COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Elon Musk used a national radio appearance with Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday to sketch out what he called the next frontier for artificial intelligence and computing: off the planet.
Musk told Abbott, who was filling in as guest host of The Sean Hannity Show, that he believes expanding computing power will increasingly move beyond Earth — with satellites and potentially data centers in space.
“I think the way to expand computing is really in space… I think we’ll probably be launching our first AI satellites next year,” Musk said.
Musk did not mention Terafab, the SpaceX-linked facility that could come to Grimes County, but supporters of the project have argued that on-site manufacturing would be needed to supply the parts and equipment for ambitions such as space-based computing.
Abbott, meanwhile, used the conversation to tout Texas as home base for Musk’s companies, praising SpaceX’s footprint and even asking Musk about adding a Texas flag emoji to his social media platform, X. Abbott told Musk, “Well, listen, you’ve been a great guest and a great Texan, I must add. And we’re proud that you are in Texas. We’re proud that SpaceX is headquartered in Texas.”
Musk responded with his own Texas shoutout: “I love being here and love being in Texas. It’s a great state to do business in. It’s super supportive.”
For those opposed to the Terafab proposal, the friendly banter comes as the state approaches a high-stakes decision. Abbott is one of three key votes tied to whether the multi-billion-dollar project moves forward in Texas.
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