Overview
- The Wall Street Journal reports that Elon Musk is preparing a SpaceX IPO as soon as July to help finance space‑based AI data centers, with bank selection expected soon.
- Google’s Project Suncatcher is pursuing a 2027 test launch and has reported five‑year low‑Earth‑orbit radiation tolerance for its Trillium TPUs.
- Other leaders are exploring the concept, with OpenAI’s Sam Altman evaluating rocket partnerships and Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos predicting orbital data centers within one to two decades.
- Key challenges cited by engineers include heat rejection in vacuum requiring large radiators, radiation exposure, high launch costs versus an often‑cited ~$200/kg threshold, and short hardware replacement cycles.
- Backers say orbit offers near‑continuous solar power and relief from land and water constraints on Earth, though some claims, including a reported SpaceX breakthrough, remain undisclosed and unverified.