SpaceX Accelerates Plan for Orbital Data Center, Aiming For 2027 Launch SpaceX reveals rapid development timeline for its Starmind orbital data center, detailing satellite specs, production plans and strategic partnerships while addressing industry skepticism. SpaceX has unveiled fresh details on the development of an orbital data center project under the codename Starmind, signalling a push toward launching the first set of satellites as early as 2027, well ahead of public expectations. The announcement came during a presentation by SpaceX Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen at a Goldman Sachs conference on September 10, where the company reviewed its plans to scale artificial intelligence workloads off-planet. SpaceX's recent acquisition of xAI in February 2026 has also prompted the company to emphasize that while xAI currently relies on ground‑based data centers, the future roadmap includes moving key compute workloads into space to take advantage of near‑unlimited solar power and a cleaner cooling environment.SpaceX Details Orbital Data Center SpecificationsThe orbital platform, represented by the satellite design named AI1, will feature a robust computing core supported by two large solar arrays and sophisticated radiator systems. Microsoft' and SpaceX's technical specifications suggest AI1 will initially average around 120 kilowatts of power dedicated to computation, a figure that would scale with the addition of up to one million satellites in the envisioned constellation.According to SpaceX, construction of the AI1 satellites will be handled by a newly established Gigasat factory in Bastrop, Texas, a move designed to streamline production and reduce component lead times. CFO Johnsen highlighted that the company expects to deliver 5-10 gigawatts of terrestrial data center capacity by 2027, with a staged expansion into 2028 as orbital infrastructure comes online. CEO Elon Musk reiterated SpaceX's confidence in the viability of space‑based data centers during a discussion at the conference.He dismissed lingering concerns about heat management with the statement, "For some reason, there's been a bizarre debate about radiators in space.Musk Defends Space-Based Cooling Feasibility" Musk underscored that the firm has proven heat rejection capabilities across a fleet of 10,000 satellites, thereby affirming the technical feasibility of the proposed network. Musk also made a broader argument for orbital data centers, citing the potential cost savings from leveraging abundant solar energy and the possibility of drastically lowering launch expenses with the Starship vehicle.He argued that once the cost to reach orbit drops to a lower threshold, deploying AI infrastructure in space becomes an "extremely compelling sense.SpaceX Secures AI Contracts Despite Skepticism" Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has openly critiqued the Starmind concept, pointing out that high launch costs and ongoing on‑orbit maintenance pose serious financial challenges. Despite this skepticism, SpaceX has already secured multi‑billion‑dollar contracts with AI firms such as Anthropic and Google, as well as an unnamed customer, signaling robust demand for its AI computing capabilities and a willingness to invest heavily in the expansion of data center assets beyond Earth's atmosphere.The developed Text now signals that SpaceX's orbital data center ambitions are nearer the front of its product roadmap than many previously believed, with concrete timelines and substantial financial backing. Yet questions remain about the technical, economic, and logistical hurdles that must be addressed for the vision to materialize fully. For now, SpaceX positions itself as a pioneer in high‑capacity, low‑latency AI compute solutions that harness the unique environment of space, potentially redefining the future of data centers worldwide.