Elon Musk has flushed out 2028 with the idea it should be the crucible date for realizing such orbital data silos. This ruling brings the most significant change yet to the way we encrypt and access our data. The billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of SpaceX has revealed grand visions to launch global internet from a constellation of one million satellites. He envisions this effort to be a game changer for how artificial intelligence (AI) will operate in space.
During recent appearances on both Patrick Collison’s podcast “Cheeky Pint” and The Verge’s Decoder podcast with Nilay Patel, Musk articulated his vision for these orbital data centers. To begin, he emphasized the incredible potential for utilizing space as a platform for AI deployment. He assured everyone that in the next 30-36 months you will see that “the most economically compelling place to put AI will be space.
No matter how off-base Musk’s predictions are, they do point to a powerful shift in technology. He’s convinced that in five years’ time, there’ll be more AI systems at work in space than the number deployed on Earth altogether. This ambitious forecast is rooted in a fundamental truth – that the unique benefits of space can deliver unmatched value for energy production and operational efficiency.
“Any given solar panel is going to give you about five times more power in space than on the ground, so it’s actually much cheaper to do in space.” – Elon Musk
SpaceX has achieved remarkable feats on the way to realize its vision. They submitted plans to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for their proposed million-satellite data center network. The FCC has accepted the filing for consideration and is now seeking public commentary on the proposal. This was the last regulatory approval needed to open the floodgates for Musk’s plans. It demonstrates his dedication to pushing satellite technology further in order to improve our data’s processing capabilities.
Musk’s vision is much larger than technological innovation. That points to a future where global data center capacity might reach an eye-popping 200 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. This infrastructure is estimated to be valued at around a trillion dollars. This figure illustrates the tremendous economic opportunities at stake with partnerships to provide orbital data centers.
As with any new frontier, the challenges are daunting, and yet Musk is nothing if not an optimist. Yet he argues that there are much fewer obstacles to scaling operations in space than in more ground-based expansions. The upshot was his confident assertion, “It’s harder to scale on the ground than it is to scale in space.” This belief informs his strategy for SpaceX and the company’s future pursuits.