zlacker

>>g-mork+(OP)
> The basic math is that launching a million tons per year of satellites generating 100 kW of compute power per ton would add 100 gigawatts of AI compute capacity annually, with no ongoing operational or maintenance needs. Ultimately, there is a path to launching 1 TW/year from Earth.

> My estimate is that within 2 to 3 years, the lowest cost way to generate AI compute will be in space.

This is so obviously false. For one thing, in what fantasy world would the ongoing operational and maintenance needs be 0?

>>rybosw+u5
> in what fantasy world would the ongoing operational and maintenance needs be 0?

Well, if you can't get there, you can't do maintenance, so there is zero maintenance :)

>>jopsen+E7
Satellites have large operational costs. Satellite fleets even more so.

>>adastr+Bb
I remember reading somewhere that satellites are extra expensive for 2 reasons:

- launch costs are so high that doing exotic bespoke engineering might be worth it if it can shave off a few pounds

- once again because launches are expensive and rare, you cannot afford to make mistakes, so everything has to work perfectly

If you are willing to launch to lower orbits, and your launch vehicle is cheap, you are building in bulk, then you can compromise on engineering and accept a few broken sats

Undergrads afaik even high schoolers have built cubesats out of aluminum extrusions, hobbyist solar panels, and a tape measure as an antenna. These things probably dont do that much, but they are up there and they do work.