Data centres in space could be ‘catastrophic’ for the planet, scientsts have warned in response to plans laid out by some of the world’s richest people.
Elon Musk‘s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos‘ Blue Origin are just two of the companies looking at launching data centres into orbit.
These firms claim there are several advantages to space data centres – including free, limitless power from the sun, and cheap operating costs.
However, not everyone agrees.
A coalition of scientists, represented by Earthjustice, is petitioning the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a ‘comprehensive review’ on the environmental risks of space data centres.
They say putting millions of satellites into orbit could change our atmosphere, disturb wildlife, and fundamentally alter our night sky forever.
‘Allowing a million orbiting data centers with no environmental review isn’t just irresponsible — it’s reckless,’ warned Tim Whitehouse, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
‘The potential for these projects to degrade the atmosphere with pollution and debris and harm wildlife needs to be carefully considered before licensing these projects.’
Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are just two of the companies looking at launching data centres into orbit
Proponents claim there are several advantages to space data centres – including free, limitless power from the sun, and cheap operating costs (stock image)
Interest in space data centres has surged in recent years.
This is largely thanks to the proliferation of AI, which has driven the need for increased computing storage.
Speaking last year, Jeff Bezos predicted that data centers will be built in space within the next 10 to 20 years, while Elon Musk simply confirmed ‘SpaceX will be doing this’.
Putting data centres into orbit solves two key issues, according to supporters – energy and environmental impacts.
Here on Earth, data centres require huge amounts of electricity to run, whereas in space, they’d have more–or–less unlimited energy from the sun.
Meanwhile, ground–based data centres are often slated for the environmental impacts to people living nearby – an issue that, again, would be solved by launching them into space.
In recent months, several companies have sought a license from the FCC to deploy millions of satellites into low–Earth orbit.
But in their new petition, the environmental scientists are calling for the FCC to put its foot on the brakes.
Satellites have several known environmental impacts, which urgently need to be addressed, according to these sceptics.
Rocket launches and re–entries have sky–high emissions associated with them, while they’re also known to degrade the ozone layer.
Jan Hasselman, senior attorney at Earthjustice, said: ‘Drastically expanding satellites in space has a direct impact on people’s everyday lives as well as the future of our planet.
‘Agencies that authorize companies looking to space as the next frontier still must operate within the law, and the law requires the FCC to consider all the risks and impacts of these proposals.
‘If we have to sue so that they comply, we will.’
The scientists also point out that the light pollution from these space data centres could not only disrupt and harm our wildlife, but also humans.
‘These projects could permanently alter the night sky as we know it,’ said Ruskin Hartley, executive director of DarkSky International.
‘The FCC needs to take seriously its obligation to ensure these projects do not cause unnecessary harm to naturally dark skies, or to our overall environment.’
WHAT IS SPACE JUNK? MORE THAN 170 MILLION PIECES OF DEAD SATELLITES, SPENT ROCKETS AND FLAKES OF PAINT POSE ‘THREAT’ TO SPACE INDUSTRY
There are an estimated 170 million pieces of so-called ‘space junk’ – left behind after missions that can be as big as spent rocket stages or as small as paint flakes – in orbit alongside some US$700 billion (£555bn) of space infrastructure.
But only 27,000 are tracked, and with the fragments able to travel at speeds above 16,777 mph (27,000kmh), even tiny pieces could seriously damage or destroy satellites.
However, traditional gripping methods don’t work in space, as suction cups do not function in a vacuum and temperatures are too cold for substances like tape and glue.
Grippers based around magnets are useless because most of the debris in orbit around Earth is not magnetic.
Around 500,000 pieces of human-made debris (artist’s impression) currently orbit our planet, made up of disused satellites, bits of spacecraft and spent rockets
Most proposed solutions, including debris harpoons, either require or cause forceful interaction with the debris, which could push those objects in unintended, unpredictable directions.
Scientists point to two events that have badly worsened the problem of space junk.
The first was in February 2009, when an Iridium telecoms satellite and Kosmos-2251, a Russian military satellite, accidentally collided.
The second was in January 2007, when China tested an anti-satellite weapon on an old Fengyun weather satellite.
Experts also pointed to two sites that have become worryingly cluttered.
One is low Earth orbit which is used by satnav satellites, the ISS, China’s manned missions and the Hubble telescope, among others.
The other is in geostationary orbit, and is used by communications, weather and surveillance satellites that must maintain a fixed position relative to Earth.
