3 ms·
In the vicinity of the Earth, they get to about the temperature of the Earth. That’s not a coincidence. Hotter if they are actively generating heat.
by adastra22 6mo ago
In the vicinity of the Earth, they get to about the temperature of the Earth. That’s not a coincidence. Hotter if they are actively generating heat.
- Geof25 6mo agoSo you can have datacenters in space, you are just not allowed to use them
- jeltz 6mo agoNot using them would also solve all issues with cosmic radiation.
- Symmetry 6mo agoNobody (sane) is talking about putting nuclear reactors on Satellites in close Earth orbit so we don't have to worry about them generating heat. They've got solar panels that move some of the solar energy they absorb to a central location which presents problems in moving the waste heat back out so that spot doesn't get too hot. But that doesn't change the overall equilibrium temperature.
- adastra22 6mo agoRunning a data center generates heat.
- Symmetry 6mo agoNot if you first absorb heat with your solar panels. Conservation of energy and all that.
- adastra22 6mo agoI'm not sure if you're being serious or not? Any use of power turns useful work into heat (conservation of energy and all that), which raises the temperature of the satellite, until radiative cooling can equalize within incoming heat (solar irradiation).
- robotresearcher 6mo agoYou’re ignoring where the power comes from. Unless you take it up there with you (eg. nuclear material) it has to come from the sun, so you can’t use or emit more energy than the sun hit you with. You can move it around in space and time, but you can’t get on average hotter than a lump of rock in the same spot.