[Noisebridge-discuss] Server Sky: Internet and Computation in Orbit (Nov. 5 at Noisebridge)

[Seth David Schoen]

Keith Lofstrom is going to give a presentation at Noisebridge on
Thursday, November 5, about the Server Sky project.

http://www.server-sky.com/

This presentation begins at 7:30p and describes the concept of
"server sats" -- a network of extremely small solar-powered
communications satellites conceived by Keith's project.  From
the web site:

   It is easier to move bits than atoms or energy.

   Server-sats are ultralight disks of silicon that convert sunlight into
   computation and communications. Powered by a large solar cell, propelled
   and steered by light pressure, networked and located by microwaves, and
   cooled by radiation into deep space. Arrays of tens of thousands of
   server-sats act as highly redundant computation and database servers, as
   well as phased array antennas to reach thousands of transceivers on the
   ground.

   First generation server-sats are 20 centimeters across (about 8 inches)
   and 0.1 millimeters (100 microns) thick, and weigh 7 grams. They can
   be mass produced with off-the-shelf semiconductor technologies. Gallium
   arsenide radio chips provide intra-array, inter-array, and ground
   communication, as well as precise location information. Server-sats are
   launched stacked by the thousands in solid cylinders, shrouded and
   vibration isolated inside a traditional satellite bus.

   Traditional data centers consume almost 3% of US electrical power, and
   this fraction is growing rapidly. Server arrays in orbit can grow to
   virtually unlimited computation power, communicate with the whole world,
   pay for themselves with electricity savings, and greatly reduce
   pollution and resource usage in the biosphere.

   Server Sky is speculative. The most likely technical showstopper is
   radiation damage. The most likely practical showstopper is
   misunderstanding. Working together, we can fix the latter. 

-- 
Seth David Schoen <schoen at loyalty.org> | Qué empresa fácil no pensar en
     http://www.loyalty.org/~schoen/   | un tigre, reflexioné.
     http://vitanuova.loyalty.org/     |            -- Borges, El Zahir