- SpaceX wants to put another million satellites into orbit
- These satellites will act as AI data centers in space
- FCC regulators must now weigh the proposal
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has applied to launch another million satellites into Earth’s orbit, and these “orbital data centers” aim to meet the growing need for infrastructure to support global demands for artificial intelligence.
As reported by the BBC, in a document filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), SpaceX says that the “ground capabilities” of data centers are being depleted rapidly, requiring some spatial expansion.
There is no set schedule for these launches (should they be approved), but it would be a gigantic increase in the number of SpaceX satellites orbiting Earth. In the coming years, the number of SpaceX satellites will increase to 15,000.
This constellation of flying data centers will be solar-powered, and SpaceX says the setup won’t require many operation and maintenance costs, potentially making it more efficient than current options for powering AI.
‘Transformative efficiency’
“These satellites will achieve transformative cost and energy efficiency while significantly reducing the environmental impact associated with terrestrial data centers,” reads SpaceX’s filing to the FCC, according to PakGazette.
As the PakGazette report goes on to note, SpaceX may not deploy the full million satellites, if it gets the go-ahead. Earth’s orbit is already a crowded place and a lot of work will need to be done to keep it safe and viable.
It’s by no means a new idea: numerous tech companies have previously proposed the idea of putting satellite data centers in space, and both Google and Amazon have studied the possibility of this type of infrastructure, without going as far as SpaceX, yet.
Another of Elon Musk’s companies, xAI, has also talked about pushing AI data centers beyond our planet’s atmosphere. The race is now on in earnest to see which companies can make this a reality first.
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