SpaceX partners with Nvidia for distributed AI compute across planned 1M-satellite constellation with Vera Rubin chips
SpaceX has expanded its partnership with NVIDIA to power Starmind, a proposed network of orbital data centers designed to process artificial intelligence workloads in space. SpaceX plans to equip Starmind satellites with NVIDIA's Rubin graphics processing units and Vera central processing units, which form part of NVIDIA's Space-1 platform developed for AI processing and other computing workloads in orbit.
NVIDIA introduced the Space-1 platform in March with initial launch partners including Aetherflux, Axiom Space, Kepler Communications, Planet Labs, Sophia Space and Starcloud. SpaceX was not included in the original announcement but has now joined the companies working with NVIDIA on orbital computing. Elon Musk later stated that SpaceX would build its AI infrastructure exclusively on NVIDIA platforms and described Vera Rubin as the strongest available option. The companies also plan to jointly design computing payloads for future satellites.
NVIDIA's Space-1 Vera Rubin module combines GPUs, CPUs and high-bandwidth connections in a system designed for the power and weight constraints of satellites. The platform can run large language models and process data in orbit instead of transmitting all raw information back to Earth. According to NVIDIA, the Space-1 Vera Rubin module can provide up to 25 times the AI computing power of an H100 GPU and is designed for space-based inference, autonomous operations and real-time satellite-data processing.
SpaceX's broader plan remains subject to regulatory approval. The company filed an application in January seeking permission to launch and operate as many as one million non-geostationary satellites. The proposed system would operate between 500 and 2,000 kilometers above Earth, with optical links connecting the satellites through a high-capacity network capable of moving data between orbital computing nodes.
The Federal Communications Commission accepted the application for filing in February and opened it for public comment. That procedural decision did not constitute final approval, contrary to some initial reporting. The requested scale is far larger than the existing satellite population around Earth and could face questions involving orbital congestion, collision risks, radio interference and effects on astronomical observations.
Starmind could allow SpaceX to combine its launch capabilities, Starlink communications network and AI operations within one infrastructure project. However, deploying orbital data centers would require large investments in satellites, launches, power generation and thermal management. SpaceX must also demonstrate that the system can operate safely alongside existing spacecraft before receiving final FCC authorization. Even if approved, the company would likely deploy the network in stages rather than launching the full requested number.
On Tuesday, SPCX closed at $125.33, up $10.80 or 9.43%, as investors responded to the NVIDIA partnership announcement ahead of SpaceX's earnings report. However, the stock reversed course after the closing bell, falling 6.82% to $116.78 in after-hours trading as investors assessed the company's quarterly results and AI spending plans. NVIDIA shares gained 3.03% to $212.91 during Tuesday afternoon trading, reflecting investor expectations that orbital data centers could create another market for the chipmaker's AI computing hardware.
For U.S. investors, the NVIDIA agreement provides a clearer hardware path for SpaceX's AI strategy. The next tests will be regulatory progress, the cost of building the constellation, and whether orbital computing can produce enough revenue to justify the required spending.