SpaceX Gigasat Factory Targets 1 GW Space AI Compute by 2027

SpaceX is building out its space infrastructure with a new Gigasat factory in Bastrop, Texas. This facility aims to support orbital AI compute capacity through the production of specialized satellites. The company targets achieving one gigawatt per year of space AI compute by the end of next year.

The new facility will begin producing complete AI satellites around 2027.

The project involves the development and manufacturing of the AI1 satellite platform. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed that this factory will begin producing complete AI satellites around 2027. This new facility is more than ten times larger than Starfactory, which is currently SpaceX's largest spacecraft manufacturing complex.

• Facility Size: 11-million-square-foot
• Target Compute Capacity (Initial): 1 GW/year of space AI compute
• Satellite Production Start Target: 2027
• AI1 Satellite Length: roughly 70 meters (229.66 feet)
• AI1 Solar Array Power Density: 250 W/m²

Each proposed AI1 satellite features a massive solar array generating power at a density of 250 W/m². The structure also incorporates vertically oriented, double-sided radiators for cooling. These satellites will carry a peak compute payload of 150 kilowatts positioned centrally within the design.

Musk stated that SpaceX plans to achieve an annualized rate of one gigawatt per year at Space AI compute by the end of next year. He also mentioned aspirations to scale this capacity by an order of magnitude each year, potentially reaching 100 GW per year by 2030.

The Gigasat factory measures eleven million square feet in size. This manufacturing hub is designed for building infrastructure related to space-based data centers and orbital AI compute capabilities. The facility's initial target focuses on achieving the one gigawatt capacity goal.

According to source claims, the feasibility of reaching terawatt-level computing depends on progress in chip making. SpaceX intends to use this factory to build satellites that provide significant computational power from orbit.