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Space Datacenters: TCO Model Predicts Parity by 2040

SemiAnalysis publishes an in-depth introduction and a General Availability AI Space Datacenter TCO Model that compares the total cost of ownership and levelized cost of compute (LCOC) for orbital versus terrestrial datacenters from 2026–2050. The report cites Elon Musk’s public remarks (Feb 2026) and SpaceX’s S‑1 (May 20, 2026) committing to large-scale orbital compute (SpaceX cites a 100 GW/year launch goal). Using a 30.5 kW B300 reference cluster, SemiAnalysis finds 2026 space deployments are ~4x more expensive on LCOC ($0.73 vs $0.17 per PFLOP‑hr) and ~4x+ on GPU‑hr costs ($10.91 vs $2.49 LCOC/hr/GPU). The model’s base case reaches Space–Earth cost parity around 2040; an “Elon Musk” scenario could bring near-parity in the early 2030s. The report highlights major constraints: launch, radiators/thermal rejection, orbit/latency, servicing/reliability, and—most critically—semiconductor production capacity (advanced logic and HBM).

OpenAI Unveils New Stargate Campus in Michigan

OpenAI announced a new Stargate campus in Saline Township, Michigan, as part of its existing partnership with Oracle. The Michigan site is being developed by Related Digital with construction expected to begin in early 2026 and is projected to create more than 2,500 union construction jobs. The project uses a closed-loop cooling system to reduce water consumption and will be served by DTE Energy using existing excess transmission capacity, with any required upgrades funded by the project rather than local ratepayers. Combined with previously announced U.S. Stargate sites with Oracle and SoftBank, OpenAI says the initiative brings total planned Stargate capacity to over 8 gigawatts and more than $450 billion in investment over the next three years, moving toward a previously announced 10-gigawatt, $500 billion commitment.