New FCC filing by SpaceX for constellation of million data center satellites for AI apps.
-
New FCC filing by SpaceX for constellation of million data center satellites for AI apps.
# of sats: up to 1 million!
Orbit: 500 km and 2,000 km altitude and 30°inclinations. Multiple orbital shells 50 km apart.
Cooling: radiative
Schedule: unspecified
Sat size, weight, power, cost, ..: unspecified
Launches: millions of tons of mass per yearThere goes the neighborhood.
Or is this just marketing fluff and orbital hoarding?@sundogplanets
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/icfs?id=ibfs_application_summary&number=SAT-LOA-20260108-00016
1/n@AkaSci @sundogplanets Nothing about this makes any practical sense from a computer engineering perspective.
-
New FCC filing by SpaceX for constellation of million data center satellites for AI apps.
# of sats: up to 1 million!
Orbit: 500 km and 2,000 km altitude and 30°inclinations. Multiple orbital shells 50 km apart.
Cooling: radiative
Schedule: unspecified
Sat size, weight, power, cost, ..: unspecified
Launches: millions of tons of mass per yearThere goes the neighborhood.
Or is this just marketing fluff and orbital hoarding?@sundogplanets
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/icfs?id=ibfs_application_summary&number=SAT-LOA-20260108-00016
1/n -
To keep the clueless masses intoxicated, SpaceX threw in these flowery words in the FCC filing -
"Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization—one that can harness the Sun’s full power—while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s multi-planetary future amongst the stars."
Earth must be destroyed to save it?
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
2/n@AkaSci That's... also wrong, isn't it?
I thought a dyson swarm (which this isn't even) was a Cardi One typa thing.
-
To keep the clueless masses intoxicated, SpaceX threw in these flowery words in the FCC filing -
"Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization—one that can harness the Sun’s full power—while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s multi-planetary future amongst the stars."
Earth must be destroyed to save it?
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
2/n@AkaSci lmao kardashev 2??
-
@AkaSci @sundogplanets Nothing about this makes any practical sense from a computer engineering perspective.
@donaldball @AkaSci @sundogplanets
Epstein's chum, Chainsaw Boy, needs to lay off the Ketamine.
-
@AkaSci lmao kardashev 2??
@Kierkegaanks
Kardashian ii perhaps?
-
New FCC filing by SpaceX for constellation of million data center satellites for AI apps.
# of sats: up to 1 million!
Orbit: 500 km and 2,000 km altitude and 30°inclinations. Multiple orbital shells 50 km apart.
Cooling: radiative
Schedule: unspecified
Sat size, weight, power, cost, ..: unspecified
Launches: millions of tons of mass per yearThere goes the neighborhood.
Or is this just marketing fluff and orbital hoarding?@sundogplanets
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/icfs?id=ibfs_application_summary&number=SAT-LOA-20260108-00016
1/n@AkaSci @sundogplanets
You have got to hope this is about as practical as a hyperloop. -
@Kierkegaanks
Kardashian ii perhaps?@AkaSci full kardashev 3 in 18-36 months
-
To keep the clueless masses intoxicated, SpaceX threw in these flowery words in the FCC filing -
"Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization—one that can harness the Sun’s full power—while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s multi-planetary future amongst the stars."
Earth must be destroyed to save it?
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
2/n@AkaSci his hubris is insufferable
-
New FCC filing by SpaceX for constellation of million data center satellites for AI apps.
# of sats: up to 1 million!
Orbit: 500 km and 2,000 km altitude and 30°inclinations. Multiple orbital shells 50 km apart.
Cooling: radiative
Schedule: unspecified
Sat size, weight, power, cost, ..: unspecified
Launches: millions of tons of mass per yearThere goes the neighborhood.
Or is this just marketing fluff and orbital hoarding?@sundogplanets
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/icfs?id=ibfs_application_summary&number=SAT-LOA-20260108-00016
1/n@AkaSci @sundogplanets
BONKERS! -
To keep the clueless masses intoxicated, SpaceX threw in these flowery words in the FCC filing -
"Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization—one that can harness the Sun’s full power—while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s multi-planetary future amongst the stars."
Earth must be destroyed to save it?
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
2/n@AkaSci We won't be able to explore outer space because we will be trapped with near-orbit satellite debris. No really. We'll be entombed in SpaceX floaties.
-
To keep the clueless masses intoxicated, SpaceX threw in these flowery words in the FCC filing -
"Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization—one that can harness the Sun’s full power—while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s multi-planetary future amongst the stars."
Earth must be destroyed to save it?
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
2/n@AkaSci and all ground-based astronomy can just fsck off, right?
-
To keep the clueless masses intoxicated, SpaceX threw in these flowery words in the FCC filing -
"Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization—one that can harness the Sun’s full power—while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s multi-planetary future amongst the stars."
Earth must be destroyed to save it?
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
2/n@AkaSci Just in case anyone needs to see it: this can't work with today's or even near-future technology.
https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/12/01/ai-data-centres-in-space-why-dcs-in-space-cant-work
-
New FCC filing by SpaceX for constellation of million data center satellites for AI apps.
# of sats: up to 1 million!
Orbit: 500 km and 2,000 km altitude and 30°inclinations. Multiple orbital shells 50 km apart.
Cooling: radiative
Schedule: unspecified
Sat size, weight, power, cost, ..: unspecified
Launches: millions of tons of mass per yearThere goes the neighborhood.
Or is this just marketing fluff and orbital hoarding?@sundogplanets
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/icfs?id=ibfs_application_summary&number=SAT-LOA-20260108-00016
1/n@AkaSci @sundogplanets If any of you need talking points related to NOT building AI Data centers... straight from the horses mouth. Elon admits environmental impacts AND that AI is outpacing earth's ability to effectively build and manage them.
-
R ActivityRelay shared this topic
-
To keep the clueless masses intoxicated, SpaceX threw in these flowery words in the FCC filing -
"Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization—one that can harness the Sun’s full power—while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s multi-planetary future amongst the stars."
Earth must be destroyed to save it?
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
2/nThe filing is short on details and long on lofty goals and promises.
And also a bit sloppy -
"Global electricity demand for data centers is projected to more than double by 2035 driven by growth in AI — reaching ~1,200-1,700 Terawatt hours and ..."You gotta specify TW or TW-hours per month or per year.
Also, I suspect the million satellite number comes from 1 million * 100 kw = 100 GW total power.
For comparison, Starlink v3 satellites will generate 20 kW with a 60x8 m array.
3/n
-
New FCC filing by SpaceX for constellation of million data center satellites for AI apps.
# of sats: up to 1 million!
Orbit: 500 km and 2,000 km altitude and 30°inclinations. Multiple orbital shells 50 km apart.
Cooling: radiative
Schedule: unspecified
Sat size, weight, power, cost, ..: unspecified
Launches: millions of tons of mass per yearThere goes the neighborhood.
Or is this just marketing fluff and orbital hoarding?@sundogplanets
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/icfs?id=ibfs_application_summary&number=SAT-LOA-20260108-00016
1/n@AkaSci @sundogplanets OK, this has gone far enough. Does anyone actually have a way of shooting these fucking things down as they launch? Just asking.
-
@AkaSci @sundogplanets Nothing about this makes any practical sense from a computer engineering perspective.
@donaldball @AkaSci @sundogplanets especially when we could simply lay more fiber trunks across the world (technology that already exists and is awesome) and achieve multiple magnitudes more bandwidth for more people at far greater speeds and consistencies! But that wouldn't further inflate Musk's wealth so we can't have that!
-
New FCC filing by SpaceX for constellation of million data center satellites for AI apps.
# of sats: up to 1 million!
Orbit: 500 km and 2,000 km altitude and 30°inclinations. Multiple orbital shells 50 km apart.
Cooling: radiative
Schedule: unspecified
Sat size, weight, power, cost, ..: unspecified
Launches: millions of tons of mass per yearThere goes the neighborhood.
Or is this just marketing fluff and orbital hoarding?@sundogplanets
https://www.scribd.com/document/990116826/Orbital-Data-Center-LOA-Narrative
https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/icfs?id=ibfs_application_summary&number=SAT-LOA-20260108-00016
1/n@AkaSci @sundogplanets we should start crowdfunding "Kessler Takedown Rockets"
-
The filing is short on details and long on lofty goals and promises.
And also a bit sloppy -
"Global electricity demand for data centers is projected to more than double by 2035 driven by growth in AI — reaching ~1,200-1,700 Terawatt hours and ..."You gotta specify TW or TW-hours per month or per year.
Also, I suspect the million satellite number comes from 1 million * 100 kw = 100 GW total power.
For comparison, Starlink v3 satellites will generate 20 kW with a 60x8 m array.
3/n
A blunt assessment of "AI datacenters in space” by Prof. Matthew Buckley in Dec 2025 -
"To be blunt, the entire stupid idea is a giant middle finger to multiple fundamentals of physics, and the fact that it is apparently being taken seriously by our tech lords, mainstream journalism, and political leaders is a damning indictment of not just the ridiculous amount of money chasing bad ideas in the tech/LLM/hype sector that has eaten the American economy, ..."
https://www.physicsmatt.com/blog/2025/12/11/the-dumbest-thing-ive-seen-this-week
4/n -
A blunt assessment of "AI datacenters in space” by Prof. Matthew Buckley in Dec 2025 -
"To be blunt, the entire stupid idea is a giant middle finger to multiple fundamentals of physics, and the fact that it is apparently being taken seriously by our tech lords, mainstream journalism, and political leaders is a damning indictment of not just the ridiculous amount of money chasing bad ideas in the tech/LLM/hype sector that has eaten the American economy, ..."
https://www.physicsmatt.com/blog/2025/12/11/the-dumbest-thing-ive-seen-this-week
4/nSooner or later, the unemployed, angry masses of #AiAntagonists will stop posting silly memes and start smashing #datacenters instead...
...from that perspective putting data centers in orbit is perfect protection against angry #luddite mobs...
...as a plus, cooling and power, which is the main thrust of Luddite critique (because #AI #LLM are totally useless) is taken care of in orbit...
So if you have lift capacity of $20/kg suddenly orbital data centre starts to look like a damn good investment.
