SpaceX has sent a formal request to Comissão Federal from Comunicações of Estados Unidos to operate a constellation of up to one million satellites dedicated to orbital data centers focused on artificial intelligence. The initiative uses direct solar energy and laser communication between devices, with launch scheduled via Starship rocket. The project responds to the exponential increase in demand for data processing driven by AI models.
The company highlights that the orbital solution reduces operational costs and environmental impact compared to terrestrial installations. The satellites would operate at altitudes between 500 and 2,000 kilometers, ensuring almost constant exposure to sunlight. Essa configuration minimizes the need for batteries and water-intensive cooling systems.
The request was filed on January 30, 2026 and represents a significant expansion of SpaceX’s operations in the space segment. The company already maintains the Starlink network with thousands of active satellites, but this new constellation focuses exclusively on high-performance computing.
FCC Request Details
The documentation sent by SpaceX to the American regulator describes a network powered entirely by solar energy. Cada satellite would incorporate advanced photovoltaic panels to capture continuous solar radiation in the proposed orbits.
Communication between devices would occur through high-speed laser links. Essa technology is already used in the current Starlink and allows the transfer of large volumes of data without relying on full-time ground stations.
The equipment would be positioned in orbital bands that avoid interference with existing constellations. SpaceX claims the system would serve AI applications for billions of users on a global scale.
Technical advantages of orbit
Data centers in space eliminate energy constraints common in terrestrial facilities. Almost uninterrupted sun exposure drastically reduces the use of reserve batteries and backup systems.
The natural radiative cooling of the space vacuum eliminates the large quantities of water used in conventional centers. Essa characteristic makes the operation more sustainable in the long term.
- Direct solar energy with efficiency greater than 90% in selected orbits.
- Passive cooling without additional consumption of water resources.
- Reduction of carbon emissions associated with land-based generation.
- Rapid scalability via reusable Starship releases.
The combination of these factors positions the orbital solution as an economical alternative for growing computing demands.
Starship project context
The Starship rocket represents a central piece to enable the necessary volume of launches. SpaceX carries out regular tests of the vehicle and foresees dozens of satellites per operational mission.
The complete reuse of Starship reduces costs per kilogram placed in orbit. Essa savings make it feasible to deploy hundreds of thousands of units in a few years.
The company has already demonstrated mass production capabilities with the Starlink line. The accumulated experience accelerates the development of the new constellation dedicated to AI processing.
Solar energy as an operational basis
Orbits between 500 and 2 thousand kilometers guarantee solar illumination for prolonged periods. Essa condition minimizes terrestrial shadows and maintains continuous energy generation.
State-of-the-art solar panels convert radiation with high efficiency even in space conditions. The system eliminates dependence on planetary electrical networks subject to switches.
Energy autonomy allows uninterrupted operation of high-performance processors. Essa feature meets training and inference requirements of advanced artificial intelligence models.
Laser communication between satellites
Optical links replace radio frequency transmissions in a large part of the network. The technology offers superior bandwidth and lower internal latency.
Satellites equipped with laser transceivers form high-speed dynamic mesh. Essa architecture distributes processing loads efficiently across the constellation.
SpaceX already implements laser links in the current generation of Starlink. The maturity of the solution reduces technical risks in the new orbital project.
Scalability of the proposed constellation
The proposal foresees gradual growth up to the limit of one million units. SpaceX indicates that the final number will depend on the evolution of demand for AI computing.
Each satellite would incorporate a processing capacity of 100 kW, according to technical estimates. The complete network could deliver hundreds of gigawatts of total computing power.
Modularity allows expansion according to market needs. Essa flexibility positions the initiative as a long-term response to the exponential growth of artificial intelligence models.
Integration with musk ecosystem
The orbital project aligns with other companies owned by businessman Elon Musk. xAI develops advanced models that demand large computational capacity.
Discussions on operational integration between SpaceX and xAI are progressing in parallel with the regulatory request. Essa synergy enhances the use of the proposed space infrastructure.
The Tesla also indirectly benefits from advances in energy efficiency. Tecnologias developed for orbit finds application in the company’s terrestrial solutions.
SpaceX filed on January 30, 2026 the request to operate up to one million satellites as orbital AI data centers. The network would use direct solar energy, laser communication and launch via Starship to meet growing demand for processing.