Scientists Warn Billionaire-Backed Orbital Data Centers Risk Ecological Catastrophe
krishnan · x · 2026-08-12
Billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have proposed launching data centers into space to bypass Earth-based community resistance. However, environmental group EarthJustice has filed a 29-page petition warning that operating over a million data center satellites would cause catastrophic atmospheric pollution, severely damaging the climate, ozone layer, and human health. The petition urges the US FCC to investigate whether current licensing requests violate federal law. The post's author welcomes the pushback, noting it ends the industry's previous "free ride" of operating without regulation.
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