Quick Summary
- SpaceX’s Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen disclosed a significant AI hosting agreement valued at $1.11 billion monthly, commencing December 1.
- The identity of the client remains undisclosed; this contract supplements current agreements with Google and Anthropic.
- The company expresses increased optimism about achieving its $100 billion yearly recurring revenue goal before 2026 concludes.
- By the conclusion of 2026, SpaceX anticipates operating more than two gigawatts of ground-based computing infrastructure, with ambitions to reach five to ten gigawatts during 2027.
- Initial orbital computing satellite launches are scheduled for next year, followed by substantial deployments targeted for 2028.
SpaceX has finalized another substantial AI hosting deal valued at $1.11 billion monthly, with services beginning December 1. Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen disclosed the arrangement Thursday during an investor conversation with Goldman Sachs analyst Eric Sheridan at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference.
While Johnsen refrained from identifying the client, he indicated the contract provided leadership with “enhanced confidence” regarding the company’s ambitious $100 billion annual recurring revenue objective by the close of 2026.
The recently announced contract represents approximately $13 billion in annualized recurring revenue, assuming the monthly payment structure remains consistent throughout a twelve-month period.
This agreement complements previously established partnerships with Anthropic, which committed to $1.25 billion monthly payments extending through May 2029, alongside Google’s $920 million per month contract finalized in June.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., SPCX
SpaceX gained access to substantial underutilized data center infrastructure following its February merger with Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence venture xAI. This infrastructure has become the foundation for a rapidly expanding cloud services operation.
During last month’s Q2 earnings discussion, Johnsen informed investors that SpaceX had already secured $6.7 billion in cloud services commitments during the opening weeks of Q3.
Expanding Ground-Based AI Capabilities
SpaceX continues making substantial investments to expand operational capacity. The organization allocated $16 billion toward AI infrastructure during Q2 2026, with leadership anticipating comparable expenditure levels throughout the remainder of the year.
Management projects that computing infrastructure will yield approximately $30 to $50 in revenue per watt during the upcoming year, with recently negotiated agreements approaching the higher end of this forecast range.
According to Johnsen, AI infrastructure investments could achieve payback timelines under twelve months, representing a stark contrast to conventional aerospace capital expenditure patterns.
SpaceX maintains an exclusive deployment of Nvidia processors throughout its data center network and credits its partnership with Nvidia for facilitating processor acquisitions amid supply constraints.
The majority of hosting arrangements currently span approximately 90 days with supplementary 90-day extension options, providing SpaceX operational flexibility to redirect capacity toward proprietary AI applications as necessary.
“You don’t want to get in a situation where you constrain your own products in the years to come because you were giving away the compute forever,” Johnsen said.
Space-Based Computing Represents Strategic Priority
The company’s extended vision centers on transitioning AI computing operations into orbit. SpaceX aims to conduct initial orbital computing satellite launches during the coming year, followed by comprehensive deployment initiatives scheduled for 2028.
These orbital platforms would utilize the identical foundation as V3 Starlink satellites while substituting communications equipment with computing hardware and incorporating enhanced solar power systems.
The financial viability of space-based computing hinges significantly on achieving complete Starship reusability. Johnsen referenced a recent mission that successfully executed a precise ocean landing of the upper stage, which was subsequently retrieved for technical evaluation.
Management anticipates an forthcoming Starship mission will transport production V3 Starlink satellites, representing the inaugural revenue-generating Starship operation.
Starlink’s enterprise segment continues growing, with SpaceX currently providing service-level agreements for corporate clients and maintaining a substantial queue of airline installation requests.
The company intends to deploy a next-generation direct-to-device satellite constellation next year, with objectives to deliver commercial 5G-equivalent mobile connectivity during the first half of 2028.
Revenue generation from the newly announced $1.11 billion monthly hosting contract is scheduled to commence December 1.
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