Elon Musk's "AI Space Infrastructure Dream" Moves Forward: SpaceX Application Approved for 1 Million Satellites to Launch?

In recent months, as the demand for computing power in artificial intelligence applications continues to grow, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has shown strong interest in orbital data centers.

Not long ago, Musk boldly proposed the idea of “turning the night sky into a giant, solar-powered artificial intelligence brain.”

This week, Musk took another step toward this dream, as U.S. federal regulators have begun processing the company’s new satellite constellation launch application.

FCC Fast-Tracks SpaceX Application

On Wednesday, Eastern Time, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) accepted SpaceX’s proposal to build a “non-geostationary satellite system.” This system will transfer high-energy-consuming AI computations to space orbit, potentially allowing the company to deploy up to one million satellites to train xAI models.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr posted on social media: “The Federal Communications Commission welcomes SpaceX’s orbital data center application and is now seeking public comment.”

Carr also attached the notice of acceptance and public comment period on social media. The deadline for comments is March 6, 2026.

“The satellites in the project will use high-bandwidth optical inter-satellite links and perform telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) operations,” the FCC stated in the announcement. “The Commission seeks comments on the application and related exemption requests.”

Prior to this document review, Musk decided this Monday to bring his AI startup xAI under SpaceX, integrating its AI development and launch capabilities into one company.

SpaceX Submits Application for 1 Million Satellite System

On January 30, Eastern Time, SpaceX officially submitted this satellite project to the FCC, describing it as “a satellite constellation with unprecedented computing power to support advanced AI models and related applications.” This satellite system could include up to one million satellites, establishing a global orbit data center network.

“SpaceX’s orbital data center system will enable SpaceX to begin providing energy-efficient AI computing services to consumers, businesses, and government users worldwide,” SpaceX wrote in the application.

According to the proposal, SpaceX plans to operate this satellite system at altitudes of approximately 500 to 2000 kilometers, with an orbital inclination of 30 degrees, using sun-synchronous orbits to maximize solar energy collection and laser-based optical links for connectivity.

The network will connect with SpaceX’s existing Starlink constellation, allowing data to be routed and processed in orbit before being transmitted to ground stations.

The application does not include many technical details, such as satellite size, mass, or specific orbital parameters. SpaceX stated that the satellites are planned to be deployed in “largely unused orbital altitudes” within the proposed range. Satellites in higher sun-synchronous orbits (spending over 99% of the time in sunlight) will support applications requiring continuous computing power, while those in lower inclination orbits will handle peak demands to balance system load.

The First Step Toward a “Kardashev Type II Civilization”

In the application, SpaceX states that because these satellites will directly utilize nearly constant solar energy, they will require almost no operational or maintenance costs. The company describes this project as a step toward a “Kardashev Type II civilization.”

The Kardashev scale, proposed by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev in 1964, is a method of measuring a civilization’s technological advancement based on its energy consumption, dividing civilizations into Type I (planetary energy control), Type II (stellar system energy collection), and Type III (galactic energy control).

Elon Musk stated:

“Meeting the world’s AI energy demands solely through solutions on Earth is not feasible in the short term and would impose enormous burdens on communities and the environment.”

“In the long run, space-based AI is clearly the only way to achieve scalable expansion. To harness just one percent of our Sun’s energy, the required energy would be over a million times what our current civilization consumes.”

It is worth noting that this satellite project is also a key driver for SpaceX’s planned initial public offering (IPO), which could take place as early as this summer and is expected to raise hundreds of billions of dollars.

(Source: Caixin)