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One of the issues with putting servers in orbit is cooling; you can't just use fans in space. On the other hand, real estate is pretty cheap. Servicing is hard,
by MayeulC 5y ago
One of the issues with putting servers in orbit is cooling; you can't just use fans in space. On the other hand, real estate is pretty cheap. Servicing is hard, though, and micrometeorites are another risk. Plus launch costs being high, and radiation an issue, I don't see it happening any time soon outside of very specific areas.
- fennecfoxen 5y agoForget cooling for a minute. Cooling dissipates energy but you need to collect the energy first and worry about powering the server. It’s going to be a solar-plus-battery system, which is heavy and expensive, with substantial launch costs.
- MayeulC 5y agoNot sure you need a big battery when you have almost 24/7 sunlight, depending on the altitude. Of course, latency is another issue.
- willis936 5y agoRadiation cooling is pretty dramatic in space. With an isolated radiation shield/mirror from the sun and a decent sized heatsink, you can have a lot of cooling power on hand. A server isn't going to be pumping out nearly as much heat as a rocket engine, and launch vehicles don't tend to overheat.