[heeen2]

I think you need a temperature gradient to generate electricity from heat

[siculars]

The space station is in, uh, space. I'm fairly certain a temperature gradient could be arranged.

[seer]

It's actually the complete opposite - space is not "infinitely cold" it's more like "infinitely isolating" - like the perfect giant thermos. Space suits for example have a whole layer of water tubes just to cool down the astronaught, otherwise they will pass out from their own body's temperature.

[naasking]

Indeed, black body radiation isn't very effective at dissipating heat!

[creshal]

The ISS has an 28 tons active cooling system that barely radiates away as much heat as a one ton HVAC unit on Earth (70kW).

It's hard to generate a temperature gradient when you're blasted from the unfiltered Sun on one side, and reflected IR from Earth.

[deelowe]

And surrounded by a near vacuum.

[deelowe]

And yet thermos has somehow made billions by assuming the opposite.