Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, has submitted a major regulatory application to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking approval to launch up to one million satellites into Earth orbit to serve as orbital AI data centers.
The move is aimed at meeting the rapidly growing global demand for artificial intelligence computing
According to the FCC filing, SpaceX proposes a constellation of satellites that would not just deliver internet connectivity like its Starlink network, but also function as space‑based data processing hubs powered by solar energy.
The company says these orbital data centers are a more cost‑effective and energy‑efficient alternative to massive traditional data centers on the ground, which require substantial electricity and cooling resources.
Ambitious Vision Meets AI Demand
As artificial intelligence systems continue to expand in scale and complexity, the computing backbone needed to support them is under immense pressure.
SpaceX argues that conventional ground‑based facilities may soon be outpaced by AI’s power and processing needs
. “In orbit, with near‑constant access to sunlight and minimal maintenance costs, an orbital constellation could unlock computing capacity at a scale and efficiency not feasible on Earth,” the company said in the FCC documentation.
The proposed satellites would be equipped with solar panels to capture nearly uninterrupted sunshine in low‑Earth orbit (LEO).
This approach is designed to reduce the environmental footprint associated with terrestrial data centers, which often consume large amounts of electricity and water for cooling.
SpaceX’s filing also describes the project as a long‑term step toward ambitious technological milestones, a reference to achieving a Kardashev Type II civilization, capable of harnessing the full power of the Sun.
The success of such a vast satellite deployment depends heavily on SpaceX’s next‑generation Starship rocket, which the company says will be capable of lifting large numbers of satellites into space more efficiently than current launch systems.
