Musk Wants Data Centers in Space by 2029. Experts Say It's Crazy Enough to Work
SpaceX-xAI merger plan includes orbital computing infrastructure that industry insiders call ambitious but achievable.
Elon Musk is plotting to launch data centers into orbit by around 2029. The wild idea sits at the heart of his proposed $1.25 trillion merger between SpaceX and his AI company xAI.
Industry experts aren't laughing it off. Satellite executives, investors, and researchers who spoke to the Financial Times called the timeline "highly ambitious" but said the concept is actually plausible.
The logic tracks. Space-based computing could dodge earthly constraints like power grids, cooling costs, and pesky regulations. SpaceX already has the rocket infrastructure. xAI needs massive compute for its AI ambitions.
Whether Musk can actually pull this off in four years is another question entirely. His timelines tend to slip. But betting against his space ventures has burned skeptics before.
The $1.25 trillion valuation hinges partly on making orbital data centers a reality.