Elon Musk has new plans for Earth orbit. Astronomers are already scared

Elon Musk has proposed two ambitious new uses for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network that aim to address pressing global challenges: the soaring energy demand of AI data centers and climate change mitigation. Musk envisions scaling up Starlink’s advanced V3 satellites with high-speed laser links to effectively relocate data centers into orbit, thereby reducing the unsustainable power consumption on Earth driven by AI technologies. Additionally, he suggested deploying an AI-powered satellite constellation to cool the planet and combat global warming through solar geoengineering techniques. These proposals align with Musk’s pattern of targeting large-scale problems through his companies but raise significant technical, environmental, and ethical concerns. While the idea of space-based data centers has been floated by other tech leaders, including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, experts remain skeptical about its practicality. Astronomers point out the logistical challenges of maintaining and repairing hardware in orbit, as well as the risks posed by space debris and the environmental impact of launching vast amounts of material into space. Although some research teams argue