SpaceX and NVIDIA are preparing to move artificial intelligence computing into orbit, with the first launch planned for the fourth quarter of 2027 and broader deployment expected in 2028.
Elon Musk said SpaceX, in partnership with NVIDIA, has designed a space-optimized Vera Rubin NVL72 system for satellite-based AI computing. The companies are also developing the first-generation Starmind AI satellite.
According to Musk, the project is intended to scale quickly after the initial launch. “SpaceX, in partnership with NVIDIA, has designed a space-optimized Vera Rubin NVL72 system for launch to orbit in Q4 next year, with significant scale in 2028,” Musk wrote on X.
He added that the orbital system was designed to be simpler and more efficient than conventional infrastructure.
“Our design is significantly simpler, lower cost, denser and lighter than a traditional rack,” Musk said.
SpaceX has also asked the US Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy as many as 1 million satellites capable of handling AI workloads.
According to NVIDIA, SpaceXAI plans to use Vera CPUs to support agentic AI applications and expand the infrastructure behind Grok.
These workloads require systems capable of using tools, executing code, processing data and running simulations.
“Agentic AI requires a new kind of computing system, one built not only to generate answers, but to take action,” said Ian Buck, vice president of hyperscale and high-performance computing at NVIDIA.
NVIDIA said SpaceXAI is working toward gigawatts of computing capacity using the Vera Rubin platform.
SpaceX argues that AI workloads in orbit could eventually cost less and have a smaller environmental footprint than energy-intensive data centers on Earth.
Mike Nicolls, president of SpaceXAI, said Vera’s CPU performance and memory bandwidth would allow GPUs to focus on AI workloads.
“That means higher-performance AI agents and more useful work from every watt of compute,” Nicolls said. If the 2027 launch succeeds, orbital AI infrastructure could become a growth market for both companies.
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