Re:AI datacenters in space do not have a cooling problem
by jbreckmckye on Wednesday May 13, 2026 @07:51AM
(#48120706)
I honestly do not understand why HN loves this guy.
He spends 60% of this article describing black body radiation.
Then he does back-of-an-envelope maths and calculates a space data center needs... 250,000 sq meters of radiator area. Which is about 250x anything we've ever put up there, about 50 football pitches
So, he concludes, AI datacenters in space do have a cooling problem.
Next week - nuclear power does not have a toxic waste problem! (Unless it ever leaks)
He spends 60% of this article describing black body radiation.
Then he does back-of-an-envelope maths and calculates a space data center needs... 250,000 sq meters of radiator area. Which is about 250x anything we've ever put up there, about 50 football pitches
So, he concludes, AI datacenters in space do have a cooling problem.
Next week - nuclear power does not have a toxic waste problem! (Unless it ever leaks)