Companies and policymakers should proceed with great caution before launching orbital data centers into Earth orbit, academic researchers warn in a report for the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum.
Sky Full of Satellites
If space data centers proliferate, satellites could become the most visible points of light in the night sky, replacing stars across much of the world. Samantha Lawler, an astronomer, told CTV News that she once worried about a couple thousand satellites in orbit. Now, proposed constellations threaten to crowd the atmosphere permanently.
“There won’t be a dark time where you can go out and look at the night sky and not be impacted by them,” Lawler said.
John Barentine, another expert monitoring orbital light pollution, told CTV News that simulations show moving artificial objects would outnumber visible stars during certain hours. Taxpayer-funded telescopes already find their research less effective due to the overcrowding.
Rising Rocket Emissions
While space data centers rely on solar power, launching thousands of heavy rockets to build them generates significant greenhouse gases and black carbon emissions. To place just 10% of anticipated artificial intelligence data centers into orbit by 2030 would require more than 700 large rocket launches every year, Columbia University reported.
David Sandalow, lead author of the Space-Based Data Centers Roadmap: The Case for Caution, told Axios that significant unknowns remain regarding these environmental impacts.
“If this is going to happen, it should happen slowly and with care,” Sandalow said to Axios. “Not just launching lots and lots of these things and, kind of, seeing what happens. … There’s big risks.”
Billions in Investments
Despite warnings from researchers, venture capital and corporate spending on orbital computing infrastructure have surged. Market research firm Quilty Space reported that investments tied to orbital data centers reached $197 million in 2025 before swelling to $1.11 billion.
Major aerospace and technology firms have submitted massive constellation proposals to regulators. SpaceX applied for 1 million data center satellites, while Starcloud and Blue Origin’s Project Sunrise filed ambitions for 88,000 and 51,600 satellites, respectively, according to the Secure World Foundation cited by Axios.
Caleb Henry, director of research at Quilty Space, told Axios that companies often file for far more satellites than they actually intend to deploy. “We’re at a point where people are tallying paper filings as if they are substantive and real,” Henry said, “and we just don’t know that yet.”
Orbital Debris Risks
Thousands of data centers traveling at 17,000 miles per hour also increase the risk of high-speed collisions and dangerous space debris. Lawler told CTV News that assuming a million data centers with five-year lifespans, Earth would experience the atmospheric re-entry of a four-ton satellite every three minutes.
“So that’s a lot of dice rolling,” Lawler said.
SpaceX noted in a statement to CTV News that it remains committed to protecting the space environment for future generations. Meanwhile, the growing volume of re-entering material prompted Independent Alberta Senator Paula Simons to open a Senate inquiry into satellite debris falls.
Common Questions About Orbital Computing
Why do companies want space-based data centers?
Proponents aim to utilize continuous solar power in orbit to run power-hungry artificial intelligence workloads without straining terrestrial electrical grids.
How do space data centers manage heat?
Alexis Abramson, a report co-author, said that orbital facilities must shed waste heat by radiating it into space. Running AI chips as hot as safely possible allows smaller radiators and lower launch mass.
Are these satellite constellations approved yet?
Companies have submitted extensive filings to regulatory bodies like the Federal Communications Commission, but officials have not yet confirmed when those applications will undergo formal review.
What policy solutions do researchers recommend?
The Space-Based Data Centers Roadmap suggests brightness limits, mandatory pre-launch impact assessments, required mitigation measures, caps on satellite numbers, and international standards.