- SpaceX plans a huge factory dedicated to producing AI satellites.
- The new AI1 spacecraft could put computing power directly into orbit.
- Musk wants orbital computing capacity to be measured in gigawatts per year.
SpaceX has revealed plans for a massive manufacturing complex in Bastrop, Texas, which could become central to its space-based artificial intelligence infrastructure ambitions.
The proposed Gigasat facility would cover about 11 million square feet and focus on producing satellites designed to serve as in-orbit data centers.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says the Bastrop facility will make much of the hardware needed for a new generation of artificial intelligence satellites.
SpaceX factory dedicated to orbital AI infrastructure
The site will include production lines for solar components, printed circuit boards, electronic systems, communications equipment and the satellites themselves.
SpaceX plans to also include testing facilities, logistics infrastructure, storage capacity and dedicated development areas throughout the facility.
At the center of the project is a new spacecraft known as AI1, which the company intends to manufacture in large quantities as a space computing platform.
Musk said each satellite would carry a computing payload capable of delivering ~150kW of processing capacity while also relying on ample solar panels for power generation.
The satellite is also expected to be approximately 70 meters long and the solar panels will generate power with a density of approximately 250 watts per square meter.
Its design also incorporates large radiator structures intended to manage the significant heat generated by the onboard computer systems.
SpaceX expects solar manufacturing activities at the site to begin first, while construction of the main satellite production building is scheduled to follow.
The company believes the facility could begin producing a substantial number of AI satellites before the end of 2027.
Achieving the stated goal of 1 GW of annual AI orbital computing capacity would require the deployment of thousands of satellites operating collectively in orbit.
“This is what we’re going to try to do and think we can probably do, which is to get to roughly an annualized rate of one gigawatt per year by the end of next year,” Musk said when discussing the company’s goals.
Ambitious growth plans
The long-term vision extends well beyond the initial 1GW goal, and Musk has outlined aspirations to increase production in the coming years, reaching tens of gigawatts.
He also discussed the possibility of achieving even larger scales if future technological developments support such expansion.
Those ambitions come as major technology companies continue to invest heavily in mainstream AI facilities.
Meta’s planned Hyperion data center in Louisiana is expected to grow to 5 GW and house around 2 million GPUs.
Similarly, xAI’s Colossus 2 facility in Memphis has expanded to nearly 2 GW with approximately 555,000 GPUs.
Some of the largest projects announced require enormous electrical capacity and investments ranging from tens of billions to more than $100 billion in infrastructure.
In that context, orbital data centers are attracting increasing attention as a possible alternative approach to support future computing demand.
SpaceX may have certain advantages because many technologies needed for large-scale satellite production already exist within its broader operations.
Much of that experience comes from the company’s extensive work designing, manufacturing and deploying Starlink spacecraft over several years.
The production of solar panels, satellite structures, communications hardware and related systems relies heavily on established aerospace manufacturing processes.
The Gigasat facility is also expected to be more than 10 times larger than Starfactory, currently SpaceX’s largest spacecraft manufacturing complex.
Those requirements differ significantly from those of advanced semiconductor manufacturing, making some aspects of the project more achievable within the proposed timeframe.
It remains uncertain whether the company will ultimately achieve its long-term goals, especially given the immense scale involved in future expansion plans.
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