Sources & methodology
Primary references, explicit assumptions and traceable research. Reviewed on 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
Data-centre demand estimates and scenario-based forecasts. Sector totals include workloads beyond intelligence.
The definition of facility energy divided by IT equipment energy.
Methods connecting measured power, energy and benchmark performance.
Scheduling flexible compute around time-varying grid carbon intensity.
Lower-precision inference formats and their implementation constraints.
Solar arrays, storage, eclipses and end-of-life power budgeting.
Heat transfer in vacuum and spacecraft thermal management.
A 2050-oriented study of power delivery to Earth, distinct from onboard electricity use.
A consortium summary of orbital data-centre feasibility and lifecycle conditions.
Model-dependent analysis of power, mass, communications, utilization and lifetime. A preprint, not demonstrated operation.
A historical example of onboard intelligent scheduling and autonomous science.
Orbital sustainability, reentry and disposal trends.
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.