BREAKING: SpaceX is requesting to launch and operate a constellation of 1 million satellites with unprecedented computing capacity (orbital data centers) to power advanced AI, according to a new FCC filing. SpaceX: "Launching 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 Al-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity's multi-planetary future amongst the stars." In the SpaceX filing: • SpaceX aims to deploy a system of up to one million satellites to operate within narrow orbital shells spanning up to 50 km each (leaving sufficient room to deconflict against other systems with comparable ambitions). • System will operate between 500 km and 2,000 km altitude and 30 degrees and sun-synchronous orbit inclinations. • SpaceX plans to design and operate different versions of satellite hardware to optimize operations across orbital shells. • System will rely nearly exclusively on high-bandwidth optical links for communications. These optical links will route traffic within the network and to satellites in the Starlink constellation, via its high capacity (petabit) and high reliability laser mesh, which in turn will transmit traffic to authorized earth stations on the ground. SpaceX added: "With Starship's ability to deliver unprecedented tonnage to orbit for AI compute, the capacity for intelligence processing in space could surpass the electricity consumption of the entire U.S. economy, without the immense cost and disruption of rebuilding Earth's strained electrical grid to support the explosive demand for data centers. In turn, satellites that function as solar-powered orbital data centers are the most cost-effective, energy-efficient, and environmentally sound way to build infrastructure to meet accelerating demand for Al-enabled goods and services. With the inherent efficiencies of deploying solar powered data centers and launch cost rapidly decreasing due to the development of the Starship launch vehicle, SpaceX will be able to cost- effectively scale up its constellation as demand increases and compute evolves. For instance, launching 1 million tonnes per year of satellites generating 100 kW of compute power per tonne would add 100 gigawatts of AI compute capacity annually, with minimal ongoing operational or maintenance needs." (Filing link below)