Orbital data centre proposals dangerous for humanity
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The gist
SpaceX asked the FCC to launch up to a million data-centre satellites; rivals filed similar plans within weeks.
The Conversation argues the untested, oversized satellites pose safety and pollution risks.
Background
SpaceX, the rocket company behind the Starlink mega-constellation, filed with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC, the US regulator that licenses launches) in January 2026 for up to a million satellites to operate as orbital data centres. Within weeks, Blue Origin, Starcloud, Cowboy Space and Orbital Compute filed their own orbital data centre plans, and all the companies plan to launch from the US, so they need only FCC approval. The Conversation article argues these corporate proposals carry serious safety, atmospheric and light pollution problems and that the technology is untested.
How it unfolded
- 2024A Saskatchewan farmer found a piece of a Starlink satellite on the ground, and a chunk of a SpaceX rocket landed in a farmer's field there the same year.
- Jan 30, 2026SpaceX asked the FCC for permission to launch up to a million satellites to operate as orbital data centres, calling the constellation a first step towards a Kardashev Type II civilisation.
- June 2026Presenting the company's first AI satellite design, Elon Musk argued civilisational progress is best measured by the power a civilisation harnesses.
- Within weeks of the filingBlue Origin (51,600 satellites), Starcloud (88,000), Cowboy Space (20,000) and Orbital Compute (100,000) filed copycat orbital data centre plans.
- October 2026Starlink had more than 11,000 satellites in orbit, with five-year operating lifetimes and on average one or two car-sized satellites re-entering every day.
- Oct 21, 2026The Conversation published an article arguing corporate orbital data centre proposals are dangerous for humanity; an essay by Dr Luke Soon on rethinking the Kardashev scale was published the same day.
Who’s saying what
- Caution
- The Conversation's author says the proposals carry serious safety, atmospheric pollution and light pollution problems, the technology is untested, and some satellites would be twice the size of the International Space Station.
- Official
- SpaceX's filing frames the constellation as the 'first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization – one that can harness the Sun's full power', and Musk argues progress is best measured by the power a civilisation harnesses.
- Analysts
- Analysts cited by Dr Luke Soon's essay question whether orbital data centres offer advantages over terrestrial ones once launch costs, debris risk and heat rejection are included.
- Expert
- Essay author Dr Luke Soon argues that even 10 terawatts of orbital AI compute would raise the Kardashev measure only from about 0.73 to about 0.75, a negligible effect.
Still unverified
The Conversation's estimate that 500 satellites would drop pieces on the ground every five years assumes the Starlink debris found is the only piece that reached Earth, giving a 0.05 per cent re-entry survival rate. The economics of orbital data centres remain contested, with analysts questioning their advantages over terrestrial ones.