Elon Musk predicts that by the end of 2028, the rate of deploying AI computing power in space will exceed that on Earth. This forecast, shared on the X platform, focuses on the speed of new equipment installation rather than total existing capacity.
Shaun Maguire of Sequoia Capital projects that SpaceX revenue could grow from $51.5 billion in 2026 to $731 billion by 2028, contingent on massive capital investment and production scaling. SpaceX is currently developing the Starmind platform, with AI1 satellites designed for 175-250 kW of computing load.
Google remains skeptical of this timeline. Amanda Peterson Corio notes that launching server hardware into orbit can cost 100 times more than building equivalent infrastructure on the ground, citing maintenance and upgrade challenges as significant barriers.
Both companies are testing orbital AI capabilities. SpaceX plans to begin mass deployment of Starmind satellites in late 2027. Google recently tested its Gemma 4 model on an experimental satellite and plans to conduct inter-satellite communication trials in 2027.
