SpaceX’s plans to scale up its AI efforts via extraterrestrial means have been revealed. The company applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to launch 100,000 new satellites to support artificial intelligence (AI).
According to the filing, SpaceX wants to send 100,000 third-generation satellites to space. The new constellation will power human connectivity.
The satellites will operate in two orbital shells, between 323 and 327.5 km and between 473 and 477.5 km. These ranges are narrow and in very low Earth orbit (VLEO). SpaceX is using two altitude layers to achieve better global coverage and more flexible routing of AI-driven traffic.
The double-layer architecture will also provide redundancy if a layer experiences congestion or debris risk. It will also allow SpaceX to optimise performance for different clientele. The space exploration company hopes to “deliver extremely low-latency and multi-gigabit symmetrical throughput for consumers, enterprises, and government users and billions of AI-powered devices around the world.”
SpaceX wants approval to tilt the third-generation satellites from 26 to up to 96.9 degrees. This, it claims, will help to dynamically optimise coverage in response to demand. It will also allow the satellite system “to coordinate with other satellite systems operating near and transiting through these shells, and to leave ample room for crewed spacecraft.”
The new satellites will be backwards-compatible, as SpaceX will utilise ground infrastructure designed for first- and second-generation systems. The application states that the third generation will be built on the same proven network orchestration software that has supported more than 10,000 previous-generation satellites.
Meanwhile, SpaceX has already launched more satellites into space than the rest of humanity combined. The company, however, seems to be just getting started. It has secured approval to launch 7,500 additional Starlink satellites. These are separate from the one-million-satellite network SpaceX wants to use to host extraterrestrial data centres.
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