SpaceX reveals AI1 satellite design ahead of IPO

Measuring 70 meters (230 feet) extremity to extremity and lasting 20 meters (66 feet) gangly erstwhile deployed, AI1 is designed to prolong 120 kilowatts of compute output connected mean and burst to 150 kilowatts astatine highest draw, with star panels rated astatine 150 kilowatts full and an output density of 250 watts per quadrate meter. Thermal absorption — agelong considered among the thorniest obstacles for computing successful orbit — is handled done a liquid-radiator architecture featuring redundant pumping loops and shielding against micrometeoroid strikes.

CEO Elon Musk said the plan draws connected exertion already developed for the Starlink V3 outer program. In the video, Musk described the AI satellite's architecture successful straightforward terms: "The AI outer is fundamentally a batch of star cells, a radiator, and you inactive request immoderate laser links, but you don't person each of the ace analyzable antennas that you person connected a Starlink satellite. Given the two, the easier 1 to plan for is the AI satellite." While the satellite's hardware architecture is designed to accommodate chips from aggregate vendors, Bloomberg reported that CFO Bret Johnsen confirmed Nvidia components volition powerfulness the archetypal units.

Musk besides announced a caller manufacturing installation called Gigasat successful Bastrop, Texas, wherever SpaceX already produces Starlink idiosyncratic terminals. SpaceX said the Bastrop footprint covers much than 1,000 acres of owned oregon contracted onshore and could yet enactment upward of 11 cardinal quadrate feet of manufacturing capacity.

Sources who attended pre-IPO capitalist presentations accidental SpaceX has acceptable a late-2027 people for its archetypal orbital compute demonstrations — a timeline that would bushed the "as aboriginal arsenic 2028" deployment model disclosed successful the company's IPO filing. Those earlier missions would service arsenic proof-of-concept flights to corroborate the underlying exertion works, alternatively than marking the commencement of revenue-generating service, Reuters reported, citing its 2 sources.

The orbital compute inaugural sits astatine the halfway of SpaceX's transportation to investors arsenic it targets a $75 cardinal rise astatine a $1.75 trillion valuation successful what would beryllium the largest IPO successful history. The institution has filed to deploy up to 1 cardinal information halfway satellites and has struck deals with Google and Anthropic to merchantability entree to its compute infrastructure. Shares are acceptable to debut connected the Nasdaq this Friday astatine $135 apiece nether the ticker SPCX.