"Musk argues that demand for AI cannot be satisfied with terrestrial resources, that building datacenters in space is therefore necessary as only limitless solar energy can power all the AI humans want to work with, and that SpaceX's Starship can do the job of getting this all into orbit. "My estimate is that within two to three years, the lowest cost way to generate AI compute will be in space," Musk contends in his post."
""The basic math is that launching a million tons per year of satellites generating 100kW of compute power per ton will add 100 gigawatts of AI compute capacity annually, with no ongoing operational or maintenance needs. Ultimately, there is a path to launching a terawatt per year from Earth," he wrote."
SpaceX has acquired xAI to collaborate on creating space-based AI systems powered by solar energy and launched via Starship. The plan frames terrestrial resources as insufficient to meet growing AI compute demand and positions orbital datacenters as necessary to access near-limitless solar power. Estimates claim space-based compute could become the lowest-cost option within two to three years and propose launching millions of tons annually to reach hundreds of gigawatts of capacity with a potential path to terawatt-scale. Proposals include lunar factories using lunar resources to manufacture and deploy satellites further into space.
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