Ahead of its blockbuster IPO this week, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says orbital AI data centers are not a difficult engineering challenge. The technology, he states, is already in the Starlink V3 satellites.
"We don't think this is a super hard problem compared to the things we already do," Musk said.
The AI satellites will operate as computing nodes in orbit, powered by solar energy and cooled by radiating heat into space. The first proposed satellite would generate about 150 kilowatts of peak power, comparable to a single Nvidia GB300 server rack.
SpaceX plans to build the satellites at its factory in Bastrop, Texas, with meaningful production expected by end of next year. The Starship's reusable design will allow for scaling up production of solar panels, radiators and computer chips.
The IPO is expected to value SpaceX at roughly $1.75 trillion, with the orbital computing initiative positioning the company as a major AI infrastructure provider.