The new network could comprise up to one million solar-powered satellites, according to the application filed on Friday with the Federal Communications Commission – which does not specify a timeline for the plan.<\/p>\n
SpaceX claims the system would deliver the computer capacity required to serve “billions of users globally”.<\/p>\n
It also says it would be the first step towards “becoming a Kardashev II-level civilisation – one that can harness the Sun’s full power”, referencing a scale of hypothetical alien societies proposed by an astronomer in the 1960s.<\/p>\n
Musk wrote on his social media site X: “The satellites will actually be so far apart that it will be hard to see from one to another. Space is so vast as to be beyond comprehension.”<\/p>\n
Like the Starlink satellites, which provide high-speed internet, they would operate in low-Earth orbit at altitudes from 500-2,000km (310-1,242 miles).<\/p>\n
SpaceX claims “orbital data centres” – a concept also being explored by other firms – would be a greener alternative to traditional centres, which require enormous amounts of power and water for cooling.<\/p>\n
An expert previously told the BBC<\/a> that launching hardware into orbit remains expensive and that the infrastructure to protect, cool and power them can be complex – while a growing quantity of space debris puts the physical hardware at risk.<\/p>\n Separately, another cautioned that the growing number of low-orbit craft increases the possibility of crashes between objects<\/a> – which could damage machines or send materials falling back to earth.<\/p>\n