SpaceX has acquired Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, to form a combined entity focused on developing orbital data centers. This merger aims to address the escalating energy requirements of artificial intelligence by utilizing near-constant solar power available in space.
The project involves the deployment of a satellite constellation comprising up to one million units. These satellites will operate as a unified, space-based data processing network.
SpaceX submitted regulatory filings to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for this orbital data center system. The network will utilize optical inter-satellite links to facilitate high-speed data transmission.
This initiative positions space-based computing as a strategic alternative to the high electricity consumption of traditional terrestrial data centers.