Re:SpaceX – Starfall
by robotresearcher on Thursday November 05, 2026 @11:23PM
(#50388163)
I’ve made a note not to make my space data center a black nickel sphere, and instead to make it like we generally make satellites.
My nickel guy is gonna be so disappointed.
No, not just a bit. It varies by hundreds of degrees depending on the materials α/ε ratio.
Your mental model is off: materials that good absorbers but poor emitters will get very hot, and the flip-side stay cool, and are used to make the cooling elements in the ISS . The temperature of ball of black nickel at 1 AU will settle at balmy 239C - not -18C. Polished Aluminum -> roughly 145C.