Elon Musk has once again chosen to compress project timelines, a familiar pattern for the tech mogul. The chief executive of SpaceX took to X to update the launch schedule for the rocket company's first batch of AI computing satellites. Musk posted on Monday afternoon, stating that the design of the Vera Rubin NVL72 system, optimized for space environments in collaboration with NVIDIA, has been completed, with plans to send it into orbit in the fourth quarter of next year and achieve large-scale deployment by 2028.
Shares of SpaceX moved higher in early Tuesday trading. Just one day before this post, SpaceX and NVIDIA had officially announced the deployment of NVIDIA Vera processors to accelerate task orchestration, code execution, and data processing for next-generation agentic AI. The two companies have a prior collaboration history, having announced earlier this year that NVIDIA chips would be utilized for so-called orbital data centers.
Previously, SpaceX had targeted 2028 for launching these satellites; Musk's latest timeline advances the launch window to the fourth quarter of 2027, with bulk launches beginning in 2028. Wall Street holds a more conservative view on the project's execution timeline but remains highly optimistic about its long-term prospects. JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth wrote in a client note on Tuesday, "We anticipate SpaceX advancing orbital computing infrastructure from 2029, reaching approximately 75 gigawatts of computing power by the end of 2031, at a cost far below building equivalent capacity on the ground. We believe the company is carving out a brand-new frontier and still possesses significant upside potential."
Musk has a penchant for aggressive project schedules, yet many of his plans have faced delays. This pattern has been observed with the Tesla Cybertruck, the Tesla Semi, and the next-generation Roadster, which has yet to be unveiled. The concept image of SpaceX's Starmind next-gen AI satellite, equipped with NVIDIA chips, underscores the vision.
One core challenge remains for large-scale orbital data center deployment: how to get these payloads into space. The project relies on the powerful Starship rocket for satellite delivery, but Starship is still in its testing phase. Although the rocket has completed some test flights and deployed Starlink satellites, it has not yet reached the high orbits required for certain satellite launches; so far, only the rocket's first-stage booster has been able to land safely back at the launch pad. Even so, the updated launch timeline for the orbital data center is welcome news for SpaceX investors.
Notably, the day after the SpaceX-NVIDIA collaboration announcement, NVIDIA is set to release its highly anticipated quarterly earnings after the market closes on Wednesday. If NVIDIA's AI and data center business performance falls short of expectations or guidance is revised downward, it could exert significant pressure on the AI tech sector and the broader market, which currently hovers near record highs.