TL;DW:
Does It Make Sense To Put Data Centers In Space?
At some point in the future, yes.
Can They Really Cost Less To Operate?
In theory, yes.
Scott expresses concerns that current startups have not adequately addressed some of the practical challenges, such as cooling.
Wouldn’t it be way hotter unless they stay in the shade? 🤔
It would be way hotter in general. Conductive cooling requires a medium to transfer heat. In a vacuum, you only have radiation, which doesn’t cool quickly enough for a shit ton of processors. In the sun, it would be worse, but they would need cooling even in the shade.