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

Thu Apr 20 07:34:13 EDT 2023

The only way these large constellations are going to be able to realize the promised capacities is by jumping the THz gap and use optical space-to-ground links. I see advances in coherent light giving gains in link budgets, and every time I ask someone in the FSOC industry “couldn’t you use UV lasers?” I get first a puzzled “are you crazy?” look, but is sometimes  followed by a “wait… wat…” look. Other than the inherent danger to humans, UV penetrates clouds nicely.

I eventually see caches onboard satellites, which conform a homogeneous mega-cache, able to improve hit ratio by use of ISL to route traffic to the right nodes. You actually need this as the satellites are constantly moving, so if you have to solve that problem, why not then to the whole way and take advantage?

Best,

Mike
On Apr 20, 2023 at 14:28 +0300, Nathan Owens via Starlink <starlink at lists.bufferbloat.net>, wrote:
> 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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