SpaceX targets first orbital AI compute satellites next year, sun as the power plant
XFreeze · x · 2026-09-19
In a conversation with BlackRock's Tony Kim, SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen laid out the economics of space-based AI compute: solar energy is free clean power, letting orbital datacenters tap the sun directly instead of competing on Earth for land, power plants, and grid connections. The timeline is the surprise — while most of the AI industry treats orbital compute as years away, SpaceX targets its first orbital compute satellites next year and massive compute in space by 2028. "The sun becomes the power plant."
Related event: SpaceX Targets 100 GW of Orbital Compute per Year by Decade's End(2 posts)→
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