SpaceX Targets Late 2027 for Orbital AI Computing Tests Ahead of Record $1.77 Trillion IPO

SpaceX Accelerates Its Space-Based AI Ambitions

SpaceX is pushing to demonstrate orbital artificial-intelligence computing infrastructure by late 2027, ahead of the "as early as 2028" deployment timeline disclosed in its IPO filing, according to Reuters. The accelerated schedule emerged during two pre-IPO investor presentations featuring President Gwynne Shotwell and Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen, as the company barrels toward its planned Nasdaq debut on June 12 under the ticker SPCX.

While the company's S-1 filing stated that orbital data-centre deployments could begin "as early as 2028," it did not distinguish between demonstration missions and full commercial deployments. SpaceX has said it wants to reach an annualised rate of 1 gigawatt of space-based AI computing by the end of 2027, though Elon Musk cautioned that the figure should be taken with "a grain of salt."

The AI1 Satellite

Musk unveiled the first detailed design of the AI1 orbital data-centre satellite, describing it as "much simpler than a Starlink satellite." The spacecraft features a roughly 70-metre wingspan, around 150 kilowatts of peak AI compute, and an interchangeable hardware design that would let different chip suppliers provide the processing payload. Running data centres in orbit promises near-constant solar power and the cold of space for cooling, though the underlying economics remain unproven.

The Gigasat Factory in Bastrop

To support the effort, SpaceX unveiled the Gigasat factory in Bastrop, Texas, a complex spanning more than 11 million square feet across over 1,000 acres. It will integrate production of solar ingots, wafers, solar cells, and fully assembled AI satellites under one roof. Musk said the facility, already under construction, will be operating at "some reasonable volume" by the end of next year. A separate solar-cell factory at the site is planned with 10 gigawatts of annual production capacity.

The Biggest IPO in History

The orbital computing push is central to SpaceX's pitch as it prepares what would be the largest IPO ever — 555.6 million shares priced at $135, targeting a valuation of roughly $1.77 trillion and a raise of about $75 billion. The company spent $12.7 billion on AI projects last year and $7.7 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone, and its filing estimated a $26.5 trillion addressable market for AI. SpaceX has applied to the FCC for approval to deploy up to 1 million AI satellites in low-Earth orbit, stating it believes orbital AI computing "presents an incredibly challenging technical hurdle that only we can address at scale in the near future."