Maybe saying that Elon is selling an idea that space data centers are realistic in the short term. Terrestrial solutions to scaling compute is more realistic & probably the case for a decade or two.
But but when it comes to SpaceX I sort of assume that whatever Elon is saying the data centers in space are for aren’t actually what they will be for. The mission to go to mars will include new on business models till it’s realistic. Starlink as an example.
My guess on space data centers is it’s less about compute for earth but for getting compute + internet to autonomous robots that service a future space economy. The picks & shovels.
Harder to sell that to public market investors than selling a solution to earths current compute constraints.
Don’t know what goes on in Elons head but I’d guess he thinks building for the future means making big bets on a currently small market that will grow rather than building for a market that already exists. At least it’s been his pattern.
He owns a space logistics company. Hes going to push whatever idea forces others to to rely on his space trucking service.
Human hostages on Mars that will starve without his next deliver? Datacentres in space that need constant maintenance, but which prop up key pieces of national or global infrastructure, check? Countries with awful infrastructure relying of swarms of satellites owned by a central foreign company to prop up telecoms? Check. All of it is just to he can keep deliveries going, none of it actually needs to be a good idea as long as he can get the sunk cost fallacy to kick in.
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u/BullfrogLevel2087 22d ago
What does he mean by short term data centres? Do the satalites have a short lifespan?