Space Datacenters: Environmental Risks of Orbital Tech and How They Could Reshape the Planet

Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos' space ventures, SpaceX and Blue Origin, have unveiled plans to construct millions of 'orbital datacenters'. Experts warn these projects could release enough pollution to alter Earth's atmosphere and pose a 'catastrophic' environmental risk. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is awaiting approval for these plans, which involve spacecraft emitting black soot, rare metals, and aluminum oxides during launches and re-entry, accumulating in the stratosphere. Scientists fear these pollutants could degrade the ozone layer, expose people to higher ultraviolet radiation, or exacerbate planetary instability during the climate crisis. The pollution could also return to Earth, while millions of satellites would create significant light pollution. A petition to the FCC calls for a pause on new licenses for space datacenters, arguing the plans violate federal law. Companies describe their projects in grand terms, such as securing 'humanity's multi-planetary future among the stars', but have refused to investigate environmental impacts. SpaceX claims its orbital datacenters will 'ensure humanity's multi-planetary future', but only pledges 'industry-leading brightness mitigations' without details. The petition argues that no company has provided sufficient evidence to mitigate the environmental harms of over a million satellites orbiting, colliding, and disintegrating. Advocates highlight the risk to biodiversity and astronomy, with Cowboy Space Corporation aiming to launch a 20,000-satellite system by 2028. The proliferation of satellites raises legal and environmental questions, with the petition citing the National Environmental Policy Act (Nepa) as requiring FCC assessments. Experts stress the need for further research and caution about the feasibility of these projects.

Space datacenters represent a major environmental risk, compounding climate and ozone threats. The feasibility and long-term impacts of these projects remain uncertain, underscoring the need for responsible space technology development.