Business
Driverless Cars’ Need for Data Is Sparking a New Space Race
Automakers see satellites as a way to exchange vast quantities of information with self-driving vehicles.
A model of a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite at Geely’s booth at Auto Shanghai 2021.
Photographer: Long Wei/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Automakers are looking to the heavens for the next generation of car technology.
Satellites, such as those scattered across the skies by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, are emerging as a key tool to handle the huge amounts of data that cars will need to drive themselves. Autonomous vehicles will generate as much as 40 terabytes of data an hour from cameras, radar, and other sensors—equivalent to an iPhone’s use over 3,000 years—and suck in massive amounts more to navigate roads, according to Morgan Stanley.