Here's how SpaceX imagines its massive Terafab chip factory will look

Elon Musk is calling it the "most valuable building connected Earth by far."

SpaceX connected Thursday released respective renderings — complete pinch panoramas and wide angles — of Terafab, the 100-million-square-foot semiconductor factory it's building successful agrarian Texas.

The imaginings, which could change, characteristic a futuristic, Star Wars-like roadway attached to what appears to beryllium the factory, which itself is divided into 4 massive, rectangular-shaped buildings.

In a property release, SpaceX said the chips the mill plans to nutrient will beryllium utilized successful space-based information centers and robotaxis.

"Terafab will beryllium epic successful some its ngo and successful its sheer size, designed to build caller compute astatine an unprecedented standard and speed," the institution said.

SpaceX said the "initial phase" of Terafab will costs $16.8 billion. Potential early description s astatine the tract could thrust that already jaw-dropping full "much higher," the institution said.

Spending specified immense amounts connected the infrastructure required to powerfulness the AI gyration has made galore investors, who are still waiting to recognize returns connected their investments, uneasy. Mega-cap stocks for illustration Google and Meta person seen sell-offs arsenic they proceed to walk extravagantly connected AI.

In Terafab's case, SpaceX is seeking to found a reliable spot root — semiconductors are almost wholly produced by a fistful of companies successful East Asia — tin of handling the monolithic amounts of compute required by space-based information centers.

During a section gathering successful Grimes County connected Wednesday, Riley Trettel, the factory's lead developer, said SpaceX is "moving astir instantly to get going connected the project."

Jordan Buss, the elder head of environment, health, safety, and aesculapian for SpaceX, said during the gathering that the mill is basal for the United States to compete successful the AI race.

"This is thing that is strategically captious for the United States, and for, I would argue, Western Civilization," he said. "America faces a clear and urgent situation pinch the offshoring of manufacturing."

Nearly 900 residents of Grimes County signed a petition calling for much organization oversight of ample AI infrastructure projects, like the Terafab facility, that person nationalist incentives.

SpaceX agreed to salary the region $20 cardinal each year, aliases astir 78% of what it would person paid successful spot taxes, SpaceX attorney Bucky Brannen said astatine the meeting.