Technology

86417 readers

2956 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related news or articles.
Be excellent to each other!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 3 years ago

MODERATORS

L3s@lemmy.world

enu@lemmy.world

technopagan@lemmy.world

L4s@lemmy.world

L3s@hackingne.ws

How hard is it to build orbital data centers, actually? (arstechnica.com)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by nullify3112@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

41 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Editor’s note: … In this article, we discuss the technical challenges of building an orbital data center constellation: launching all of it, dissipating heat in space, dealing with radiation, and addressing latency issues in orbit. Read part one here.

I find the napkin math interesting, especially putting into light that given expected longevity of such satellites, 5 to 7 years, they will have to do 10 to 42 launches per day. SpaceX will need $1.5 to $10 trillions to make it happen. All of that so the slop machine doesn’t have to run into obstacles like democracy ? So it can destroy communities and the environment freely? What are we doing?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] nullify3112@lemmy.world 7 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

There will be no repairs in space. Everything they launch is set and done and comes crashing back in the atmosphere 5 years later. They fully expect radiation and debris to render the space data center satellites unusable after 5 to 7 years (in the article). We all know that after 5 years those chips will be obsolete anyways.

This is a huge issue, the amount of mass being sent into orbit that is planned to just burn up in the atmosphere 5 years later.

[–] Triumph@fedia.io 4 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

There's a difference between telecom satellites and other space stuff. Hubble launched in 1990 and it's not only still in space, it's still working.

[–] nullify3112@lemmy.world 4 points 22 hours ago

Oh yeah ofc. The Hubble upgrades and repairs are a good example to show how good planning, good technology and will can ensure long standing missions delivering incredible science.

The planning for these mega constellation is different for sure and the goal is money, not science, which is sad. That’s why they will burn in the atmosphere no matter what.