Innovative Cooling Solutions for Space-based Computing
As space companies seek to deploy advanced chips into orbit, the challenge of cooling high-powered processors remains a primary concern.
“It’s cold in space…[but] there’s no airflow, and so the only way to dissipate is through conduction,” explained Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, during a recent earnings call discussing space-based data centers. This highlights the unique challenges faced in the harsh environment of space.
Sophia Space’s Innovative Approach
Sophia Space has recently secured $10 million in funding from various investors, including Alpha Funds, KDDI Green Partners Fund, and Unlock Venture Partners. The company’s ambitious plan involves proving a novel approach to passively cooling space computers on Earth before ultimately testing its technology in orbit by late 2027 or early 2028.
Prominent players in the space sector, like SpaceX, Google, and Starcloud, are exploring traditional satellite designs for their proposed space data centers, which typically rely on large radiators for optimal chip performance. However, the founders of Sophia Space (CTO Leon Alkalai, CEO Rob Demillo, and Chief Growth Officer Brian Monin) are pioneering a different, more efficient approach.
Origins of the Technology
The technology being developed by Sophia Space stems from a $100 million-endowed initiative at Caltech, originally focused on creating orbital solar plants to transmit electricity back to Earth. Researchers at Caltech eventually conceptualized a sail-like structure that is thin and flexible, contrasting with the bulky, traditional satellite designs.
Although challenges related to technical feasibility and regulatory hurdles have hindered the production of terrestrial electricity, Alkalai, who also serves as a fellow at the Caltech-managed Jet Propulsion Laboratory, saw potential in using this design to power processors in space. Aetherflux, another space solar power startup, shares a similar vision.
Designed for Efficiency
As a partner of Nvidia, Sophia Space has developed modular server racks equipped with integrated solar panels, termed TILES, with dimensions of one meter by one meter and a few centimeters in depth. This innovative design enables processors to directly connect to a passive heat spreader, significantly eliminating the need for active cooling systems. Demillo anticipates that 92% of the power generated will be available for processing, marking a notable improvement over traditional designs. However, such an efficient system necessitates a sophisticated software management platform to ensure balanced processing activity.
Future Plans and Industry Partnerships
Looking ahead to the 2030s, Sophia envisions constructing larger space data centers composed of thousands of TILEs, aiming to produce up to 1 MW of computing power within a framework measuring 50 meters by 50 meters. Demillo asserts that building such facilities using less efficient systems could prove economically nonviable. He advocates for a singular, consolidated structure as opposed to a network of distributed systems connected by beams of light.
Initially, Sophia plans to offer its TILEs to satellite operators requiring computational solutions in orbit. Potential collaborators include earth observation satellites that generate significant amounts of data, missile warning systems backed by substantial Pentagon investments, and evolving communications networks.
“The dirty little secret of the satellite industry is that we have a plethora of incredible sensors in orbit generating terabytes or even petabytes of data every few minutes. Unfortunately, much of this data is discarded because onboard computing capabilities are insufficient, and the round trip communication with Earth is often too slow,” Demillo noted during an interview with TechCrunch.
Image Credit: techcrunch.com
