SpaceX’s orbital data centers would create a new category of e-waste

SpaceX plans a million-satellite AI data-center constellation, with roughly 200,000 satellites decommissioned each year. About 40,000 will deorbit and burn up in the atmosphere, dispersing materials and potentially contributing to ozone depletion, while the remaining 160,000 will be moved to a distant disposal orbit. This strategy would vastly increase orbital debris and eliminate those satellites from the material life cycle.