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Data centers in space are a hilariously bad idea. Where would the heat go? This idea is like the opposite of liquid cooling.

googleme 8mo ago
I didn't say it was a good idea, just that if Musk perceives it's a good idea then it makes sense why he would want to combine the two businesses.
- brendoelfrendo 8mo ago
  I think it's far more likely that he wants to combine his businesses to roll his really expensive, debt-ridden companies into one entity with the company that actually reliably makes money.
Hikikomori 8mo ago
Some guy on hacker news argued they could just use radiators.
- Sharlin 8mo ago
  Radiators might be a reasonably effective way to reject heat if you can run your AI machines at 1000 K or thereabouts.
gspr 8mo ago
Indeed. But it's also a hilariously Musky idea! Some moderate technical competence paired with sociopathy and an ego orders of magnitude too big, and voila, you get Cybertrucks, Hyperloops, Neuralinks, Teslabots, datacenters in space, and all the other garbage the man spews. I cannot wait for him to one day be hit in the face by reality.
- deleted 8mo ago
  [deleted]
brightball 8mo ago
Aside from Elon Musk, there are a few other people with a lot of capital aiming to do the same thing. That means, either they are all wrong (possible) or this problem has been solved somehow and the solution itself is not public. Google and Amazon are doing the same thing. Maybe it is a moonshot (pun intended), but Musk is hardly alone in the push. https://www.wsj.com/tech/bezos-and-musk-race-to-bring-data-centers-to-space-faa486ee https://www.wsj.com/tech/bezos-and-musk-race-to-bring-data-c... https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/technology/space-data-centers-ai.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/technology/space-data-cen...
pppone 8mo ago
Not to mention the huge issues of cosmic rays. Sure, if the lifespan of the satellite is expected to be low, then maybe tolerable. But even then, how would this be financially viable?
gordonhart 8mo ago
Shocked to see SpaceX buy the datacenter in space meme. Where does the power come from? Where does the heat go? Why add (high) launch costs to your buildout capex? Why add radiation as another risk factor to your already-unreliable GPUs? Am I missing something fundamental here...?
- IshKebab 8mo ago
  Money! Also power source is just solar - not too difficult. I don't think radiation would be too much of an issue either since they're in low earth orbit. Heat is probably the biggest problem. Or manufacturing & launch costs. Pretty silly idea anyway.
falloutx 8mo ago
Only a person who is high as a kite can think thats a good idea.

googleme 8mo ago

I didn't say it was a good idea, just that if Musk perceives it's a good idea then it makes sense why he would want to combine the two businesses.

brendoelfrendo 8mo ago
I think it's far more likely that he wants to combine his businesses to roll his really expensive, debt-ridden companies into one entity with the company that actually reliably makes money.

Hikikomori 8mo ago

Some guy on hacker news argued they could just use radiators.

Sharlin 8mo ago
Radiators might be a reasonably effective way to reject heat if you can run your AI machines at 1000 K or thereabouts.

gspr 8mo ago

Indeed. But it's also a hilariously Musky idea! Some moderate technical competence paired with sociopathy and an ego orders of magnitude too big, and voila, you get Cybertrucks, Hyperloops, Neuralinks, Teslabots, datacenters in space, and all the other garbage the man spews. I cannot wait for him to one day be hit in the face by reality.

deleted 8mo ago
[deleted]

brightball 8mo ago

Aside from Elon Musk, there are a few other people with a lot of capital aiming to do the same thing. That means, either they are all wrong (possible) or this problem has been solved somehow and the solution itself is not public. Google and Amazon are doing the same thing. Maybe it is a moonshot (pun intended), but Musk is hardly alone in the push. https://www.wsj.com/tech/bezos-and-musk-race-to-bring-data-centers-to-space-faa486ee https://www.wsj.com/tech/bezos-and-musk-race-to-bring-data-c... https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/technology/space-data-centers-ai.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/technology/space-data-cen...

pppone 8mo ago

Not to mention the huge issues of cosmic rays. Sure, if the lifespan of the satellite is expected to be low, then maybe tolerable. But even then, how would this be financially viable?

gordonhart 8mo ago

Shocked to see SpaceX buy the datacenter in space meme. Where does the power come from? Where does the heat go? Why add (high) launch costs to your buildout capex? Why add radiation as another risk factor to your already-unreliable GPUs? Am I missing something fundamental here...?

IshKebab 8mo ago
Money! Also power source is just solar - not too difficult. I don't think radiation would be too much of an issue either since they're in low earth orbit. Heat is probably the biggest problem. Or manufacturing & launch costs. Pretty silly idea anyway.

falloutx 8mo ago

Only a person who is high as a kite can think thats a good idea.