Musk said on Wednesday that the automaker is ending production of its Model S and X vehicles, and will use the factory in Fremont, California, to build Optimus humanoid robots.
“It’s time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end with an honorable discharge,” Musk said on the company’s fourth-quarter#earnings#call. “If you’re interested in buying a Model S and X, now would be the time to order it.”
SpaceX has acquired xAI to form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform. This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI's mission: scaling to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!
Current advances in AI are dependent on large terrestrial data centers, which require immense amounts of power and cooling. Global electricity demand for AI simply cannot be met with terrestrial solutions, even in the near term, without imposing hardship on communities and the environment.
In the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale. To harness even a millionth of our Sun’s energy would require over a million times more energy than our civilization currently uses!
The only logical solution therefore is to transport these resource-intensive efforts to a location with vast power and space. I mean, space is called “space” for a reason. ��
By directly harnessing near-constant solar power with little operating or maintenance costs, these satellites will transform our ability to scale compute. It’s always sunny in space! Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization, one that can harness the Sun’s full power, while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s multi-planetary future.
In the history of spaceflight, there has never been a vehicle capable of launching the megatons of mass that space-based data centers or permanent bases on the Moon and cities on Mars require. Even in 2025, the most prolific year in history in terms of the number of orbital launches, only about 3000 tons of payload was launched into orbit, primarily consisting of Starlink satellites carried by our Falcon rocket.
The requirement to launch thousands of satellites to orbit became a forcing function for the Falcon program, driving recursive improvements to reach the unprecedented flight rates necessary to make space-based internet a reality. This year, Starship will begin delivering the much more powerful V3 Starlink satellites to orbit, with each launch adding more than 20 times the capacity to the constellation as the current Falcon launches of the V2 Starlink satellites. Starship will also launch the next generation of direct-to-mobile satellites, which will deliver full cellular coverage everywhere on Earth.
While the need to launch these satellites will act as a similar forcing function to drive Starship improvements and launch rates, the sheer number of satellites that will be needed for space-based data centers will push Starship to even greater heights. With launches every hour carrying 200 tons per flight, Starship will deliver millions of tons to orbit and beyond per year, enabling an exciting future where humanity is out exploring amongst the stars.
The basic math is that launching a million tons per year of satellites generating 100 kW of compute power per ton would add 100 gigawatts of AI compute capacity annually, with no ongoing operational or maintenance needs. Ultimately, there is a path to launching 1 TW/year from Earth.
My estimate is that within 2 to 3 years, the lowest cost way to generate AI compute will be in space. This cost-efficiency alone will enable innovative companies to forge ahead in training their AI models and processing data at unprecedented speeds and scales, accelerating breakthroughs in our understanding of physics and invention of technologies to benefit humanity.
This new constellation will build upon the well-established space sustainability design and operational strategies, including end-of-life disposal, that have proven successful for SpaceX’s existing broadband satellite systems.
While launching AI satellites from Earth is the immediate focus, Starship’s capabilities will also enable operations on other worlds. Thanks to advancements like in-space propellant transfer, Starship will be capable of landing massive amounts of cargo on the Moon. Once there, it will be possible to establish a permanent presence for scientific and manufacturing pursuits. Factories on the Moon can take advantage of lunar resources to manufacture satellites and deploy them further into space. By using an electromagnetic mass driver and lunar manufacturing, it is possible to put 500 to 1000 TW/year of AI satellites into deep space, meaningfully ascend the Kardashev scale and harness a non-trivial percentage of the Sun’s power.
The capabilities we unlock by making space-based data centers a reality will fund and enable self-growing bases on the Moon, an entire civilization on Mars and ultimately expansion to the Universe.
Thank you for everything you have done and will do for the light cone of consciousness.
Dude, less sci-fi. It's wild how he talks about space ships he doesn't have, as if they exist. And that the once lofty and widely mocked 150tonnes to orbit number has grown to 200t, despite the rocket, original designed with no heat shields to save weight and reach the lofty 150t, now has heat shields, but apparently they must provide additional lift now. Or he's Trumped up the number. The reality is the most it's carried is about 30t, and has never achieved orbit, only reaching 200km of the 800km or so needed for SSO. The "basic math" he does is full of bull####, and it ain't fractional bull####.
He also talks about propellant transfer as if it's a solved problem. It's never been done, and so far no one has proven they are able to address the numerous game-stopping challenges in doing it.
All to build orbital data centres, in space. He talks of free cooling, ignoring the reality that space is a vacuum and radiatitive heat rejection works very poorly in a vacuum. This...is a grift.
All he's achieved here is to skew the Google trend search history graphs for "Kardashev II-level civilization" TO THE MOON.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Fuzz For This Useful Post:
"Summons for voluntary interviews on April 20, 2026, in Paris have been sent to Mr. Elon Musk and Ms. Linda Yaccarino, in their capacity as de facto and de jure managers of the X platform at the time of the events," the Paris prosecutor's office said in a statement.
French cybercrime authorities were carrying out a search at X's offices in Paris, the prosecutor's office said.
"Summons for voluntary interviews on April 20, 2026, in Paris have been sent to Mr. Elon Musk and Ms. Linda Yaccarino, in their capacity as de facto and de jure managers of the X platform at the time of the events," the Paris prosecutor's office said in a statement.
French cybercrime authorities were carrying out a search at X's offices in Paris, the prosecutor's office said.
Pretty big deal that they did not just summon Musk and Yaccarino, they also raided the X offices. This is now shifting from last year's regulatory fine into criminal charges. This opens the door to a precedent that would not just impact Musk, but all American tech and AI companies.
Also, this is being coordinated with similar activities in the UK and Germany.
How long until the EU bans X and all of its connected Musk companies? Do the other tech bros make adjustments to keep their foothold in the EU?
Pretty big deal that they did not just summon Musk and Yaccarino, they also raided the X offices. This is now shifting from last year's regulatory fine into criminal charges. This opens the door to a precedent that would not just impact Musk, but all American tech and AI companies.
Also, this is being coordinated with similar activities in the UK and Germany.
How long until the EU bans X and all of its connected Musk companies? Do the other tech bros make adjustments to keep their foothold in the EU?
Considering the downsides of social media I wonder why there isn’t any regulation. I’m glad to see EU taking a start.
Like what’s the upside of having twitter operate in your country if you are a democracy? What value does Facebook give your citizens?
At best Social media is a form of entertainment.
At worst it is creating an epidemic of depression and indoctrinating populations by rogue states or bad faith individuals.
