The Hidden Costs of Computing Beyond Earth
Podcast: The Atomic Exchange PodcastPublished On: Tue Jul 14 2026
Description: In Episode 73 of The Atomic Exchange Podcast, Dr. Goran Calic and Jennifer Ward tackle the economics and technical feasibility of data centers in space. They break down launch costs with SpaceX's Starship, the challenge of cooling in the vacuum, and whether space-based AI computation could ever make financial sense. The conversation reveals that while launching to space is becoming plausible, the real hurdles are building radiation-hardened hardware and managing orbital real estate. They also explore questions of equity: who gets access to frontier AI, and should governments fund public AI infrastructure? A critical look at an ambitious dream and its hidden complications.
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