Elon Musk has a new answer to one of artificial intelligence's biggest problems: just move the data centers into space. But as Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ: SPCX) explores putting computing infrastructure in orbit, political resistance to power-hungry data centers is growing on Earth, a challenge for a company whose AI ambitions depend on massive infrastructure investment.

Earth's AI Infrastructure Problem

SpaceX's AI ambitions are already translating into substantial business. The company reported $14.6 billion in third-quarter revenue, up 161% year over year, while its computing capacity reached 1.7 gigawatts as of Sept. 30, according to its quarterly results.

But building more computing capacity requires electricity, land, water and regulatory approvals, resources that are becoming increasingly difficult to secure.

The political backlash became harder to ignore after Tuesday's midterm elections. Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, while voters backed candidates favoring tighter restrictions on data-center construction in several states, including Texas.

Texas is particularly important because of its growing concentration of AI infrastructure projects. Democratic governor-elect Gina Hinojosa has supported a temporary halt to new data-center construction until stronger protections address electricity, water and community concerns.

Following the election results, Musk posted on X: "Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now."

Musk's Orbital AI Ambition

SpaceX is exploring a radically different approach. In January, the company asked the Federal Communications Commission to authorize a constellation of up to 1 million satellites equipped with solar-powered AI data centers.

The idea is to harness near-continuous sunlight in orbit, reducing dependence on terrestrial electricity grids and the land and water needed for conventional facilities. SpaceX believes this could eventually make large-scale AI computing more efficient, Reuters reported.

The timeline, however, remains ambitious. SpaceX executives have outlined plans for initial orbital computing demonstrations by late 2027, with broader deployment potentially beginning in 2028, Reuters reported in June.

And the engineering challenges are considerable. The Government Accountability Office warned in April that cooling powerful computing equipment in space would require solutions that remain unproven at scale. Launch costs, satellite collisions and data transmission also present significant obstacles.

Space Is No Easy Escape

For investors, the distinction between SpaceX's existing AI infrastructure and its orbital ambitions is important. The former is already contributing to revenue; the latter remains a long-term opportunity requiring substantial technological and regulatory breakthroughs.

The political backlash also extends beyond SpaceX, potentially affecting the entire AI infrastructure industry.

Watch whether tighter data-center restrictions delay terrestrial expansion, how quickly SpaceX advances its orbital demonstrations and whether Starship can make large-scale satellite deployment economically viable.

Musk may see space as a way around Earth's infrastructure constraints, but the economics of getting there still need to work.