"SpaceX" Seeks Approval to Launch One Million Solar-Powered Data Center Satellites

SadaNews - SpaceX, owned by entrepreneur Elon Musk, is seeking U.S. federal approval to launch a massive constellation that includes up to one million solar-powered satellites, aimed at using them as space-based data centers dedicated to running artificial intelligence applications.

According to a filing made by the company to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), SpaceX believes that these satellites represent the most efficient way to meet the accelerating demand for computing power related to artificial intelligence, in a vision that extends beyond the technical aspect to touch on major future aspirations.

The company did not stop at this proposal; it described the project as the first step towards humanity's transition to a Type II civilization on the Kardashev scale, meaning a civilization capable of harnessing the full energy of the sun, in addition to supporting Musk's stated goal of ensuring a multi-planetary future for humanity.

However, The Verge suggested that the announced number of one million satellites may not receive immediate approval, considering it a starting point for regulatory negotiations with the relevant authorities. The FCC recently approved the launch of an additional 7,500 satellites under the Starlink project, but decided to defer approval of approximately 14,988 other satellites.

According to the European Space Agency, there are currently about 15,000 human-made satellites in Earth's orbit, numbers that have already begun to raise increasing concerns regarding space pollution and orbital debris.

This development comes at a time when other companies are facing similar challenges, as Amazon is seeking to extend a deadline set by the FCC to launch more than 1,600 satellites, justifying this by the lack of available rockets for launch.

In the same context, reports have indicated that SpaceX is considering merging with two other companies owned by Elon Musk, namely Tesla and xAI (which previously merged with the X platform), as part of potential preparations to go public in the near future.