SpaceX has applied to launch another million satellites into orbit – all to power AI

• SpaceX wants to put another million satellites in orbit
• These satellites will act as AI data centers out in space
• Regulators at the FCC must now weigh up the proposal

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has applied to launch another one million satellites into Earth’s orbit, with these “orbital data centers” intended to meet the growing need for infrastructure supporting the world’s artificial intelligence demands.

As reported by the BBC, in a filing logged with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), SpaceX says that the “terrestrial capabilities” of data centers are quickly becoming exhausted, necessitating some space-based expansion.

There’s no timeframe set on these launches – should they be approved – but it would be a gigantic increase in the number of SpaceX satellites orbiting Earth. Over the next few years, SpaceX satellite numbers will grow to 15,000.

This constellation of flying data centers is going to be powered by solar power, and SpaceX says the setup won’t require much in the way of operating and maintenance costs – potentially making it more efficient than current options for powering AI.

‘Transformative efficiency’

“These satellites will achieve transformative cost and energy efficiency while significantly reducing the environmental impact associated with terrestrial data centers,” the SpaceX filing submitted to the FCC reads, according to Reuters.

As the Reuters report goes on to point out, SpaceX might not actually deploy the full one million satellites, if it gets the go ahead. Earth’s orbit is already a crowded place, and plenty of work will need to be done to keep this safe and viable.

It’s by no means a new idea: numerous tech companies have previously proposed the idea of putting satellite data centers in space, and both Google and Amazon have looked into the possibility of this kind of infrastructure – without going as far as SpaceX, as yet.

Another of Elon Musk’s companies, xAI, has also talked about pushing AI data centers beyond our planet’s atmosphere. The race is now on in earnest to see which companies can make this a reality first.

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