Anthropic has struck a major compute agreement with SpaceX that will give the maker of Claude access to all capacity at the Colossus 1 data centre, adding more than 300 megawatts of power and over 220,000 Nvidia GPUs within a month. The deal is aimed at easing capacity pressure on Claude as demand rises for AI assistants, developer tools and enterprise services. Anthropic said the extra resources […]
Bengaluru-based Pixxel and Sarvam have set out plans to build Pathfinder, a 200 kg-class orbital data centre satellite that would test whether artificial intelligence workloads can be processed directly in space rather than routed first through terrestrial cloud systems.
The mission, announced on 4 May 2026, is scheduled to reach orbit as early as the fourth quarter of 2026. Pixxel will design, build, launch and operate the satellite, while Sarvam will provide the artificial intelligence stack needed for training and inference on board. The partners describe the project as India’s first orbital data centre satellite, placing it at the junction of three strategic races: sovereign AI, commercial space infrastructure and the search for lower-latency computing systems.
Pathfinder is intended to carry data centre-grade graphics processing units alongside Pixxel’s hyperspectral imaging camera. That combination would allow the satellite to capture high-fidelity Earth observation data and analyse it in orbit using foundation models, instead of sending large volumes of raw imagery to ground stations for processing. The aim is to transmit insights rather than just data, cutting the time between observation and decision-making.
The approach could be valuable for environmental monitoring, agriculture, mining, resource management, disaster response and critical infrastructure tracking. Hyperspectral imaging can detect patterns invisible to conventional cameras by reading hundreds of spectral bands, making it useful for identifying crop stress, pollution, mineral signatures, water conditions and changes in land use. Adding on-board AI would make such systems faster and potentially more autonomous.
Pathfinder also reflects the pressure building around AI infrastructure. Data centres have become increasingly constrained by energy demand, land availability, cooling requirements and regulation. AI-focused facilities are especially power-intensive because training and running large models depend on specialised chips. Industry forecasts point to data centre electricity use crossing 1,000 terawatt hours by 2030, with AI workloads accounting for a growing share of consumption.
Orbital computing is being explored as one answer to that problem, though it remains technically difficult and commercially unproven at scale. Satellites can draw continuous solar power in certain orbits and process space-generated data close to its source. Yet the model must overcome radiation exposure, heat dissipation, launch costs, repair limitations, chip reliability, bandwidth management and the challenge of operating high-performance hardware in an environment far harsher than a ground-based server hall.
For Pixxel, the project marks a move beyond Earth observation into space infrastructure. The company has built its position around hyperspectral satellites and already operates Firefly satellites capable of capturing detailed environmental data. Pathfinder would test whether those sensing systems can be paired with in-orbit computing to create a more responsive intelligence layer.
For Sarvam, the mission extends its sovereign AI pitch beyond ground infrastructure. The company has focused on building language models and platforms designed for deployment in local contexts, including multilingual use cases. Running its models aboard an India-built satellite would give the company a high-profile demonstration of how AI sovereignty can include hardware location, data control and infrastructure independence, not just model development.
The announcement comes as global technology groups examine space-based compute. Google’s Project Suncatcher has explored satellite constellations fitted with AI accelerators and optical links, with prototype missions planned with Planet. Elon Musk has also spoken publicly about the possibility of data centres in orbit within the wider SpaceX and Starlink ecosystem. These ideas remain at an early stage, but they show that AI infrastructure is beginning to stretch beyond conventional cloud regions.
Domestic activity is also widening. Agnikul Cosmos and NeevCloud have explored related orbital infrastructure concepts, indicating that private space and compute companies see a possible market in distributed cloud systems that span Earth and orbit. Defence, climate intelligence, telecommunications and sovereign data processing are likely to be among the first areas of interest if the technology matures.
Pathfinder’s immediate importance lies less in replacing terrestrial data centres and more in validating whether orbit can host meaningful AI workloads. The satellite is expected to test power management, thermal control, real-time inference, data processing and model performance under operational space conditions. Success would give Pixxel and Sarvam a foundation for more advanced orbital compute systems, while failure would expose the engineering and economic limits of the concept.
The project also fits a broader shift in satellite design. Spacecraft have traditionally acted mainly as sensors and transmitters, collecting data for later analysis on Earth. Pathfinder points towards satellites that can interpret what they observe, prioritise what should be sent down and support faster decisions for governments and commercial users.
Commercial adoption will depend on cost, reliability and demand. Ground-based cloud systems remain cheaper, easier to maintain and vastly more scalable. Orbital compute will need to prove that its advantages — lower latency for space data, resilience, solar access and sovereignty — justify the complexity of placing advanced AI hardware in space.
For now, Pathfinder gives the space and AI sectors a test case with wider implications. It places Pixxel and Sarvam among early movers trying to turn satellites from data collectors into active computing nodes, while testing whether the limits facing AI infrastructure on Earth can be partly addressed above it.
Phishing emails with no subject line are being used with growing frequency in campaigns aimed at executives and other high-value staff, adding another layer of deception to a threat landscape already shaped by credential theft, business email compromise and AI-assisted social engineering. CyberProof said its threat hunters tracked a marked rise in “null subject” phishing through the first quarter of 2026, with activity climbing from January to […]
Asteroid, a little-known meme coin tied to a Shiba Inu character called “Asteroid”, surged after a social media chain involving broadcaster Glenn Beck and Elon Musk drew intense attention to the story of Liv Perrotto, a 15-year-old from Pennsylvania whose design had been linked to SpaceX symbolism. Crypto trackers and market sites showed the token posting a violent jump before giving back part of the move, underlining […]
Bluesky suffered a second day of disruption after what the company described as a coordinated distributed denial-of-service attack, leaving many users unable to reliably load feeds, notifications, threads and search results while engineers worked to stabilise the social platform. Bluesky said the trouble began late on April 15 and intensified through April 16, adding that it had found no evidence of unauthorised access to private user data. […]
OpenAI has accused Elon Musk of staging a last-minute legal manoeuvre ahead of a jury trial due to begin on 27 April in Oakland, California, deepening a dispute that has grown from a fight over the company’s founding ideals into one of the most consequential courtroom battles in artificial intelligence. The latest exchange came after Musk amended his claims against OpenAI and Microsoft, widening the remedies he […]
Elon Musk’s X is preparing to launch XChat as a standalone messaging app for iPhone and iPad on 17 April, turning what had been a feature inside the social platform into a separate product aimed at users seeking private, app-first communication. Apple’s App Store listing identifies X Corp. as the developer, describes the service as fully end-to-end encrypted, and says it is built as a focused space […]
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI has sued Colorado in federal court, opening a fresh front in the widening US battle over how far states can go in policing the use of advanced algorithms in decisions affecting jobs, housing, education, healthcare and finance. The complaint, filed on April 9, seeks to block enforcement of Colorado’s Senate Bill 24-205 before it takes effect on June 30, arguing that […]
Tesla is developing a smaller, lower-cost electric sport utility vehicle in a move that could reopen its path into the mass market after years of focusing investor attention on autonomy, robotics and premium technology bets. People familiar with the plan told Reuters the company has approached suppliers in the past few weeks to discuss a compact SUV that would sit below its current line-up on size and […]
OpenAI has asked the attorneys general of California and Delaware to investigate Elon Musk, accusing the billionaire and his associates of improper and anti-competitive conduct as a legal fight over the company’s structure moves towards a jury trial in Oakland later this month. The dispute marks a sharp escalation in a feud that has come to symbolise the wider struggle over who controls advanced artificial intelligence and […]
Elon Musk has unveiled a plan to integrate Tesla, SpaceX and xAI into a new semiconductor initiative in Texas, marking a deeper push into controlling the hardware underpinning artificial intelligence systems. The project, described internally as “Terafab”, aims to develop advanced chips tailored for AI training, robotics and space applications. The initiative reflects a broader shift among technology companies seeking to reduce dependence on external suppliers such […]
Federal safety regulators have widened scrutiny of Tesla’s driver-assistance technology, focusing on how the company’s Full Self-Driving system performs in adverse conditions and the continued absence of LiDAR sensors in its design. The move by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration signals mounting concern over whether camera-based systems can reliably interpret complex environments such as fog, heavy rain and low-light scenarios. Investigators are examining a growing body […]
Elon Musk has been found by a jury to have misled Twitter investors during his 2022 takeover bid, concluding that his public statements about the social media platform contributed to financial harm for shareholders as he pursued a lower acquisition price. The verdict centres on claims that Musk, while negotiating the $44 billion deal to acquire Twitter, publicly criticised the company’s handling of spam and bot accounts […]
Starlink has begun offering satellite-based internet services in the United Arab Emirates, marking a significant expansion of low-Earth orbit connectivity into one of the Gulf’s most advanced digital markets. The rollout introduces a new alternative to established telecom operators, with residential plans starting from Dhs230 per month alongside a required upfront hardware purchase. The service, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, relies on a constellation of low-Earth orbit […]
X has started introducing a long-anticipated “dislike” button, marking a notable shift in how users can engage with content on the platform formerly known as Twitter. The feature, which had been tested in limited formats over the past few years, is now being rolled out more broadly, according to updates shared by the company and early user feedback. The move signals a recalibration of X’s interaction design […]
Tesla is assessing temporary policy changes for its Supercharger network across Gulf countries following heightened regional security tensions linked to Iran, amid unverified claims circulating online that the company has already made charging free in the region. No official confirmation has been issued by Tesla or its chief executive Elon Musk that all Supercharger services in Gulf Cooperation Council markets have been made free of charge. Industry […]
Elon Musk has unveiled plans to launch an early public version of X Money in April, marking a major step in transforming the social platform X into a financial services hub. The system, designed as a native custodial wallet embedded within the platform, will allow users to connect bank accounts, send peer-to-peer payments and handle everyday transactions such as bill payments without leaving the app. The announcement […]
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman confirmed that the company has reached a strategic agreement with the U. S. Department of War to deploy its artificial intelligence models on the ministry’s classified network, signalling a major shift in the technology sector’s engagement with national security infrastructure and government contracts. The contract embeds safety principles that bar mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapon-control, reflecting a delicate balance between […]
OpenAI has secured an unprecedented $110 billion investment commitment from Amazon, Nvidia and SoftBank, propelling the artificial intelligence company into what could be the largest private funding round in history and sharply intensifying competition in the AI sector. The financial injection comes as the developer of the ChatGPT generative AI platform prepares for a potential public offering later this year and looks to expand its global infrastructure […]
Tesla, the electric vehicle and autonomous technology company led by Elon Musk, has escalated its long-running dispute with California regulators by filing a lawsuit aimed at overturning a key regulatory ruling that found its marketing of advanced driver-assistance systems misled consumers. The legal action targets a decision by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that determined the company’s use of the terms “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” violated […]
Saudi Arabia’s state-owned artificial intelligence company Humain has committed $3 billion to Elon Musk’s AI venture xAI as part of a substantial funding round conducted just before the startup was brought under the umbrella of his space technology firm SpaceX. The deal immediately positioned Humain as a significant minority shareholder, with its equity in xAI converted into SpaceX shares after the acquisition, the company said. The transaction […]
Elon Musk’s social network X is advancing plans to embed cryptocurrency and stock trading features directly into users’ timelines as part of a broader push to transform the platform into a financial ecosystem. Executives at the company have signalled that a limited external beta of its integrated financial services, known as X Money, is anticipated within weeks, marking a major milestone in Musk’s vision of merging social […]
Dubai has moved to kick off the first phase of the Dubai Loop, an underground high-speed transport network to be built by Elon Musk’s Boring Company, marking one of the most ambitious urban mobility projects announced by the emirate. The initial phase is set to begin immediately, according to a statement by a senior transport official, signalling a rapid transition from concept to execution. Mattar Al […]
French prosecutors have carried out a judicial operation targeting offices and data linked to Elon Musk’s social media platform X as part of an inquiry into how the company’s recommendation systems operate, widening the scope to include examination of its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok. The move places one of the world’s most influential digital platforms under intensified regulatory and legal scrutiny in Europe at a time when […]
