[LINK] Elon Musk is getting serious about orbital data centers

[Fernando Cassia]

On Tue, Feb 17, 2026, 7:37 PM Kim Holburn <kim at holburn.net> wrote:

> https://theintercept.com/2026/01/12/data-centers-space-ai/
>
>
> Space is cold and has abundant solar energy — the very things data centers
> need. Experts tell us it’s not that simple.
>

Exactly. It is cold but has no air.

>From Grok:

How Heat Dissipates in Space

   - Radiation is Sole Method: Without air or matter to transfer heat via
   conduction/convection, objects must emit thermal radiation (infrared light)
   to cool down.
   - Slow Process: Radiative cooling is generally slower than other forms,
   making heat management in space difficult.
   - Spacecraft Engineering: Satellites and the ISS use large radiators to
   artificially manage this, as they cannot rely on air to carry away heat.
   [image: Reddit]Reddit +6


FC

But large questions remain: Is it even possible? And if it is, why bother?
>