The firm asserts that it serves as a more affordable and eco-friendlier option compared to terrestrial facilities.
The firm asserts that it serves as a more affordable and eco-friendlier option compared to terrestrial facilities.
SpaceX submitted a petition to the FCC on Friday requesting authorization to launch a network of 1 million data center satellites into orbit. Although the FCC is not likely to sanction a network of that scale, SpaceX has opted to seek approval for excessively large satellite numbers as a foundation for discussions.
The application envisions creating a solar-powered data center network in low Earth orbit that would communicate through lasers. The filing describes the constellation in grand sci-fi language, referring to it as a “preliminary move towards achieving a Kardashev II-level civilization — one capable of utilizing the full power of the Sun.”
Even if merely a small number of those 1 million satellites manage to reach orbit, it would represent a considerable rise in the count of artificial objects in space. The European Space Agency projects that there are about 15,000 satellites currently circling the Earth, with the majority being Starlink. (Over 9,600, according to Johnathan’s Space Report.)
As professionals express concerns regarding the prevalence of space debris and the risk of collisions in orbit, such a surge in orbital objects appears inadvisable. Nevertheless, SpaceX contends that the orbital data centers would offer a more economical and environmentally sustainable solution than terrestrial sites that form the infrastructure of the expanding AI sector. Rather than extracting water from local communities, contaminating groundwater, and increasing electricity expenses, orbital data centers could dissipate heat into the vacuum of space and primarily depend on real-time solar energy and limited battery power.
Resistance against data centers has been growing, with communities increasingly succeeding in halting their development. Thus, it’s unsurprising that leading companies in AI are shifting their focus to one of the few places devoid of community dissent.
Correction January 31st: An earlier edition of this article indicated that more than 11,000 Starlink satellites were in orbit. That figure represented the total launched, including decommissioned satellites. This has been updated to indicate how many Starlink satellites are actively in orbit.
