SpaceX Proposes 1 Million Solar-Powered Satellites as AI Data Centers Orbiting Earth
February 3, 2026
SpaceX has asked the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve a bold plan to launch up to one million satellites into Earth's orbit. Unlike its Starlink internet satellites, these spacecraft will be solar-powered data centers designed to run artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The satellites will orbit between 500 km and 2,000 km above Earth, capturing near-constant solar energy to power AI workloads more efficiently than land-based data centers. SpaceX says this approach is "the most efficient way" to meet the fast-growing demand for AI computing, which is straining traditional data center resources. With solar power, SpaceX expects to cut energy and cooling costs, which are high for current facilities. This massive network of satellites represents a new way to think about computing infrastructure and could reshape how AI models run worldwide. The plan also ties into a long-term vision of harnessing the Sun’s energy directly from space, linking to ideas like the Kardashev scale of civilizations. This daring proposal is already stirring excitement and debate in tech and space communities as it pushes the boundaries of science and technology.
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Spacex
Satellites
Ai
Data Centers
Orbital Computing
Fcc
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