SpaceX wants to launch a constellation of a million satellites to power AI needs
SMRTR summary
SpaceX wants to launch one million satellites to create an "orbital data center" powered by solar energy, a request that would multiply the current satellite population by 100. Elon Musk's company filed the application with the Federal Communications Commission on Friday, proposing the massive network to deliver computing capacity for artificial intelligence needs within orbital shells spanning up to 50 kilometers each.
The sheer scale dwarfs SpaceX's current achievements. The company recently celebrated launching its 11,000th Starlink satellite, with roughly 9,600 currently in orbit as of late January.
According to the filing, "orbital data centers are the most efficient way to meet the accelerating demand for AI computing power" since they harness solar power with minimal operating and maintenance costs. The FCC will likely reduce SpaceX's ambitious request, as it has before. When SpaceX initially sought nearly 30,000 satellites in 2020, regulators approved only 15,000 in smaller batches.
This orbital data center concept isn't entirely new, having surfaced among company insiders as Musk reportedly considers taking SpaceX public.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Engadget.
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