New Delhi: SpaceX has filed for approval with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate up to one million satellites forming an Orbital
Data Centre dedicated to boosting AI growth. The constellation would be deployed in low Earth orbit between altitudes of 500 and 2,000 km, in narrow 50 km orbital shells at 30 degree inclinations in Sun-synchronous orbits. These orbits are typically used for Earth imaging satellites as the Sun is always in the same relative position, providing consistent lighting conditions. For the orbital data centre, these orbits provide near-constant solar exposure, providing unlimited clean energy for compute-intensive AI inferencing, and models serving billions of users with relying on the strained power grids of the Earth.
The satellites would harness solar power directly in space, and radiate heat passively into the vacuum, eliminating water-intensive cooling. Optical laser links would provide interconnect, and this constellation will be integrated with the existing Starlink mesh for low-latency global access. Backup Ka-band radio transponders would also support critical operations. SpaceX has framed the ambitious project as the first step towards making humans a Kardashev Type II civilisation, capable of harnessing the full energy output of the Sun. Even capturing a tiny fraction of solar energy in orbit would yield over 10,000 times the current total consumption of humanity.
Terrestrial data centres are stressed
If the satellites are launched using the massive tonnage enabled by the reusable SpaceX Starship, the system should be capable of adding 100 gigawatts of AI compute annually, potentially surpassing the entire US electricity demand without rebuilding terrestrial infrastructure. The demand for data centres is projected to increase tremendously, with terrestrial data centres hampered by grid limits, emissions and delays. Orbital processing sidesteps these challenges, offering lower costs, zero fuel for maintenance, and rapid scaling to meet the demand. The filing emphasises sustainability. SpaceX has requested expedited authorisation and waivers from standard deployment milestones, citing public interest in accelerating the deployment of sustainable AI infrastructure.
