SpaceX is requesting to launch up to a million satellites to create a network of data centers orbiting Earth.
Late Friday, the company filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission, describing the project as “a constellation of satellites with extraordinary computing power to power advanced artificial intelligence (‘AI’) models and applications that rely on them.”
The project is staggering in its scope, awakening the existing Starlink constellation, which currently encompasses 9,600 satellites in Earth orbit.
In an 8-page document, SpaceX describes the company’s proposed “orbital data center system.” “To deliver the compute capacity needed for large-scale AI inference and data center applications serving billions of users globally, SpaceX aims to deploy systems of up to a million satellites to operate in narrow orbital shells spanning 50 kilometers (leaving plenty of room for decoration against other systems with comparable ambitions),” the company wrote.
(FCC/SpaceX)
The company adds that the same satellite will harness the sun’s energy, “orbiting at an altitude of 500 km and an altitude of 2,000 km and an orbital inclination of 30 degrees and sun synchrony. The orbiting data centers will also use “optical links” or lasers to connect with StarLink, routing traffic to users below using existing satellite Internet systems.
“Orbital data centers are the most efficient way to meet the accelerating demand for AI computing power,” the filing added in bold, pointing to the rising energy costs of AI data centers on Earth. The company is also betting that it can launch space-based data centers at a faster clip using SpaceX’s more powerful Starship vehicle, which is also critical to upgrading Starlink with next-generation satellites.
(FCC/SpaceX)
The company filed the request as SpaceX reportedly prepares for an initial public offering to help fund an orbital data center push. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has previously indicated that his Starlink technology already forms the basis for building a network of orbiting data centers.
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However, the request for one million satellites appears unusual and will face intense scrutiny from the FCC, as well as potential critics. Earlier this month, the commission cleared SpaceX’s request to operate 7,500 more satellites for the second-generation Starlink bridge, including those in lower orbits. But the regulator stopped short of allowing for the full 22,488.
Details about SpaceX’s orbiting data centers, including their scale, were vague. In the filing, SpaceX simply says it plans to “design and operate different versions of the satellite hardware to improve operations in orbital shells.”
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About our expert
Michael Kahn
Senior reporter
Experience
I have been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite Internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware and more. I am currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s StarLink satellite Internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also regulatory battles over expanding satellite constellations, battles with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and efforts to expand satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and reached out to remote corners of California to test StarLink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling its personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint Investigation Along with the motherboard
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. Now I’m following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump into the comments with feedback and send me pointers.
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