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Elon Musk Presented Bold Plans for Starlink: Turn the Satellite Network into Orbital Data Centers and Use Artificial Intelligence to Cool the Earth, Generating Debates About Risks, Sustainability, and Spatial Regulation.
Chris Young analyzes Elon Musk’s new ambitions for Starlink, which now go beyond connecting the world. The billionaire plans to transform his orbital network into a tool to boost artificial intelligence and even to cool the planet.
The proposals address real crises, such as the unsustainable demand for energy and global warming, but raise profound technical, environmental, and ethical questions.
The Promise of Connecting the World Takes a New Direction
Created with the aim of bringing internet to remote areas, Starlink now represents about 70% of the 12,500 active satellites in orbit.
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It wasn’t just the muscles: after just 3 to 5 days in space, the 8 crew members of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn and Fram2 missions returned with their tibias already losing bone density, the trabecular structure weakened, and the men showing twice the deterioration compared to the women.
Now, Musk proposes to further expand this presence. He announced on social media that he intends to use SpaceX’s satellites, equipped with high-speed laser links, to meet the growing need for data infrastructure and, in parallel, create an orbital constellation aimed at combating climate change.
These plans, he claims, could solve two simultaneous crises: the explosion of demand for data centers that consume energy at an unsustainable pace and the rising global temperatures.
However, both require the launch of thousands of new satellites, which exacerbates orbital congestion and increases risks to science and space security.
The Race for Energy to Power Artificial Intelligence
Since the public launch of ChatGPT in 2022, artificial intelligence has driven a growing energy demand. According to a Goldman Sachs report, energy consumed by data centers could rise by 165% by 2030. Musk proposes to shift part of that load to space, using the Starlink infrastructure.
He argues that Tesla’s mission is to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, while SpaceX’s is to make humanity multiplanetary. Therefore, sending data centers to space would be a natural continuation of that logic.
But the idea is not new. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt also suggested the installation of orbital data centers, stating that AI energy consumption could climb from 3% to 99% of global generation. Schmidt even took charge of the space startup Relativity Space with this goal.
Experts Criticize Viability
Astronomers and engineers, however, doubt the practicality of the proposal. Researcher Samantha Lawler from the University of Regina called the idea “stupid for many reasons.” She questions how data centers could operate in orbit, given that they require constant maintenance, component replacements, and regular updates.
According to Lawler, all of this would be more difficult in space. She also warns of the risk of damage caused by orbital debris, which could compromise operations. Additionally, launching tons of equipment into orbit would represent high costs and new environmental impacts.
Researchers from NTU Singapore argued that space-based data centers are feasible by leveraging existing launch and communication technologies. However, they acknowledge that technical feasibility does not guarantee environmental sustainability.
The proposal may alleviate terrestrial energy consumption, but it increases the problem of orbital overcrowding.
A Constellation of AI to Cool the Planet
Another proposal from Musk involves using satellites to “cool” the Earth through so-called solar geoengineering. He suggested on November 3 that a constellation of solar-powered satellites could adjust the amount of light reaching the planet, reducing global warming.
The topic divides the scientific community. The UN recently warned that the world is not on track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. In light of this, some scientists advocate exploring radical methods such as artificially reducing solar radiation.
However, experts warn of unpredictable risks. Professor V. Faye McNeill from Columbia University explained that the consequences of blocking part of the sunlight could be much broader than one might think.
Lawler also criticized the proposal. According to her, the true solution is to stop burning fossil fuels. Reducing sunlight without cutting emissions would be merely a dangerous band-aid. Moreover, if a significant number of satellites were used to block the Sun, the risk of orbital collisions would drastically increase.
The Specter of Orbital Congestion
Musk’s two ideas ultimately lead to the same problem: more congestion in an already saturated space. In 2022, Lawler warned of the risk of a chain reaction known as the Kessler Syndrome, in which collisions between satellites generate debris that causes further impacts, rendering orbit unusable for decades.
Three years later, the situation worsened. According to Lawler, there are thousands of new satellites, and the bright trails are visible even to the naked eye. The rate of reentries has also increased. Starlink satellites have a lifespan of only five years and need to be constantly replaced.
Between November 2024 and May 2025, about 500 Starlink satellites burned up during reentry, according to a report from SpaceX itself. The company claims to direct these reentries toward the Pacific, but Lawler says there is no evidence of this. She notes that debris has already fallen in populated areas.
In 2024, fragments of a Starlink fell on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. Two years earlier, pieces of the Crew-1 capsule hit a property in Australia. The researcher also highlights that there are no robust safety tests for reentries.
Even when satellites completely disintegrate, they release metals and plastics into the atmosphere, which can alter its chemistry.
The Appeal for Stricter Regulation
Since 2022, the International Astronomical Union, through the Center for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky, has been pushing for stricter norms on orbital operations. However, according to Lawler, progress is slow, and SpaceX continues to launch about 60 new satellites every few days.
She claims that even satellite operators desire stronger rules. There are discussions at the UN, but the lack of consensus and the pace of negotiations leave space vulnerable. Recent reports indicate that the Chinese Space Station has already suffered damage from debris impacts.
The risk is that a significant collision in the Starlink orbit could generate so many fragments that it would jeopardize crewed missions and the operation of new constellations. Without regulation, the safe threshold for the use of Earth’s orbit could be quickly exceeded.
Collision Maneuvers Every Two Minutes
A report from SpaceX to the FCC revealed that, between 2019 and 2023, Starlink satellites made 50,000 maneuvers to avoid collisions. Hugh Lewis, a professor at the University of Southampton, predicts that this number could reach one million maneuvers every six months by 2028.
Between November 2024 and May 2025, the company performed one maneuver every two minutes on average. Lawler classified the number as “terrifying,” as each maneuver represents a chance of error that could trigger the Kessler Syndrome.
An event of this type could destroy a large number of operational satellites and render low orbit unusable for centuries.
A Risky Future
As SpaceX expands its constellation and seeks new purposes for Starlink, the pressure is mounting for governments and space agencies to establish clear limits.
Musk’s history of launching first and explaining later has already changed the rules of the industry. Now, as he expands Starlink to serve AI and interfere with the climate, the consequences are no longer theoretical.
The projects proposed by Musk reflect his ambition to solve global problems. However, they also show how the absence of regulation can turn Earth’s orbit into a permanent risk field. If Starlink evolves from internet provider to climate and AI infrastructure, the planet may face a new kind of dependency – and vulnerability.
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