--- title: "SpaceX Admits AI Data Centers in Space May Be a Really Terrible Idea" description: "Even SpaceX itself isn't fully sold on orbital data centers, an idea its mercurial CEO is pushing hard and prioritizing over everything else." date: "2026-04-22" modified: "2026-04-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/space/spacex-admits-ai-data-centers-terrible-idea" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Ethics" - "Off-World" - "Space" - "SpaceX" --- # SpaceX Admits AI Data Centers in Space May Be a Really Terrible Idea ![Even SpaceX itself isn't fully sold on orbital data centers, an idea its mercurial CEO is pushing hard and prioritizing over everything else.]() *SpaceX / Futurism* SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been adamant that putting enormous AI data centers in Earth's orbit is a "no-brainer." At the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, Musk [claimed]() that the unconstrained solar power beyond our planet's surface makes it the "lowest-cost place to put AI," something "that will be true within two years, three at the latest." Yet many experts remain unconvinced that sending up to a million satellites, each [bigger than the International Space Station](), makes any sense, citing concerns over [economic feasibility and physical limits](). Some warn they could even cause an environmental catastrophe, with [aging and failing hardware]() doomed to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere while releasing [copious amounts of ozone-depleting chemicals](). Even SpaceX itself isn't fully sold on the idea its mercurial CEO is pushing hard — and prioritizing [over his decades-old wish of sending humans to Mars](). In excerpts of the company's pre-IPO filing [obtained by *Reuters*](), the company admitted that its "initiatives to develop orbital ​AI compute and in-orbit, lunar, and interplanetary industrialization are in early stages, involve significant technical complexity and unproven technologies, and may not achieve commercial viability." It's a significant tonal shift ahead of the [company's blockbuster IPO](), which is reportedly on track for later this year, at a [record-breaking valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion](). SpaceX acknowledged that sending sensitive AI chips into space may cause them to wear out much faster. Orbital data centers will operate "in the harsh and unpredictable environment of space, exposing them to a wide and unique range of ​space-related risks that could cause them to malfunction or fail." The company also pointed out its heavy reliance on its super heavy launch platform, Starship, to build out its enormous constellation of up to one million data centers. "Any failure or delay in the development of Starship at scale or in achieving the required launch cadence, reusability and capabilities thereof would ⁠delay ​or limit our ability to execute our growth strategy," the filing reads, as quoted by *Reuters*. SpaceX has yet to successfully send the rocket into space and safely land it in one piece. Previous test flights have resulted in [massive mid-flight explosions](). However, thanks to its enormous size and payload capacity, SpaceX could soon dramatically increase the amount of hardware it can launch into space, while theoretically lowering costs as well. In short, its plans for orbital data centers aren't just extremely ambitious; Musk has framed his entire space company on the endeavor months ahead of its long-awaited IPO. Yet glaring questions regarding the idea's financial, let alone physical, feasibility remain unanswered — a reality that the company's engineers are clearly having trouble ignoring. **More on SpaceX IPO:** [*SpaceX Files for IPO*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()