Musk's SpaceX applies to launch 1m satellites into orbit

SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, has applied to the Federal Communications Commission to launch up to one million satellites into Earth's orbit. The proposed network of solar-powered satellites aims to create "orbital data centers" to meet the growing global demand for AI computing power, which SpaceX claims is outpacing terrestrial capabilities. The company argues this system would be more cost and energy-efficient than traditional data centers and could serve billions of users. This expansion would significantly increase the number of SpaceX satellites in orbit, adding to the existing Starlink network of nearly 10,000 satellites. The application does not specify a timeline, but SpaceX claims this is a step towards harnessing the Sun's full power. Concerns have been raised about space congestion, the cost and complexity of maintaining hardware in orbit, and interference with astronomical research.

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