I still have to read a convincing argument for "datacenters in space". Why would you want to place expensive electronics in a harsh radiation environment, with challenging cooling issues, and where replacing faulty parts would cost a fortune? The main selling point seems to be "the idea sounds cool"
One thing is may be that they aren't using the same parts as on earth, hardened ones, that might still work at hot conditions (I'm guessing)
So they can accept some heat. Rest is radiated into space.
There are for sure several things to try and stillto learn from/for it. But it will work out at some point and they'll find engineering solutions to problems they will experience. Let the engineers play.
I still have to read a convincing argument for "datacenters in space". Why would you want to place expensive electronics in a harsh radiation environment, with challenging cooling issues, and where replacing faulty parts would cost a fortune? The main selling point seems to be "the idea sounds cool"
311 comments on this earlier submission: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49830606
How is this a good idea? How can they cool it, in a vacuum?
What can't be cooled must work in hot.
One thing is may be that they aren't using the same parts as on earth, hardened ones, that might still work at hot conditions (I'm guessing)
So they can accept some heat. Rest is radiated into space.
There are for sure several things to try and stillto learn from/for it. But it will work out at some point and they'll find engineering solutions to problems they will experience. Let the engineers play.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan%E2%80%93Boltzmann_law