Secure World Foundation has announced speakers for “An Initial Conversation: Orbital Data Centers & Space Sustainability Implications,” taking place Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C.

The event will examine the space safety, sustainability, and policy coordination questions raised by orbital data centers, or ODCs. These proposed satellite constellations are designed to support artificial intelligence and other compute-intensive applications by harnessing solar power in space.

Since January 2026, several U.S.-based prospective ODC operators have filed applications with the Federal Communications Commission. If fully deployed, these systems would add tens of thousands, and in some cases far more, satellites to low Earth orbit. That scale raises questions that go beyond routine satellite licensing and current operational practice.

The panel will include Ronald Birk, Principal Director, Space Enterprise Evolution Directorate, The Aerospace Corporation; Matias Cava, National Space Policy Lead, Policy, Advocacy, and International Division, Office of Space Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce; and Jeff O’Neil, Director of Government Affairs, Planet Labs.

Alex Shi, SWF Senior Program Analyst, will moderate the discussion.

The event will begin with arrival and networking at 11:30 a.m., followed by the panel discussion at noon and a networking lunch.