[Starlink] DataCenters in Space (was Re: fiber IXPs in space)

[Nathan Owens]

Cheap(ish) Space to Earth optical has been tested by NASA/MIT with the
T-BIRD sat -- it used 2x 100G CFP optics and an off-the-shelf EDFA to send
200Gbps to a 12in telescope on earth while it was overhead.

On Thu, Apr 20, 2023 at 4:25 AM Hesham ElBakoury via Starlink <
starlink at lists.bufferbloat.net> wrote:

> Yves Durand is the director of technology at Thales Alenia Space, the
> joint venture charged with studying the feasibility of space data centers,
> with the goal of deploying them in the early 2030s.
>
> The article I sent before says: "Durand doesn’t doubt the viability of
> building a data center in space, and says that construction will be “fully
> automated – no astronauts. In fact, the project involves development of
> special, robotic assembly technology.” A founding principle is to design a
> modular facility with electronic components that can be easily transported
> on a reusable space shuttles. Unlike terrestrial, fiber-based communication
> facilities, the data centers in space will use optical technology."
>
> Hesham
>
> On Wed, Apr 19, 2023, 6:16 PM Vint Cerf via Starlink <
> starlink at lists.bufferbloat.net> wrote:
>
>> O&M will be a bear
>> v
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Apr 19, 2023 at 9:13 PM Tom Evslin via Starlink <
>> starlink at lists.bufferbloat.net> wrote:
>>
>>> I think space-based data centers will be the rule rather than the
>>> exception. Wrote about that a couple of years ago although, as usual,
>>> things have not happened as quickly as I predicted
>>> https://blog.tomevslin.com/2021/07/computing-clouds-in-orbit-a-possible-roadmap.html
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Starlink <starlink-bounces at lists.bufferbloat.net> On Behalf Of
>>> Michael Richardson via Starlink
>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2023 7:35 PM
>>> To: starlink <starlink at lists.bufferbloat.net>; e-impact at ietf.org
>>> Subject: [Starlink] DataCenters in Space (was Re: fiber IXPs in space)
>>>
>>>
>>> I saw this reported in BIS-Spaceflight.
>>> (I'm usually a few months behind in reading it) I like the "first
>>> objective"!
>>>
>>>
>>> https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press-release/ascend-thales-alenia-space-lead-european-feasibility-study-data
>>>
>>> Cannes, November 14, 2022 – Thales Alenia Space, the joint company
>>> between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has been chosen by the European
>>> Commission to lead the ASCEND (Advanced Space Cloud for European Net zero
>>> emission and Data sovereignty) feasibility study for data centers in orbit,
>>> as part of Europe’s vast Horizon Europe research program.
>>>
>>> Digital technology’s expanding environmental footprint is becoming a
>>> major
>>> challenge: the burgeoning need for digitalization means that data
>>> centers in Europe and around the world are growing at an exponential pace,
>>> which in turn has a critical energy and environmental impact.
>>>
>>> The first objective of this study will be to assess if the carbon
>>> emissions from the production and launch of these space infrastructures
>>> will be significantly lower than the emissions generated by ground-based
>>> data centers, therefore contributing to the achievement of global carbon
>>> neutrality. The second objective will be to prove that it is possible to
>>> develop the required launch solution and to ensure the deployment and
>>> operability of these spaceborne data centers using robotic assistance
>>> technologies currently being developed in Europe, such as the EROSS IOD
>>> demonstrator.
>>>
>>> This project is expected to demonstrate to which extent space-based data
>>> centers would limit the energy and environmental impact of their ground
>>> counterparts, thus allowing major investments within the scope of Europe’s
>>> Green Deal, possibly justifying the development of a more climate-friendly,
>>> reusable heavy launch vehicle. Europe could thus regain its leadership in
>>> space transport and space logistics, as well as the assembly and operations
>>> of large infrastructures in orbit.
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Please send any postal/overnight deliveries to:
>> Vint Cerf
>> Google, LLC
>> 1900 Reston Metro Plaza, 16th Floor
>> Reston, VA 20190
>> +1 (571) 213 1346
>>
>>
>> until further notice
>>
>>
>>
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