SpaceX's Orbital Data Centers Pose E-Waste Concerns

SpaceX's proposed AI data center satellite megaconstellation could create a new category of e-waste. The constellation would export valuable materials into space, with at least 200,000 satellites decommissioned each year. About 40,000 satellites would deorbit and burn up in the atmosphere, dispersing materials throughout the atmosphere and potentially causing ozone depletion. The remaining satellites would be moved into a distant 'disposal' orbit, effectively removing them from the material life cycle.