The Federal Communications Commission seems eager to let SpaceX experiment with massive data centers in space. On Wednesday, Chairman Brendan Carr tweeted, “The FCC welcomes and now seeks comment on the SpaceX application for Orbital Data Centers.”
SpaceX’s application to launch up to one million satellites has been accepted by the agency, kicking off a public comment period. The announcement is surprising because the company only submitted its proposal on Friday. Usually, the FCC takes weeks or months to respond. In this case, it made a decision in days, even though SpaceX’s proposal appears preliminary and even rushed, according to space experts, some of whom question the constellation’s feasibility.
For perspective, only 14,500 satellites are currently in orbit. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk now wants to dramatically increase that number by about 70 times, raising questions about the environmental toll from the required rocket launches and the potential for space debris.
Crazy we do this while children still starve and go without education.
Absolutely, especially when other capitalist countries are doing universal health care and college.
I never thought I’d see the phrase “orbital data centers” and not think it’s cool, but here we are.
I was so into science fiction growing up. The science fact is quite depressing.
When I said take me to the moon I never meant take me alone
I thought if mankind toured the sky it meant that all of us could go
But I don’t want to see the stars if they’re just one more piece of land
For us to colonize, for us to turn to sand
- Penelope Scott, Rät
My thoughts are, it doesn’t matter what my thoughts are because the FCC’s approval can be purchased for a few million dollars directly from the administration.
If nothing else, go on record for posterity.
I know enough to know that this is not a topic where my opinion means much.
I think that it is a topic for experts to discuss and research and this discussion and research isn’t being done.
Fuck no.
The registration and comment system is, unfortunately, a little cumbersome to use, but I encourage you all to take a few minutes today and submit a public comment if you can. Maybe mention Musk’s many failures and broken promises, and how you don’t want him to be able to integrate his companies further into our governing infrastructure.
Doesn’t matter what I think, this will not happen, period
Remember: this is a musk project, and musk projects always end up with massive investments, mega promises for years that it definitely definitely this time will be done next year and absolutely zero results
The few times that there are results, it’s the fucking hilarious cyber truck
There will be no datacenters in space and anyone who at this point gives their money freely to Elmo deserve what they will get: absofuckinglutely nothing
yup. should be noted that the successful spacex stuff is basically run by Shotwell. I wonder what she thinks about the datacenter idea
