"Let’s not call Son pragmatic just yet."

Perche' non sarebbe il suo settore

Unable to read the article but the basic maths of putting suitable structures in space obviously doesn't add up, even if you don't account for maintenance difficulties, accelerated damage and poor upgrade options

The subtext is the most interesting part. If Masa Son thinks it's bullshit, there's probably a lot more bullshit to it than just the orbital data centers. We've gone from flooding zone with stuff that makes it seem any bullshit is possible, to the vibe that maybe someone has thrown a $2 trillion turd into the punch bowl.

It's sad that people can't be satisfied with the most reliable medium lift rocket that can be launched at an amazing cadence, and a working satellite Internet connection, albeit one that can't really compete with terrestrial wireless. But no, you've got to build a cult, back fascist politicians, vandalize the government services that make things run smoothly and support science, and make the normies suspicious of tech if they don't outright hate it. Feh.