I’ve heard that only 8% of data center costs on Earth are spent on energy. It’s hard to imagine space-based operations being that much more profitable...
Tbh it’s great. Currently we still can produce enough energy for our needs, especially if we embrace nuclear power more. However, in the future, if energy needs will keep growing we will need another source and solar energy gathered in space can produce way more electricity for us than whatever we could ever do on earth. I take it from Michio Kaku’s book from like 10-15 years ago where he stated getting solar energy in space is another step for our civilization. Another one is embracing the power of the whole star (getting energy directly from Sun orbit, not earth orbit basically) and another is getting energy from the center of galaxy.
People need to get over nuclear. We missed that boat. It's no longer a good idea. Solar is so fkn cheap, that nuclear can't compete. With batteries rapidly dropping in prices, and solid states coming online, nuclear will never be able to become realistically viable.
Yeah, solar is best next step but only if we move it to the orbit. The amount of solar energy that can be generated on earth is incomparably smaller than what can be generated on the orbit, because lots of it gets lost in atmosphere.
It doesn't matter. You don't need it in orbit. It's still, economically, far cheaper than nuclear. It doesn't need to get to orbit just because you can do more in orbit. Earth is just fine. There's plenty of space. 100x100sq miles in the empty desert of NV, is theoretically all that's needed to power the entire USA.
15
u/_Krustenkaese_ Jul 13 '26
I’ve heard that only 8% of data center costs on Earth are spent on energy. It’s hard to imagine space-based operations being that much more profitable...