Tech companies including SpaceX, Blue Origin, and others have proposed launching millions of orbital datacenters into space, requiring Federal Communications Commission approval. Environmental organizations and space industry experts have filed a petition opposing these projects, citing significant pollution concerns and demanding a regulatory review.
The petition, submitted by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Earthjustice, and DarkSky International, contends that satellite launches and re-entries release black soot, rare metals, aluminum oxides, and other pollutants with poorly understood effects on Earth’s atmosphere. Scientists worry these substances could damage the ozone layer, increase ultraviolet radiation exposure, and worsen the climate crisis. The petition also highlights light pollution from millions of satellites, which could harm nocturnal wildlife and permanently alter the night sky.
The number of active satellites in orbit has grown dramatically from approximately 1,400 in 2015 to about 15,000 currently, with projections of 100,000 within the coming decade. When spacecraft are launched and decommissioned, they release emissions including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and mercury. Recent research conducted in late 2023 detected metals in the stratosphere’s sulfuric acid aerosols, which play a critical role in regulating planetary temperature. However, scientists say the interaction between spacecraft metals and these aerosols remains largely unknown.
Former federal space officials have questioned the feasibility of orbital datacenters while acknowledging the environmental risks. The petition argues that companies have not provided adequate environmental impact assessments and claims their applications violate federal law by failing to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act. It calls for the FCC to pause approving new licenses for space datacenter projects pending comprehensive environmental review.
The petition notes that applicants including Cowboy Space Corporation, which plans a 20,000-satellite system with a first launch in 2028, have provided minimal environmental mitigation details. The groups contend that tech companies have largely ignored environmental consequences in their regulatory filings while promoting transformative promises about their projects’ significance.
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