceedingly deep dive into the engineering difficulties faced by such an enterprise delivers the killing blow. That's also an excellent read , as the list of things that can go wrong with setting up a datacenter in space can be reasonably summed up with "yes." Did you know, for example, that AI accelerators tend to up and die a lot when used at full tilt, and can't exactly be replaced in 5 minutes in space?
In these times where AI market valuations are climbing ever higher, it's arguably refreshing to see some down-to-earth thinking from those in know. Do check out McCalip's economic analysis and Côté's thoughts on the engineering challenges to be faced. Maybe one day the numbers will add up, but for now, it seems AI computing is best performed on good old terra firma.
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Bruno Ferreira Contributor Bruno Ferreira is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware. He has decades of experience with PC hardware and assorted sundries, alongside a career as a developer. He's obsessed with detail and has a tendency to ramble on the topics he loves. When not doing that, he's usually playing games, or at live music shows and festivals.
aldaia Vacuum is a perfect insulator (which is why Thermos flasks work), space is actually a very difficult place to get rid of heat. While we often think of space as "cold," for a high-powered satellite or a crewed station, the bigger problem is usually overheating. The massive white wings you see on the International Space Station (ISS) aren't solar panels—those are radiators. They are positioned to face away from the Sun (toward deep space) to maximize heat loss. ISS only has to cool crew heat and relatively few electronics. I guess a space data center cramped with high powered servers will require huge radiators. Reply
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/big-tech/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/big-tech/new-calculator-helps-evaluate-the-economics-of-datacenters-in-space-running-the-numbers-on-orbital-computing-reveals-a-brutal-reality#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.