# Project Sunrise

**Type:** Orbital data center constellation  
**Developer:** Blue Origin  
**Status:** FCC application filed (March 19, 2026)  
**Scale:** Up to 51,600 satellites  

## Overview

Project Sunrise is Blue Origin's proposed orbital data center constellation, filed with the FCC on March 19, 2026. The constellation would operate in sun-synchronous orbit at 500-1,800 km altitude, using TeraWave optical inter-satellite links as the communications backbone.

## Technical Specifications

- **Orbit:** Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), 500-1,800 km altitude
- **Constellation size:** Up to 51,600 satellites
- **Orbital planes:** 5-10 km altitude separation
- **Satellites per plane:** 300-1,000
- **Communications:** TeraWave optical ISL mesh for backbone, Ka-band for ground TT&C
- **Power:** Solar-powered

## Architecture

- TeraWave optical ISL mesh provides high-throughput backbone
- Traffic routed through ground stations via TeraWave and other mesh networks
- Simultaneous filing for TeraWave as standalone communications infrastructure

## Stated Rationale

Blue Origin claims Project Sunrise will "ease mounting pressure on US communities and natural resources by shifting energy- and water-intensive compute away from terrestrial data centres, reducing demand on land, water supplies and electrical grids."

## Timeline

- **2026-03-19** — FCC application filed
- **2027 (planned)** — First 5,000+ TeraWave satellites
- **2030s (estimated)** — Industry sources assess "such projects are unlikely to come to fruition until the 2030s"

## Context

- Filed 7 weeks after SpaceX's 1M satellite ODC filing (January 30, 2026)
- Represents ~22% of estimated 240,000 total LEO orbital capacity
- Unlike SpaceX's 1M filing, Project Sunrise is within physical LEO capacity constraints
- SSO altitude (500-1,800 km) represents harsher radiation environment than Starcloud-1's 325km demonstration orbit
- No thermal management approach disclosed in public filing

## Related Entities

- blue-origin — Parent company
- [[terawave]] — Communications backbone
- [[starcloud]] — Competing ODC demonstrator
- spacex — Competing 1M satellite ODC filing