SpaceX Files Application for 1 Million Satellites to Power AI Systems

SpaceX's Historic Application for the AI Revolution

SpaceX, the space transportation and communications company owned by Elon Musk, has submitted a groundbreaking application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make a breakthrough in artificial intelligence (AI). The company officially announced its intention to send 1 million solar-powered satellites into orbit and establish a massive 'orbital data center' to provide the large-scale data processing and computational power required by AI systems. This application has gone down in history as the most ambitious and largest-scale plan ever seen for the integration of space-based infrastructure and AI technologies.

The fundamental logic of the project is to solve the enormous energy and cooling requirements for AI model training and inference operations outside of Earth. An orbital data center can utilize unlimited solar energy, and the cold environment of space can provide natural cooling. This has the potential to overcome significant constraints faced by terrestrial data centers, such as energy costs and thermal management.

Strategic Move: SpaceX and xAI Integration

SpaceX's move is seen as part of the company's AI strategy. In February 2026, it was announced that Elon Musk's AI company xAI was acquired by SpaceX, and the combined company's value reached $1.25 trillion. This merger was a concrete indication of SpaceX's intention to combine its space infrastructure with xAI's AI capabilities. The orbital data center project is evaluated as precisely the product of this synergy. If the project comes to life, the large language models and other AI systems developed by xAI could gain access to one of the world's most powerful and scalable computing infrastructures.

Space industry analysts point out that SpaceX is the only company capable of implementing this project. The company successfully completed 134 of 144 planned launches in 2024, demonstrating unprecedented launch capacity and reliability. This operational tempo and technical expertise form the foundation required for the deployment of a million-satellite constellation. Furthermore, SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet constellation has already proven the feasibility of managing large-scale satellite networks in low Earth orbit.

While the project promises revolutionary potential for AI development, it also raises significant questions. The deployment of 1 million satellites poses major challenges regarding space traffic management, orbital debris, and international regulations. The FCC and other global regulatory bodies will need to carefully evaluate the application's technical, safety, and environmental aspects. If approved, this project could fundamentally transform not only AI infrastructure but also humanity's relationship with space, turning orbit into an extension of our digital ecosystem.