Experts Warn Musk and Bezos' Space Datacenters Could Harm Earth
WHO:
The Guardian - Experts and environmental groups, including the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer), Earthjustice, and DarkSky International.
The Guardian - Steve Volz, former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite office.
The Guardian - Cole Donovan, former NOAA space policy expert now with Stand Up for Science.
The Guardian - Ruskin Hartley, executive director of DarkSky International.
The Guardian - Cowboy Space Corporation, founded by the billionaire co-CEO of Robinhood.
WHAT:
The Guardian - A petition has been submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) demanding a review of the environmental impacts of proposed space datacenters.
The Guardian - The petition argues that the plans for orbital datacenters "violate federal law."
The Guardian - The number of active satellites in orbit has increased from about 1,400 in 2015 to about 15,000 currently, with projections of up to 100,000 within the decade.
The Guardian - The Cowboy Space Corporation plans to establish a 20,000-satellite system, with its first launch scheduled for 2028.
The Guardian - The petition states that no proponent has provided satisfactory detail on how to mitigate the environmental harms from operating more than a million satellites.
WHERE:
The Guardian - Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, where a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket recently lifted off.
The Guardian - The petition is directed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States.
WHEN:
The Guardian - The Cowboy Space Corporation's first launch is planned for 2028.
The Guardian - A NOAA-sponsored stratospheric measurement flight discovered metals in sulfuric acid aerosols in late 2023.
WHY:
The Guardian - Experts warn that pollution from space datacenters could alter the Earth's atmosphere and be "catastrophic" for the planet.
The Guardian - The petition claims that the proliferation of satellites raises significant environmental risks and legal questions.
HOW:
The Guardian - The proposed space datacenters would release pollutants such as black soot, rare metals, aluminum oxides, and other materials into the atmosphere.
The Guardian - The petition calls for a pause on new licenses for space data center projects to assess their environmental impacts.
(UPDATED July 23, 2026 15:39 UTC)
A coalition of experts and environmental groups, including the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and DarkSky International, has submitted a petition to the Federal Communications Commission demanding a review of the environmental impacts of proposed space datacenters, arguing that these plans violate federal law. The petition highlights the alarming increase in active satellites, which has surged from about 1,400 in 2015 to around 15,000 today, with projections suggesting that this number could reach up to 100,000 within the decade, raising significant environmental risks. The Cowboy Space Corporation plans to launch its first of a 20,000-satellite system in 2028, but experts warn that the pollution from these datacenters could have catastrophic effects on the Earth's atmosphere.