US EditionWith Attention on Orbital Data Centers, the Focus Turns to Economics
SpaceX seeks FCC approval for up to 1 million solar-powered satellites to create orbital AI data centers aiming to reduce costs and environmental impact, marking a step toward advanced civilization.
- On January 30, 2026, SpaceX filed with the Federal Communications Commission to propose up to 1 million solar-powered satellites as orbital data centers for artificial intelligence, saying they would harvest near-constant solar power to reduce costs and environmental impact.
- With AI demand surging, deep learning labs OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI drive rising compute needs while terrestrial data centers face water, power and permitting limits.
- Using sun‑synchronous orbits and optical links, the filing proposes satellites in low Earth orbit between 500 and 2,000 kilometers with 30° inclinations, omitting size and cost details.
- Industry filings indicate the FCC recently authorized 7,500 Starlink satellites while deferring 14,988, and Amazon seeks an extension to place over 1,600 satellites.
- Competing announcements such as Blue Origin's Jan. 21 TeraWave highlight strategic rivalry, while analysts warn the economics of SpaceX's Kardashev II ambitions are harsh.
32 Articles
32 Articles
SpaceX's ambitious project contemplates the deployment of a constellation of up to 1 million satellites in space over the next few years
Musk's company SpaceX plans to launch millions of solar-powered satellites into space. Experts warn of an increase in the risk of collision in low erdorbite.
SpaceX seeks FCC nod for solar-powered satellite data centers for AI
Elon Musk's SpaceX is seeking approval to launch a constellation of 1 million satellites that will orbit Earth and harness solar energy to power AI data centers, according to a filing at the Federal Communications Commission.The filing, submitted on
Elon Musk's SpaceX company has applied to launch one million satellites into orbit around Earth to help power artificial intelligence (AI) while conserving Earth's resources, but it is not yet clear when this will happen, the BBC website reported.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 75% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
