Elon Musk’s SpaceX has applied for permission to send as many as one million satellites into Earth’s orbit, proposing a vast network of so called “orbital data centres” designed to power the rapidly growing demands of artificial intelligence, as reported by the BBC.
The proposal argues that traditional data centres, typically massive warehouses filled with power hungry servers, are struggling to keep up with AI workloads. Training large models and processing global scale data already require enormous electricity and cooling resources. SpaceX claims ground based infrastructure is approaching its limits and that moving computing hardware into space could offer a more efficient solution.
Instead of building ever larger facilities on land, the company envisions solar powered satellites acting as distributed computing hubs in low Earth orbit. These satellites would capture energy directly from the sun and handle processing tasks above the planet, theoretically reducing strain on terrestrial power grids and water intensive cooling systems.
The application, filed with the Federal Communications Commission, outlines a network that could eventually scale to one million spacecraft. SpaceX says the system would provide enough computing capacity to serve billions of users worldwide and position humanity closer to what scientists describe as a Kardashev Type II civilization, one capable of harnessing most of the sun’s energy.
If approved, the plan would dramatically expand the company’s footprint in orbit. SpaceX already operates nearly 10,000 satellites through its Starlink internet service, which delivers broadband connectivity around the globe. That network has faced criticism from astronomers and space experts who argue the growing number of objects in low orbit increases congestion and collision risks.
Specialists also question the economics. Launching and maintaining hardware in space remains costly, and protecting equipment from radiation, debris, and extreme temperatures adds complexity. A single collision could disable satellites or create fragments that threaten other spacecraft.
Still, Musk has dismissed concerns that space is becoming overcrowded, arguing that the distances between satellites are vast. From SpaceX’s perspective, orbiting infrastructure could unlock a new layer of computing capacity just as AI demand surges worldwide.
If regulators sign off, the project could redefine not just satellite networks but the very idea of where the world’s digital brains are located, shifting them from warehouses on Earth to data centers circling high above it.