SpaceX Seeks Federal Approval To Launch 1 Million Solar-Powered Satellite Data Centers
SpaceX satellite data centers proposal targets 1 million solar-powered orbiters to meet surging AI computing demands responsibly.
Matilda
SpaceX Seeks Federal Approval To Launch 1 Million Solar-Powered Satellite Data Centers
SpaceX Satellite Data Centers: 1 Million Solar AI Orbiters Planned SpaceX has formally requested federal permission to deploy up to 1 million solar-powered satellites designed to function as orbital data centers for artificial intelligence workloads. The filing with U.S. regulators describes a constellation that would harvest solar energy in space to power AI computations, addressing Earth-based constraints like energy scarcity and cooling limitations. While the scale appears staggering—dwarfing today's roughly 15,000 active satellites—the proposal signals a bold shift in how we might power tomorrow's most demanding technologies. Credit: CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP / Getty Images Why Put AI Data Centers in Space? Earth-bound data centers face mounting pressure as AI models grow exponentially in size and complexity. Training a single advanced model can consume as much electricity as thousands of homes use in a year, straining local grids and generating significant heat. Space offers unique …