SpaceX to Launch First AI Satellites in 2027

SpaceX is preparing to launch its first AI-powered satellites into orbit in the fourth quarter of 2027, CEO Elon Musk announced, marking a significant step in the company's ambitious plan to build data centers in space. The project, named Starmind, aims to deploy a constellation of satellites that will perform computing tasks in orbit, effectively functioning as space-based data centers to support the growing demands of artificial intelligence.

Musk revealed the timeline during a recent earnings call and in posts on X, stating that the first satellite, designated AI1, is not a distant future project. He added that the initiative is expected to reach "significant scale" by 2028. The announcement provides a clearer schedule for a venture that SpaceX had previously suggested could launch as early as 2028, but which has now been accelerated.

The AI1 satellite will be powered by NVIDIA's latest Vera Rubin NVL72 system, a high-performance computing platform designed for AI workloads. According to SpaceX, each satellite will house approximately 72 NVIDIA chips, making one unit equivalent to a single server rack. The system is expected to produce up to 175 kilowatts of computing power...