Space datacenters proposed by SpaceX, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and others would release staggering levels of pollution that would probably alter the Earth’s atmosphere and be “catastrophic” for the planet, space industry experts and environmental groups warn in a new petition demanding a review of their impacts.
Tech companies have collectively proposed millions of “orbital datacenters” and are pressing forward with plans, which require Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval. Among other issues, pollution from satellites and rockets burning up upon re-entry appears to be accumulating in the stratosphere at alarming levels. The spacecraft release black soot, rare metals, aluminum oxides and other pollutants with unknown effects.
Some scientists fear the pollution could destroy the ozone layer, potentially expose some people to higher levels of ultraviolet radiation, or help further destabilize the planet during the climate crisis. The pollution could also end up back on Earth, and millions of satellites would create a major source of light pollution.
Seems like tilting at windmills when you realize these things are pure vaporware. Trying to calculate the ecological footprint of a pipe dream seems totally misplaced. Would make far more sense to fixate on real ones.
If Bezos/Musk want to claim all the data centers will be in orbit in another 20 years? Let them put their money where their mouths are and stop building terrestrial data centers in the meantime.
The fact that data centers are already one of the most expensive buildings to build on earth that require enough water and power for an entire city while using the most expensive cutting edge computer hardware on the planet that also requires skilled technicians 24/7.
Yeah they can do that in space. /s
I guess you could say the same thing about the ISS. I just don’t think anyone has ever accused it of being profitable.
the ISS contains roughly 50 installed computers and a few laptops, ranging from flight computers to tiny air chemistry monitors, all engineered for power and heat efficiency.
The ISS is one of the most expensive projects in history. A single data center would make the ISS seem like a child’s toy in cost and complexity. The scale of solar panels and cooling that would be required for that is comically enormous.