# Sources & methodology

Primary references, explicit assumptions and traceable research. Reviewed on 4 October 2026.

Type: Source library · Reviewed: 4 October 2026

## Research approach

This edition uses energy-agency analysis, spacecraft engineering references, benchmark documentation, technical documentation and research papers. References appear beside the sections they support.

Forecasts retain their publication year and scenario context. A 2025 outlook is not relabeled as a 2026 measurement. Company feasibility summaries describe studies; preprints are identified as model-based research.

## Evidence types

| Type | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| Research | Technical context attributed to an external source. |
| Worked example | Our calculation with selected assumptions. |
| Design direction | A proposed SpaceXSI principle or system. |
| Research synthesis | Our interpretation connecting published findings. |
| Project result | A documented implementation and measurement; no results are asserted here. |

## Scope of this edition

The docs form a research and design foundation covering energy, useful computation, space systems and crypto coordination. They are not a completed spacecraft specification or token-economics model.

Original source titles are preserved for traceability. Updates should identify changes, review dates and the evidence supporting new claims.

## Primary source library

Source: [Energy and AI: energy demand](https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai/energy-demand-from-ai) — IEA · 2025. Data-centre demand estimates and scenario-based forecasts. Sector totals include workloads beyond intelligence.

Source: [Power Usage Effectiveness](https://www.thegreengrid.org/node/372) — The Green Grid. The definition of facility energy divided by IT equipment energy.

Source: [Power measurement for MLPerf](https://mlcommons.org/working-groups/benchmarks/power/) — MLCommons. Methods connecting measured power, energy and benchmark performance.

Source: [Carbon-Aware Computing for Datacenters](https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.11750) — Radovanović et al. · 2021 paper. Scheduling flexible compute around time-varying grid carbon intensity.

Source: [Quantization schemes](https://docs.nvidia.com/deeplearning/tensorrt/latest/inference-library/quantized-types-schemes.html) — NVIDIA · TensorRT documentation. Lower-precision inference formats and their implementation constraints.

Source: [Small spacecraft: power subsystems](https://www.nasa.gov/smallsat-institute/sst-soa/power-subsystems/) — NASA. Solar arrays, storage, eclipses and end-of-life power budgeting.

Source: [Small spacecraft: thermal control](https://www.nasa.gov/smallsat-institute/sst-soa/thermal-control/) — NASA. Heat transfer in vacuum and spacecraft thermal management.

Source: [Space-based solar power study](https://www.nasa.gov/organizations/otps/space-based-solar-power-report/) — NASA · 2024. A 2050-oriented study of power delivery to Earth, distinct from onboard electricity use.

Source: [ASCEND feasibility study results](https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/en/press-releases/thales-alenia-space-reveals-results-ascend-feasibility-study-space-data-centers-0) — Thales Alenia Space · 2024. A consortium summary of orbital data-centre feasibility and lifecycle conditions.

Source: [Orbital Data Centers: Spacecraft Constraints and Economic Viability](https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.27197) — Slava G. Turyshev · April 2026 preprint. Model-dependent analysis of power, mass, communications, utilization and lifetime. A preprint, not demonstrated operation.

Source: [Earth Observing-1: Ten Years of Innovation](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/earth-observing-1-ten-years-of-innovation/) — NASA. A historical example of onboard intelligent scheduling and autonomous science.

Source: [Space Environment Report 2026](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/ESA_Space_Environment_Report_2026) — ESA · September 2026. Orbital sustainability, reentry and disposal trends.

Source: [Ethereum energy consumption](https://ethereum.org/energy-consumption/) — ethereum.org. The energy implications of proof-of-stake; reported estimates have specific dates and boundaries.

## Updating the research

- Recheck forecasts when newer editions are available.
- Publish benchmarks with identifiable protocols and measurement boundaries.
- Mark milestones complete only with linked deliverables.
- Revisit orbital conclusions as demonstrations and lifecycle assessments emerge.
- Retain assumptions so readers can reproduce calculations.