SpaceX seeks FCC nod for 1M solar-powered satellite data centers for AI

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/spacex-seeks-fcc-nod-solar-powered-satellite-data-centers-ai-2026-01-31/

by trhway • 6 months ago

8 11 6 months ago

reuters.com

delichon3• 6 months ago

Their 2020 patent on a satellite chassis optimized for heat dissipation:

https://x.com/seti_park/status/2015114363531866448

They claim 12.6 watts/kg. A fully reusable Starship is expected to orbit 100 to 150 tons of cargo, so ~1 to 2 megawatts of compute per launch.

A 1MW datacenter in the US would cost around $10M to build, and consume around $100k/month in electricity, free to the satellite.

A Starship launch is projected to cost around $10M, which doesn't include the satellites. So it looks more expensive than a conventional data center even with optimistic assumptions. It may depend on those becoming more expensive to be practical.

CamperBob23• 6 months ago

Why not just run the terrestrial data center from PV panels? That's free, too.

delichon3• 6 months ago

Mostly intermittency. In space it can be 24/7.

Bender• 6 months ago

What will the data-center operations team look like and who is "go for launch" to replace a failed component? Will DCOps be rocket robots and just hang out in space? But seriously what is the real purpose of this and don't say AI. If so those would have to be some incredibly massive never seen before solar panels.

verzali• 6 months ago

The purpose is to build hype for the SpaceX IPO. And to engineer a convincing way for Musk to fold xAI into SpaceX and use it to release capital from the AI bubble.

ChrisArchitect• 6 months ago

Some more earlier: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46838914

HardwareLust• 6 months ago

He'll get the nod of course, just a question of how big the check needs to be.

SpaceX seeks FCC nod for 1M solar-powered satellite data centers for AI

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