Elon Musk has an equally lofty target, that of establishing a city on our celestial neighbor, the Moon. He intends to build next-generation space computers at the station and then send them all over the solar system on an enormous maglev train. This ambitious vision is just one aspect of Musk’s more comprehensive plan to overhaul space exploration and artificial intelligence (AI) as we know them.
The idea for a lunar city is an important step in Musk’s long and ongoing reboots. It is symptomatic of the ambitions of both SpaceX and his other AI startup, xAI. He believes that constructing a base on the Moon could harness “maybe even a few percent of the sun’s energy” to power and operate complex AI models. Musk’s ideas extend beyond terrestrial applications, reflecting his vision for a future where AI plays a central role in humanity’s expansion into space.
In recent years, SpaceX has shifted its focus from its initial goal of colonizing Mars with its Starship vehicle, introduced in 2016. Instead, the company is now prioritizing two lucrative projects: launching satellites for the Starlink communications network and fulfilling contracts worth $4 billion to land astronauts on the Moon for NASA. This strategic pivot showcases Musk’s pragmatism regarding the economic realities of deep space exploration, without sacrificing his long-term dreams.
The idea of constructing an international Moonbase Alpha is more complicated than it seems. Musk is forthright that in order to realize his lunar ambitions, a long chain of other dreams will have to come true before him. He has consistently emphasized the need for making space travel dozens of times cheaper. This affordability is key to mass-producing these advanced computers in mass-production on the moon.
Musk’s been adamant that bigger computers are the future of computing technology. These revolutionary systems will reach well beyond the data centers now circling our home planet. He even imagines a solar system scale super-computer based on the Moon to provide the operating environment for many of these AI applications.
“It’s difficult to imagine what an intelligence of that scale would think about,” – Elon Musk
Moreover, Musk’s involvement with xAI, which focuses on developing large language models (LLMs), indicates a convergence of interests between space exploration and cutting-edge artificial intelligence. He has encouraged employees at xAI to join the effort if they find the idea of mass drivers on the Moon appealing.
With SpaceX’s merger with xAI, the newly formed entity is gearing up for an initial public offering (IPO), further intertwining Musk’s visions for space and AI. This merger will leverage the buildings’ capabilities and know-how of both companies. Together, we’ll forge powerful solutions that could truly revolutionize the future.
No wonder Musk wants to get his AI data centers into orbit. He thinks the true future is in taking these capabilities to the Moon. He has presented slides illustrating his vision for the Moon base during presentations, traditionally reserved for showcasing SpaceX rockets landing on Mars.
“Join xAI if the idea of mass drivers on the Moon appeals to you,” – Elon Musk
On top of his growing lunar agenda, Musk has always made clear his primary interest in Mars colonization. Early intentions diverged as plans evolved. Though he has given up on the Martian surface-bots idea back to Earth, he is still deeply wedded to realizing a self-sustaining human civilization on Mars.
“What if you want to go beyond a mere terawatt per year?” – Elon Musk
Even as Musk drives these diverse, complicated projects with all the challenges they entail, he helps keep an optimistic eye on what could be possible. Currently, he envisions one million people living on Mars. This bustling creative and innovative community will help fuel an advanced technology and AI-enabled ecosystem.