Musk Eyes Moon for AI Satellite Factory

Elon Musk recently convened an all-hands meeting for his AI company, xAI, to discuss a radical future plan: establishing a manufacturing facility on the moon. This lunar base would be dedicated to constructing AI satellites, which would then be deployed into orbit via a massive catapult. Musk asserted that this endeavor would grant xAI access to superior computing power, positioning it as a leader in the field.

The company's ambitious lunar goals are underpinned by a U.S. law enacted in 2015, which permits the ownership of resources extracted from celestial bodies, a notable exception to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty's prohibition on national territorial claims on the moon.

This announcement follows the recent departures of two xAI co-founders, bringing the total to six out of twelve founding members who have left the company. The strategic shift to lunar ambitions also marks a departure from SpaceX's historical focus on Mars, with Musk now citing the moon as a more attainable goal for colonization within a shorter timeframe.

The feasibility and legality of these moon ambitions remain significant questions, especially given that nations like China and Russia have not agreed to the U.S. legal framework regarding lunar resource extraction. The shrinking team at xAI also raises questions about who will execute these grand plans.