Environmental groups urge FCC to pause orbital data center applications
TAMPA, Fla. - Environmental and scientific groups are calling for a halt to processing orbital data center applications, arguing the rush to move computing infrastructure into space has raised the stakes in a broader push for more megaconstellation oversight.
The coalition, represented by nonprofit public interest environmental law organization Earthjustice, petitioned the U.S. Federal Communications Commission July 8 to conduct a thorough environmental review before moving forward with licenses.
Specifically, the petition calls for a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) of orbital data centers under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a 1969 law mandating federal agencies assess the environmental impacts of their actions.
"If ever a situation warranted a PEIS, it is this one," the petition states.
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"A PEIS would allow for the comprehensive analysis of the impacts of multiple proposals that all seek to accomplish the same objective, namely, placing virtually countless new data center satellites into orbit, threatening to degrade the ozone layer and the quality of the night sky and change the very chemistry of the stratosphere itself."
Such a review could help determine whether these projects are in the public interest, the petition says, and potentially streamline applications by addressing NEPA compliance upfront.
The coalition comprises Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, the Environment America network of environmental advocacy groups and DarkSky International, which advocates against light pollution.
Meanwhile, orbital data center developers argue moving computing power off Earth would combat the mounting power, water and land-use concerns facing terrestrial data centers amid surging demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Raising the stakes
Advocacy groups have urged the FCC for years to scrutinize megaconstellations more closely, particularly SpaceX's Starlink and other broadband networks proposing tens of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).
However, most orbital data center applicants are looking to usher in another massive leap in constellation scale. SpaceX has submitted plans for up to a million orbital data centers, while Orbital, Starcloud, Blue Origin and Cowboy Space are collectively seeking approvals for nearly 260,000 others.
Environmental groups have already called on the FCC to rein in orbital data centers in individual regulatory dockets, but Earthjustice senior attorney Jan Hasselman said this is the first time they have moved for a comprehensive review of them altogether.
There is no defined process for the FCC to act on the petition, Hasselman added, beyond its duty to consider and respond to it in a reasonable period of time.
"We will expect a response from FCC and consider all options if they ignore the petition," he told SpaceNews via email.
"In the meantime, we are closely watching all of the individual dockets. If FCC starts granting licenses without full compliance with the law, there's a good likelihood that the issues will wind up in court."
The FCC did not respond to a request for comment.
Although the FCC has not reexamined a categorical exclusion for satellite licensing under NEPA amid the rise in megaconstellations, it has tightened orbital debris rules in recent years, including requiring new LEO satellites to deorbit within five years after their missions end, rather than 25 years.
However, the regulator is also under pressure to cut red tape and speed up constellation application timelines to keep pace with advancing technology and the fast-evolving industry, amid growing competition from China and elsewhere.
Later this month, the FCC is due to vote on an order aimed at streamlining and accelerating its satellite licensing process, though it would also require operators to share more space situational awareness data to reduce collision risks. The modernization efforts would not apply to the surge of orbital data center constellations proposed this year.
Meanwhile, the FCC is digesting a fresh wave of satellite communications proposals following a July 6 deadline for its latest Ku-, Ka- and V-band processing round.
The regulator's third round for non-geostationary applications in these bands attracted 13 constellations totaling nearly 140,000 satellites, ranging from upgrades for existing systems to new entrants such as CesiumAstro's planned Synchronicity network.
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