This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Q. What do data centers do, and why are they important?<\/p>\n
A. Data centers are all about data, as the name suggests. It\u2019s about computing. It\u2019s about data storage, data curation, and data distribution or delivery. So, why is that important? Because we live in the digital age. Everything\u2019s driven by data, and now everything\u2019s driven by AI. These (Earth-based) data centers are called hyperscale data centers. As the name suggests, they\u2019re huge.<\/p>\n
Q. What physical components make up a data center?<\/p>\n
A. You can think of the building blocks as computing units, computers, the chips that drive it \u2014 and when I say chips, it could be the graphic processing units or the central processing units. You need memory, you need connections, like broadband connections, so that data are processed in the blink of an eye. Because data centers are energy intensive, they also need cooling and a lot of power.<\/p>\n
Q. How do the components of a terrestrial data center differ from a space-based one?<\/p>\n
A. There\u2019s nothing different. They both have the same building blocks but space-based centers have a lot of advantages and some constraints.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you can find a geosynchronous orbit, or low-Earth orbit, or middle-Earth orbit where you can optimize sun exposure, all the power required for computing is going to be solar. You\u2019re getting rid of the energy requirements because it\u2019s going to be powered through a renewable source. So, you\u2019ve lessened the energy bottleneck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re in colder environments, like the confines of space, the cooling requirements are different. You don\u2019t have access to water, but you may not even need water.<\/p>\n
Q. How large would a space-based data center be compared with an Earth-based center?<\/p>\n
A. Think about a space-based data center as a constellation of satellites and nanosatellites that work in unison. Think of many nanosatellites in space communicating with each other, each behaving as a computing center with its own autonomous computing unit. We call that free-space optics. If you have optics built in, then you\u2019re communicating at the speed of light, so you can have a constellation of nanosatellites and not just one monolithic unit. Because we are communicating at the speed of light, it\u2019s much faster than any other mode of communication. And when needed, it can send back the information to you.<\/p>\n
Q. How does information from a space-based data center get back to Earth?<\/p>\n
A. All the computing is done in space and as needed. It is beamed back to satellites that then communicate back to you. The architecture of the computing unit is tailored to work in space or optimized to work in space.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Q. How secure are space-based data centers compared with terrestrial data centers?<\/p>\n
A. At this point, space-based data would be more secure. In 200 years from now, we don\u2019t know. You can put the data center in middle-Earth orbit or high-Earth orbit where accessibility is limited. Someone cannot physically access it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where it\u2019s placed all comes down to how important the data is. If it\u2019s of great national importance, then you make it as secure as possible.<\/p>\n
Q. What are some of the challenges that have to be overcome to establish space-based data centers?\u00a0<\/p>\n
A. One of the challenges is space debris. The moment you put the center in space, you need to be very mindful of that. We are working with law professors and public policy professors to navigate this. It really requires everyone to come together as a team to solve this problem.\u00a0<\/p>\n
People from different disciplines are coming together to come up with equitable solutions that make economic sense, too. We just need to be mindful of the possible negative impact these data centers may have in terms of space junk and space debris. But other than that, I don\u2019t see any reason not to pursue this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I think putting data centers in space is very forward-thinking. It\u2019s a question of when and not if. It\u2019s inevitable that it\u2019s going to happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because you\u2019re solving the energy problem, you\u2019re solving the water problem, and then you don\u2019t need huge geo-footprints to house data centers here. You\u2019re shipping them to space.<\/p>\n
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