this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2026
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I think that a lot of companies are seeing a regulatory capture opportunity mixed with a very limited ressource (orbits) meaning they can lock out the competition by being the first one to do it.
It is easier to do stuff on the ground. Always. However, not having to deal with neighbors, cities, activists and representatives of thereof who complain about the impact of your data centers on people’s livelihoods is an opportunity. The FCC is in the pocket of SpaceX and other space companies. They don’t really care about impacts on astronomy, ozone layer, the atmosphere and the whole of the biosphere that needs dark nights.
Free sun energy is a good bonus.
But if you can be the first to deploy such a constellation and occupy all those sun synchronous orbits on the day/night terminator in low earth orbit, no one else can, giving you a monopoly on activities in those orbits.
This is the hype. That’s the promise. That’s what they want to sell VCs to get their money. The article highlights with numbers how unreasonable this endeavor is.