Blue Origin plans to launch 50,000+ satellites to create orbiting data centers, reducing energy use on Earth.
Kent, Washington: Blue Origin wants to launch over 50,000 satellites that will work together like a giant computer in space. They call this plan “Project Sunrise.”
The company asked the government for permission to build this satellite network. These satellites will perform advanced computing tasks while staying in orbit around Earth. Blue Origin says this will help reduce energy use on our planet.
Solar power in space is free, and there are fewer rules once satellites are orbiting. This makes running computers in space an attractive idea for the future. Many people believe artificial intelligence tools will need lots of computing power.
Companies like SpaceX and startup Starcloud also want to build similar space computer networks. SpaceX has asked to launch a million satellites for this purpose. Google is working on their own concept called “Project Suncatcher” with partner Planet Labs.
There are many challenges to making this work. The satellites need special cooling systems, and scientists must figure out how space radiation affects computer chips. Also, launching all these satellites into space costs a lot of money – though new rockets like SpaceX’s Starship might make this cheaper.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which they built themselves, could give them an advantage. If they can launch and reuse these rockets regularly, it would be similar to how other companies control their space networks.
However, adding so many satellites could cause problems. Space is already crowded, and more objects mean higher risks of crashes. Also, when old satellites burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, they might harm the ozone layer that protects us from harmful sun rays.
The filing to government agencies didn’t explain when any of this might happen. Experts believe projects like Project Sunrise are unlikely to work until at least the 2030s.