Tailgate88 said:
Bob Yancy said:
Red Pear Luke said:
Loaded said:
Much of the 1TW of computing power will be launched into orbit to build out solar powered data centers in space. So it doesn't directly translate into the need to build out power plants on the ground.
FYI - Here is what the Solar Powered "Data Center" looks like, at least this is the first version.
It's basically a server rack with solar panels, a radiator for dissipating heat, and laser data connectivity, I think. I recall somewhere Musk says it'll be easier to deploy than starlink satellites.
We shall see. He's already got the rockets to carry the payload up there, of course.
Respectfully
Yancy '95
He said that in the interview linked above. The other guy sitting in the interview was one of the leads on the Starlink team, and the comment was - the solar array on the data center is essentially the same as on the Starlink V3 satellite. All the tech for the "Space data center" is already done. It's just a matter of getting the rocket(s) rapidly reusable so they can increase the launch cadence and get those suckers up there.
Fascinating. You know, there's a lot of good and a lot of challenges in this- but as one member of council and an Aggie- I find it absolutely extraordinary that we could be the region responsible for helping put data centers in space and out of our neighborhoods… cooled by space and powered by solar- instead of our water and electricity.
That is a laudable goal. If that happens, it could dwarf the most famous economic regions in the country like North Carolina's Research Triangle Park, or even California's Silicon Valley. Imagine manufacturing more semiconductor chips than all of Taiwan, right here in central Texas while all but eliminating the Chinese threat of cornering the world's compute market. It boggles the mind.
Jobs, prosperity, a powerhouse economic region and national security. Right here in Aggieland. Things like this just don't happen, and maybe this won't. Who knows? But if it does, it has strategic implications for this region that I still think many don't comprehend.
We shall see. Respectfully
Yancy '95