Investing

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, Deleterious said:

Starlink is the business that is currently making money.

 

I'd love to see the analysis supporting putting data centers in space. A data center on the smallish side is a 10 MW operation. The solar energy available in space is ~1400 watt/meter^2. Really good solar panels operate at ~25% efficiency. The maths say that's 28,000 meters^2 of solar panel, or ~70 acres! For comparison that is an order of magnitude larger than the array on the ISS (which is a fabulously expensive one of a kind). And then add the radio transmitter power to the 10MW. Not to mention it's going to be in the dark half the time so you actually need twice that much plus a big battery (with a limited cycle life) to get you through the dark passes. There are no tech fixes here either - solar panels are very mature tech and you can't change how much the sun shines. 

Edited 5 hours ago by gehringer_2

[Deleterious]

Alphabet is selling $80 billion in stock and putting the proceeds towards its AI build out. 

[romad1]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

I'd love to see the analysis supporting putting data centers in space. A data center on the smallish side is a 10 MW operation. The solar energy available in space is ~1400 watt/meter^2. Really good solar panels operate at ~25% efficiency. The maths say that's 28,000 meters^2 of solar panel, or ~70 acres! For comparison that is an order of magnitude larger than the array on the ISS (which is a fabulously expensive one of a kind). And then add the radio transmitter power to the 10MW. Not to mention it's going to be in the dark half the time so you actually need twice that much plus a big battery (with a limited cycle life) to get you through the dark passes. There are no tech fixes here either - solar panels are very mature tech and you can't change how much the sun shines. 

Think again: Trump administration will never support a power source that doesn't use fossil fuels.  Those panels probably kill space birds. 

[Netnerd]

Won't someone think of the space birds?

[oblong]

You can’t do solar in space. Haven’t you seen pictures?  It’s dark.