The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 12th, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Google and SpaceX are pursuing a partnership to launch artificial intelligence (AI) data centers into Earth orbit.
According to the sources, Google is discussing an agreement with SpaceX on rocket launches to build space data centers. If the deal goes through, the two companies are expected to take the lead in the race to extend data centers beyond the ground and into space.
The talks come as SpaceX, the space company led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, prepares a mega initial public offering (IPO) this year valuing the company at about $1.75 trillion (about 2,400 trillion won). Musk has told investors he is pitching space data centers as the "next frontier" of SpaceX's rocket business. Early in the year, Musk argued that space data centers would be cheaper in terms of operating expense and "become reality within two to three years."
Earlier, AI corporation Anthropic signed a large-scale computing contract with SpaceX last week. Under the deal, Anthropic will be able to use the entire compute capacity of xAI's Colossus 1 data center in Memphis, Tennessee. The two companies are also said to be exploring potential cooperation in the space-based data center field. SpaceX acquired Musk's AI corporation xAI in February.
Google is an early investor in SpaceX and currently holds 6.1% equity. Don Harrison, Google's president of global partnerships, sits on SpaceX's board of directors.
Google is also reportedly in talks with other space corporations about space data centers beyond SpaceX. As part of a space data center plan called Project Suncatcher, which began last year, Google plans to launch a prototype satellite by next year.
Major big tech corporations are turning their eyes to space to overcome the limits of ground data centers, which consume massive electricity and water resources for cooling, but experts believe it will take time to commercialize space data centers. They note that high launch expense, intense radiation in space, maintenance difficulties, space debris, and heat dissipation management are among the technical challenges that must be overcome.