SpaceX has asked the Federal Communications Commission to approve a constellation of up to one million solar-powered satellites that would function as “orbital data centers,” a bid to meet surging demand for AI computing. The filing argues space-based facilities could be more energy- and cost-efficient than land-based data centers constrained by power and water, though the company gave no timetable. The scale would far exceed SpaceX’s nearly 10,000-satellite Starlink network and is likely to intensify scrutiny over orbital congestion, debris risk and interference with astronomical observations. Analysts say launch costs, thermal management and protection against debris remain major hurdles, even as SpaceX pitches the system as capable of serving billions of users. The move comes amid heightened competition from Amazon’s Project Kuiper and growing regulatory attention to low-Earth-orbit constellations.
Related articles:
– Orbital Debris Quarterly News
– Starlink
– Kardashev Scale
– Satellite Constellation
– Radio Frequency Interference in Radio Astronomy
