SpaceX has detailed plans to place up to one million large satellites in orbit to serve as data centers for artificial intelligence. Experts have warned that the scale of the project could worsen space debris problems and increase collision risks.
The company submitted a filing to the Federal Communications Commission on May 29 outlining the proposal. Elon Musk discussed the project in a video interview posted on X around June 8, describing the satellites as tiny and noting that space is vast.
The satellites, called AI1, would measure 70 meters long and 20 meters high. More than 500,000 would operate between 946 and 1,002 kilometers above Earth. Musk said the company aims to address land use and energy concerns tied to ground-based data centers.
Astrophysicists Jonathan McDowell and Hanno Rein, along with University of Birmingham professor Hugh Lewis, expressed worries about overcrowding at those altitudes. They noted that debris would persist for centuries and could lead to a cascade of collisions known as Kessler Syndrome.
SpaceX also seeks approval for disposal methods that include Earth disposal orbits or heliocentric orbits rather than atmospheric reentry. The company's initial public offering is scheduled for June 12.