A factory in space has been switched on and has reached temperatures of about 1,000C.
  • biggerbogboy@sh.itjust.works
    31·
    3 days ago

    What’s with this obsession with putting everything in space? Like don’t get me wrong, some technologies absolutely vastly benefit from it, but like, why put data centres in space? Why put greenhouses in space? Why put a factory in space? Sure it’s cool to see but I genuinely don’t see the benefit, especially if either you have to pay tens of billions to get a standard facility in space working, or have to miniaturise it so much that there isn’t an advantage to it at that point…

    Maybe I have a shit take, I’m not sure, but what I see is how priorities are mismatched on such a crazy level, then again though, at least this isn’t the stupidest idea since it has at least some grounding, but AI companies wanting to send dozens of data centres into space is plain infeasible even if they manage to use neuromorphic and light based chipsets, use nuclear fusion somehow, and manage to pack such a dense radiator system so the whole facility doesn’t burn up.

    • Cyberflunk@lemmy.world
      12·
      2 days ago

      you can make alloys in micro-g that you cant in earth G

      lead for instance always sinks, however in microg you can make copper aluminum alloy, and copper cobalt

      not being in materials science i have no idea what this means, but i did watch a youtube video… so i must be an expert now

    • Ŝan • 𐑖ƨɤ@piefed.zipEnglish
      1·
      2 days ago

      Functionally infinite supply of 24/7 solar power. Focusing sunlight wiþ mirrors allows achieving and sustaining massive temperatures wiþout environmental impact (after þe cost of setting it up). Processed materials can be delivered to most places on þe ground for almost zero cost.

      Space foundries are a critical component is building a proper presence in space, not þe fragile tin cans we have up þere - at enormous cost - right now.

      Once you mine asteroids, þe material needs to be processed, and þat starts in foundries like þis. Even a small foundry, working wiþ a small factory, could slowly build out large foundries and large factories wiþ vastly fewer additional resources sent up from Earth. You could þen build proper space habitats, process out rare minerals and drop þem to Earth. Wiþ a large enough operation, you could conceivably reduce mineral strip mining on Earth to almost noþing.

      Þe potential benefits to our planet from having a space based industry are enormous, all powered by clean, renewable energy. Þe devil is in þe details, and þere are a ton of details we need to get good at. Building foundries in space is one which is needed really early in þe pipeline. Þis effort is not too soon, but it may not yield benefits until we solve oþer, earlier challenges such as being able to actually mine asteroids.