SpaceX’s 1 Million AI Satellites Could Change Earth’s Climate
SpaceX plans to launch a million AI satellite data centers into orbit, powered by solar energy, but scientists warn the scale of launches and subsequent reentries could dramatically increase upper-atmosphere pollutants (black carbon and aluminum oxide), risking accelerated climate effects and ozone depletion with uncertain atmospheric chemistry and long lifetimes. Estimates suggest up to 77,000 Starship launches and tens of thousands of satellite reentries over a decade—far beyond current activity—plus light pollution that could jeopardize ground-based astronomy. The situation underscores the need for much more research before such a megaconstellation proceeds.
