Experts claim Elon Musk’s satellite plan could spark a “violent” chain reaction of space shrapnel, harming the night sky and trapping humanity on Earth
Experts fear Elon Musk’s plans to fill the skies with a staggering one million satellites could trigger a disaster that traps humanity on Earth forever.
The billionaire’s firm, SpaceX, has filed a request to launch a massive fleet of “orbital data centers.” Musk claims the flying supercomputers are the only way to power the “insatiable” demand for AI, but top boffins have warned the plan is “apocalyptically” dangerous.
Musk’s team says the million-strong fleet is the first step toward becoming a “Kardashev II-level civilisation”, referring to a hypothetical advanced alien society.
SpaceX claims the solar-powered satellites are greener than ground-based warehouses because they don’t need large amounts of water to stay cool. However, astronomer Phil Plait has sounded the alarm, warning that our skies are already reaching a breaking point.
There are currently estimated to be around 15,000 satellites orbiting the planet. Musk, alongside a 200,000-strong fleet proposed by China, wants to increase that number by a significant margin.
Writing for Scientific American, Plait said: “The volume of satellites already over our head is huge, but the numbers of proposed satellites are so vast that space traffic management to avoid collisions would become an even more massive task.”
Musk previously hit back at critics of the scheme on his site X, claiming the satellites will be so far apart they’ll be “hard to see from one to another.” He added: “Space is so vast as to be beyond comprehension.”
SpaceX insists they aren’t being reckless, telling the U.S. Federal Communications Commission they are determined to “minimise any atmospheric impacts” when their massive fleet eventually burns up and deorbits.
However, Plait has warned of the danger of satellites colliding as they scream through the void at speeds of around 17,000 mph.
He said: “Even a single collision in orbit can become catastrophic. These satellites are moving at speeds many times faster than a rifle bullet, and a direct hit from one creates a cloud of shrapnel.
“That debris spreads, hitting other satellites and creating even more debris, resulting in a violent cascade called the Kessler syndrome.”
If the chain reaction ignites, a shell of shrapnel could encase the planet, wiping out GPS, the internet and mobile signals, while making it impossible for any rocket to ever leave Earth again.
It isn’t just the risk of a crash that has experts worried as Plait slammed the plan for its impact on our view of the stars.
He said: “Our night sky—and it is ours—is a natural wonder, a cosmic park we need to preserve, not exploit with a laissez-faire attitude. This careless exploitation of the heavens above is a real danger to us all.”
SpaceX say they are listening and have been working with the International Astronomical Union to find ways to dim the satellites so they don’t harm the night sky.
But Plait warned that even if we ignore the “deeply disturbing environmental and light pollution,” the sheer number of satellites is ruining the natural world.
In a chilling warning, he added: “Triggering this syndrome is already a real concern, despite orbital decay naturally ‘cleaning’ low-Earth orbit over time. Increasing the numbers of satellites by several thousandfold could make this threat apocalyptically worse.”
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