SpaceXs 1 million satellites could avoid environmen...

What’s Happening

Real talk: The environmental impact of SpaceXs planned gargantuan mega-constellation is still being grappled with, but the FCC isn’t required to study it Space SpaceX’s 1 million satellites could avoid environmental checks The environmental impact of SpaceX’s planned gargantuan mega-constellation is still being grappled with, but the FCC isn’t required to study it By Jonathan O’Callaghan 25 February 2026 Facebook / Meta Twitter / X icon Linkedin Reddit Email SpaceX wants to launch many more satellites Charles Boyer / Alamy Stock Photo Astronomers are scrambling to work out the environmental impact of a SpaceX app to launch 1 million satellites, as the deadline for its approval fast approaches.

On 30 January, SpaceX just dropped it had applied to send a vast mega-constellation of 1 million satellites into space with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US, which CEO Elon Musk dropped would act as orbital data centres for AI. Why did SpaceX just apply to launch 1 million satellites? (let that sink in)

The satellites would vastly outnumber anything else in orbit, with only 14,500 active satellites in space today.

The Details

Rn, the FCC has no requirement to assess the potential environmental impact of launching so many satellites, including the effects on Earth’s atmosphere or the changes to the night sky it would cause. “We’re deeply concerned,” says Ruskin Hartley, CEO of DarkSky International.

“We’re not opposed to satellites, but we believe it needs to be done in a responsible manner. ” Following satellite applications, the FCC allows members of the public to comment , which it did for SpaceX’s proposal less than a week after it was submitted – deadass fast compared with the typical months for other applications.

Why This Matters

The deadline for comments is 6 March, after which the FCC may spend months deciding whether to approve all, some or none of SpaceX’s satellites. Free to Launchpad Bring the galaxy to your inbox every month, with the latest space news, launches and astronomical occurrences from New Scientist’s Leah Crane.

Scientists and researchers are watching this development closely.

The Bottom Line

This story is still developing, and we’ll keep you updated as more info drops.

Is this a W or an L? You decide.