SpaceX targets late 2027 for orbital AI tests ahead of record IPO

SpaceX executives told investors the company aims to demonstrate orbital AI computing by late 2027, ahead of its S-1 filing's "as early as 2028" timeline, according to Reuters.money.usnews+1
The company unveiled a massive Gigasat factory in Bastrop, Texas, spanning over 11 million square feet, to manufacture AI satellites and solar components.Business Insider+1
SpaceX is set to debut on Nasdaq on June 12 at $135 per share, targeting a $1.77 trillion valuation in what would be the largest IPO in history.cnbc

SpaceX is pushing to demonstrate space-based 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 investor presentations ahead of the company's planned Nasdaq debut on June 12 under the ticker SPCX.money.usnews

Investor Presentations Reveal Faster Timeline

During two pre-IPO investor presentations featuring President Gwynne Shotwell and Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen, SpaceX executives outlined a roadmap to begin demonstrating orbital-compute capabilities in 2027, according to two people who attended the sessions. While the company's S-1 filing stated that orbital data-center deployments could begin "as early as 2028," it did not distinguish between demonstration missions and full commercial deployments.ST+1

SpaceX has said it wants to reach an annualized rate of 1 gigawatt of space-based AI computing by the end of 2027, though CEO Elon Musk cautioned that the figure should be taken with "a grain of salt".MEXC

Gigasat Factory Takes Shape in Bastrop

To support the effort, SpaceX unveiled plans for a sprawling manufacturing complex in Bastrop, Texas, dubbed the Gigasat factory. The facility spans more than 11 million square feet across over 1,000 acres of land. It will integrate the production of solar ingots, wafers, solar cells, and fully assembled AI satellites under one roof.thenews+2

Musk said on Monday that the Gigasat factory, which is 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.Business Insider+1

The AI Bet Behind the Biggest IPO in History

The orbital computing push is central to SpaceX's pitch to investors as it prepares what would be the largest IPO in history — 555 million shares priced at $135, targeting a valuation of roughly $1.77 trillion. The company spent $12.7 billion on AI projects last year and $7.7 billion in just the first quarter of 2026. Its IPO filing estimated a $26.5 trillion addressable market for AI alone.Economic Times+2

SpaceX has applied to the Federal Communications Commission for approval to deploy up to 1 million AI satellites in low-Earth orbit. The company stated in its filing that it believes orbital AI computing "presents an incredibly challenging technical hurdle that only we can address at scale in the near future".CNBC+1

Sources (28)