SpaceX Seeks Approval to Launch Mln Satellites into Orbit

SpaceX has submitted a request to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking permission to deploy a constellation of one million satellites into Earth’s orbit, Reuters reported.

According to the filing published last Friday, SpaceX plans to use the satellites, powered by solar energy, to operate data centres for artificial intelligence applications. The company intends for the network to support AI workloads and enhance its satellite-based internet services.

Reuters noted that it is highly unlikely that SpaceX will launch all one million satellites. Companies typically request permission for more satellites than they intend to deploy to provide flexibility and manoeuvrability for large-scale space projects.

The announcement comes amid reports that SpaceX and Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, are negotiating a potential merger as part of a major planned public offering later this year. If completed, the merger would consolidate Musk’s key technological ventures—including rocket manufacturing, the Starlink satellite network, the X social media platform, and the AI chatbot Grok—under a single corporate structure.

This development underscores SpaceX’s expanding ambitions beyond satellite internet, signalling a convergence of aerospace, AI, and digital communications under one of the world’s most prominent tech portfolios.