Even Outer Space Won't Be Safe From Data Centre Pollution, Experts Warn

Three environmental organisations have formally petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to pause approval of a new wave of satellite-based data centres, warning that the proposed projects could increase the number of satellites in low-earth orbit by several orders of magnitude without adequate environmental review.

DarkSky International, Environment America, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility filed the petition on July 8, urging the FCC to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) before licensing any of the pending applications. The petition was submitted through the law firm Earthjustice.

According to the petition, at least four companies - SpaceX, Starcloud, Blue Origin, and Cowboy Space Corporation - have applied to the FCC this year seeking permission to deploy satellite constellations described as "orbital data centres," designed to run AI computing infrastructure in space. Collectively, the proposals could put more than a million satellites into orbit over the next decade.

The petitioners argue that none of the applicants have adequately addressed the environmental consequences of such a large-scale deployment. Their concerns range from light pollution that could make "far more visible satellites than stars" in the night sky, to atmospheric pollution from rocket launches and satellite re-entries, to a heightened risk of orbital debris collisions.

The petition also flags potential harm to wildlife that depend on natural light cycles, disruption to indigenous navigation practices that rely on a clear night sky, and economic losses for communities that depend on dark-sky tourism.

Citing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the petitioners say the FCC is legally required to study the cumulative impact of the pending applications together, rather than reviewing each one separately. They point to the Kleppe v. Sierra Club precedent, in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that projects with overlapping environmental consequences must be assessed jointly.

The petition further notes that the FCC's existing NEPA regulations have not been updated since 1986 and currently treat satellite licensing as categorically excluded from environmental review - an approach a 2022 Government Accountability Office report had already flagged as outdated.

The FCC is required to respond to the petition within a "reasonable time" under the Administrative Procedure Act. As of the filing date, none of the satellite proposals named in the petition had been approved.

The petitioners have asked that, at minimum, the FCC consider mitigation measures such as brightness limits, shorter de-orbit timelines, and phased licensing tied to environmental monitoring, before any further approvals are granted.