SpaceX went public on June 12, 2026. Within days, the company’s valuation climbed to roughly $2.4 trillion, placing it in the same rarefied air as Apple and Microsoft. The kicker: that number isn’t just about rockets and Starlink subscriptions. It’s largely a bet on something far more speculative, putting data centers in space.
SpaceX wants to deploy a constellation of satellites that function as orbital compute nodes, powered by solar energy and connected via laser communications.
The plan behind the price tag
SpaceX laid out the blueprint in its May 2026 S-1 filing. The company’s stated goal is to launch 100 gigawatts of compute power into space on an annual basis. For context, that’s a staggering figure. The entire US electric grid has roughly 1,200 gigawatts of total generation capacity.
In January 2026, SpaceX filed with the Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy up to one million satellites. The filing specifically targeted AI applications.
