Elon Musk’s SpaceX has applied to launch one million satellites into Earth’s orbit to power artificial intelligence (AI).

The application claims “orbital data centres” are the most cost and energy-efficient way to meet the growing demand for AI computing power.

Traditionally, such centres are large warehouses full of powerful computers that process and store data. Musk’s aerospace firm claims processing needs due to the expanding use of AI are already outpacing “terrestrial capabilities”.

It would increase the number of SpaceX satellites in orbit drastically. Its existing Starlink network of nearly 10,000 satellites has already been accused of creating congestion in space, which Musk denies.

  • Quetzalcutlass@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    18
    ·
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    Cooling is much, much harder in space. You lose out on easy heat transfer through convection and conduction due to being in vacuum and are limited to using massive and inefficient radiators that can barely cool spacecraft running slow, decades-old chips (hardening modern chips to survive cosmic radiation is another problem Musk probably has no answer for). The thought of running a modern data center in space is absurd.

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      He probably thinks that because space is cold, it automatically keeps anything in it cold with no efforts needed. He has the worldview and general understanding of a particularly dense child.

    • Tuscy@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      24 hours ago

      This pedo is gonna bring hellfire to earth when those 1 mil satellites overheat and rain down on us.

    • Tuscy@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      24 hours ago

      This pedo is gonna bring hellfire to earth whe those 1 mil satellites over heat and rain down on us.