3 ms·

Putting Data Centers in Space Could Reduce Their Carbon Footprint

legacynl 2y ago
I can't read the article, but I'm wondering if the statement is true. The energy required for those days-centers doesn't change depending on being in space. In space this power can be generated by solar panels, but we can also do that on earth. Datacenters need to be cooled, this is easy on earth, but hard in space. Datacenters in space would need massive radiators to make sure the generated heat doesn't build up. Then ofcourse you need a lot of energy to get it up to space, and again every time you need to do maintenance. Can anybody who has access to this article enlighten me what their solution is to those issues that would make it more efficient?
- dave4420 2y ago
  In fairness, a space data centre could power itself from solar 24/7 without batteries (if you’re ok with downtime over the equinox). I share your scepticism overall though.
- sandwichsphinx 2y ago
  >I can't read the article, https://archive.is/Zy1vl https://archive.is/Zy1vl
dave4420 2y ago
> space data centers would require the development of a launcher 10 times less emissive over its entire lifecycle to significantly reduce carbon-dioxide emissions Well. Is that plausible?
- fragmede 2y ago
  If you look at the overall problem of greenhouse gases rather than CO₂ specifically, and compare Methane (CH₄) to CO₂, Methane traps more heat, per molecule, than CO₂ does, so if you were able to capture methane and prevent it from escaping into the atmosphere by burning it with O₂, which results in CO₂ and H₂O, you'd be trading Methane for CO₂, and a bunch of energy - enough for a rocket, so depending on the numbers, it's possible that a reusable methalox rocket using renewable sources for methane would contribute less to greenhouse gas-related warming on a per-metric ton to orbit basis. Methane capture is still being developed. There are a number of companies working on this but it's not deployed widely at scale, so it's unclear exactly how plausible it is, but the theory is there. Whether we'd want to put datacenters in space is a whole other question though.

I can't read the article, but I'm wondering if the statement is true. The energy required for those days-centers doesn't change depending on being in space. In space this power can be generated by solar panels, but we can also do that on earth. Datacenters need to be cooled, this is easy on earth, but hard in space. Datacenters in space would need massive radiators to make sure the generated heat doesn't build up. Then ofcourse you need a lot of energy to get it up to space, and again every time you need to do maintenance. Can anybody who has access to this article enlighten me what their solution is to those issues that would make it more efficient?

dave4420 2y ago
In fairness, a space data centre could power itself from solar 24/7 without batteries (if you’re ok with downtime over the equinox). I share your scepticism overall though.
sandwichsphinx 2y ago
>I can't read the article, https://archive.is/Zy1vl https://archive.is/Zy1vl

dave4420 2y ago

> space data centers would require the development of a launcher 10 times less emissive over its entire lifecycle to significantly reduce carbon-dioxide emissions Well. Is that plausible?

fragmede 2y ago
If you look at the overall problem of greenhouse gases rather than CO₂ specifically, and compare Methane (CH₄) to CO₂, Methane traps more heat, per molecule, than CO₂ does, so if you were able to capture methane and prevent it from escaping into the atmosphere by burning it with O₂, which results in CO₂ and H₂O, you'd be trading Methane for CO₂, and a bunch of energy - enough for a rocket, so depending on the numbers, it's possible that a reusable methalox rocket using renewable sources for methane would contribute less to greenhouse gas-related warming on a per-metric ton to orbit basis. Methane capture is still being developed. There are a number of companies working on this but it's not deployed widely at scale, so it's unclear exactly how plausible it is, but the theory is there. Whether we'd want to put datacenters in space is a whole other question though.