Elon Musk’s SpaceX has asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to launch a massive satellite constellation designed to collect solar energy in orbit and use it to power AI data centers. The plan would place computing infrastructure in space, cutting reliance on land based power grids and reducing the environmental footprint of traditional data centers.
SpaceX Proposes Up to 1 Million Solar Power Satellites
In an FCC filing, SpaceX said it wants to launch as many as 1 million satellites that would orbit Earth and directly harness near constant solar energy.
SpaceX argues that satellites powered by continuous sunlight could deliver major advantages. The company says the system would lower operating costs and reduce maintenance needs compared to building and running data centers on Earth.
Project Could Support Musk’s AI Expansion Plans
The FCC request appeared just after reports that SpaceX and Musk’s AI company xAI are discussing a merger. A deal like that could strengthen Musk’s long term push to scale AI computing power and compete more aggressively with major players like:
- Meta
- OpenAI
If the merger moves forward, it could also boost SpaceX’s goal of launching data center capacity into orbit ahead of a potential public offering.
The 1 Million Figure May Be Strategic, Not Final
Even though the filing mentions 1 million satellites, experts note that SpaceX may not actually launch that many.
Satellite operators often request approval for larger numbers than they plan to deploy. This gives them flexibility in future design choices and long term planning.
SpaceX previously requested permission for 42,000 Starlink satellites before starting deployments. Today, Starlink has around 9,500 satellites in orbit. In total, only about 15,000 satellites exist in space worldwide.
Starship Is Key to Making the Plan Possible
SpaceX’s proposal depends heavily on Starship, the company’s next generation reusable rocket. SpaceX believes Starship will dramatically lower launch costs and make large scale orbital infrastructure realistic.
SpaceX says reusable rockets could allow the company to send huge amounts of equipment into orbit every year. That would make it possible to build computing capacity in space faster than expanding data centers on land.
Starship has completed 11 test launches since 2023. Musk expects Starship to carry its first real payloads into orbit this year. The rocket also plays a major role in expanding Starlink with larger and more capable satellites.
