In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission made on Friday, SpaceX said it is creating the solar-powered network to “accommodate the rapid growth in AI-driven data needs.”

“Launching a constellation of one million satellites acting as orbital data centers is a first step toward becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization — one that harnesses the full power of the Sun — while supporting AI-powered applications for today’s billions of people and ensuring a future multi-planetary population among the stars,” SpaceX wrote in the filing.

The system, which can be launched via the company’s reusable Starship rocket, will serve as a lower-cost and more environmentally friendly alternative to land-based data centers, the filing said.

Instead of requiring cooling systems that use large volumes of water like those on earth, the network will rely on radiative cooling that takes place in space, which allows heat to dissipate. It will also reduce the need to rely on batteries, because it will get energy from the sun, according to the filing.

Musk ANSWERED in X filing reports early Saturday morning, saying “I thought we’d start small and work our way up.”

The satellites, which will use laser links to communicate with each other, will be launched between an altitude of 500 km (310.69 miles) and 2,000 km in an orbit that will give them near constant access to the sun, according to the filing.

The FCC’s request comes as SpaceX, which is eyeing an IPO later this year, is exploring a potential merger with Musk’s xAI, a tie-up that will consolidate cash flow while combining capabilities in artificial intelligence, satellite manufacturing and rocket launch, Bloomberg reported. SpaceX is also considering an alternative combination of Tesla Inc.

Read more: Musk’s AI Funding Hunt Transforms His Empire, From Tesla to SpaceX

Musk publicly spoke about the need for orbital data centers and his company’s ambitions to pioneer technology, most recently at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“It’s a no-brainer for building AI data centers in space,” Musk said at the forum. “The lowest-cost place to put AI is space, and that will be true within two years, maybe three at the latest.”