SpaceX has filed a request with the Federal Communications Commission to launch a constellation of up to 1 million solar-powered satellites, saying those satellites can serve as data centers for artificial intelligence.
The company laid out a grandiose vision in its filing, not only saying these planned satellites are “the most efficient way to meet the accelerating demand for AI computing power”, but also framing them as “a first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization — one that can harness the Sun’s full power” while also “ensuring humanity’s multi-planetary future amongst the stars.”
The FCC recently gave SpaceX permission to launch an additional 7,500 Starlink satellites, but said it would “defer authorization on the remaining 14,988” proposed satellites.
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A report by The Verge states that while the FCC is unlikely to approve a network that expansive, SpaceX’s strategy has been to request approval for unrealistically large numbers of satellites as a starting point for negotiations.
Even if only a small fraction of these satellites gets approved, it would substantially increase the number of man-made objects in space. The European Space Agency estimates there are around 15,000 satellites orbiting the Earth at the moment, and the majority are Starlink.
SpaceX argues that the orbital data centers would be a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to land-based centers that are gaining increasing importance due to the AI industry.
There has been an increasing amount of backlash over the proliferation of data centers, due to their high water and electricity costs. Data centers have come under fire for driving up electricity bills, siphoning water from communities, and polluting groundwater in parts of the world.
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Taking this into consideration, it isn’t surprising that major players in the tech industry are turning their attention to space as an alternative.
However, concerns still remain around the abundance of space junk and potential for orbital collisions, such an explosion of objects in orbit.
Meanwhile, SpaceX is exploring mergers with the other companies owned by its CEO, Elon Musk– Tesla and xAI.
SpaceX is also moving ahead with plans to pursue an initial public offering that would seek to raise significantly more than $30 billion in a transaction that would make it the biggest listing of all time. Sources suggest the company could raise $30 billion or more, with a speculative valuation of around $1.5 trillion, making SpaceX one of the most valuable companies globally.