Orbiting data centers

YET ANOTHER THREAT TO HUMAN EXISTENCE EMERGES

The threats to human existence from environmental catastrophe and government idiocy continue to multiply. As most people are barely aware of the grave threats posed by data centers on Earth, Elon Musk and others want to build orbiting data centers in space.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Initially, orbiting data centers may sound better than those that are severely draining the energy grid and our precious, dwindling water resources.

I am no scientist. However, when I asked AI about this, I learned that while orbiting data centers could theoretically reduce the land and water strain caused by terrestrial facilities, THEY POSE UNIQUE RISKS to Earth’s environment and orbital safety.

In the vacuum of space, traditional water-based evaporative cooling is impossible because there is no air for convection. Instead, orbiting data centers must rely on thermal radiation to dump heat into the void. 

ATMOSPHERIC AND OZONE DEPLETION

The lifecycle of an orbital data center involves frequent launches and eventual atmospheric reentry. Most satellites are designed to burn up upon reentry, which releases large quantities of particles that can trigger catalytic reactions that DEPLETE THE OZONE LAYER AND POTENTIALLY ALTER EARTH’S THERMAL BALANCE.

Data centers require massive constellations to be effective, significantly increasing the risk of space collisions. Adding thousands of new satellites increases the probability of THE KESSLER SYNDROME, a chain reaction where one collision creates a cloud of debris that destroys other satellites. This could eventually render critical orbits unusable for communication, GPS, and weather monitoring.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT: There is currently no unified global "air traffic control" for space, making it difficult to manage the millions of maneuvers required to avoid existing debris. 

IMPACT ON ASTRONOMY: Large arrays of solar-powered data centers reflect significant sunlight, creating "streaks" that interfere with ground-based telescopes.

DIRECT TERRESTRIAL IMPACT

Ground Casualties: While most debris burns up, larger components from massive data center structures may survive reentry and pose a risk to people or property on the ground.

NET EMISSIONS: Some researchers argue that when accounting for rocket manufacturing, fuel, and reentry ablation, orbital data centers might actually produce more total emissions than energy-efficient facilities on Earth.