SpaceX has submitted a request to the FCC to deploy a constellation of up to one million satellites aimed at orbital AI data centers. The astronomical community has expressed alarm, as the regulatory agency does not evaluate the environmental impact of such launches. Light pollution and atmospheric debris could irreversibly damage scientific observation of the sky.
The Technical Challenge and Opacity of the Project 🔍
The proposal, named V-band Non-Geostationary Satellite System, lacks key technical data such as the size, altitude, or brightness of the satellites. This prevents an accurate assessment of its impact. Scientists are trying to gather information before the March 6 comment deadline to argue before the FCC, highlighting risks such as the chemistry of metallic debris from massive reentries and orbit saturation.
A Stellar Plan to Turn Off the Stars 🌌
It seems that the next frontier of artificial intelligence requires disconnecting natural intelligence from the universe. While astronomers seek answers in the cosmos, SpaceX proposes covering it with a layer of hardware. Perhaps the true machine learning will be for the telescopes, which will have to learn to see among a million artificial light points. A constellation to serve AI, in exchange for blinding our view of space.