SpaceX plans to build a million-satellite orbital network to create a global space data center

SpaceX recently submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States, proposing to send up to one million satellites into orbit to build an innovative space data processing hub. According to Jin10 data, in the eight-page application document recently submitted, the company detailed the grand vision of this “Orbital Data Center System” and emphasized its unprecedented computing power, capable of supporting the computation and deployment of next-generation artificial intelligence models.

Multi-layer Orbital Configuration Supports Extreme-Scale AI Computing

In the application document, SpaceX explicitly states that to provide large-scale AI inference and data processing capabilities to billions of users worldwide, a multi-tier satellite orbital configuration is necessary. This unique bentuk orbital design distributes satellites across multiple independent orbital layers, each no more than 50 kilometers thick. Such a multi-layer orbital configuration maximizes coverage efficiency while providing optimal spatial layout for distributed computing. Through this approach, SpaceX aims to achieve unprecedented computational density and data processing speed.

The Prospect of a “Space Data Factory” with Millions of Satellites

This ambitious plan reflects the future trend of space computing. By deploying one million satellites into a specific bentuk orbital configuration, SpaceX intends to create a globally distributed computing network. Unlike traditional terrestrial data centers, this satellite cluster system offers seamless coverage, extremely low latency, and easy scalability. This orbital infrastructure not only supports current AI application needs but also reserves ample capacity for more complex future computing scenarios. SpaceX’s move marks the expansion of space resource development from the communication sector to the computing sector, ushering in a new era of “Orbital Industry.”