SpaceX's application to launch up to one million satellites for orbital data centers cleared its first regulatory hurdle on February 5, when the FCC's Space Bureau accepted the filing for public comment. The company submitted the proposal on January 30.
The system would operate at altitudes between 500 and 2,000 kilometers, using optical inter-satellite links. SpaceX claims the satellites could deliver approximately 100 kilowatts of computing power per metric ton. Traffic would route through space-based laser networks before reaching ground stations.
Context matters here. Roughly 14,000 active satellites currently orbit Earth. SpaceX's proposal would increase that number by 6,800 percent. The company operates 9,555 of those existing satellites through Starlink.
Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astrophysicist who catalogs space objects, highlighted the collision risk. "A constellation like this will absolutely be required to have a fleet of tow-truck satellites to remove failed ones to avoid Kessler," he told The Register. Kessler syndrome describes a cascading collision scenario that could render orbital space unusable.
SpaceX has provided minimal technical specifics. The application lacks details on satellite design, launch cadence, operational redundancy, or collision avoidance protocols. The company frames the project as a long-term initiative toward becoming a "Kardashev II-level civilization."
For enterprise technology leaders evaluating satellite connectivity, the proposal raises questions about future computing capacity and latency. Current LEO satellite networks already face latency challenges compared to fiber for applications like financial trading and real-time video conferencing. Weather reliability remains a concern for business continuity planning.
The FCC opened public comment with a deadline in early March. The filing carries no guarantee of approval and presents unprecedented regulatory challenges around orbital congestion and international coordination.
History suggests ambitious satellite constellation proposals face significant delays between filing and operational deployment. The technical and regulatory hurdles here are substantial. We'll see.