Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has reportedly explored setting up or backing a rocket company — potentially putting him in competition with SpaceX
According to recent media reports, Altman opened talks in 2025 with at least one aerospace-startup, Stoke Space, with interest to acquire or take large equity stake in the firm.
The discussions surfaced as part of Altman’s broader long-term ambition: building a company that could launch rockets and possibly even build data-centers in space to support massive AI infrastructure.
What We Know: Altman’s Proposal and Interests
- In mid-2025, Altman reportedly initiated contact with Stoke Space, examining potential equity-investment or acquisition to gain control over a launch-vehicle company.
- The plan was to leverage Stoke Space’s rocket-development efforts rather than starting a rocket company from scratch — making the move faster and less resource-intensive.
- Altman has publicly spoken about potential long-term ideas like building “data centers in space” — a concept that aligns with rocket-launch infrastructure to support AI compute demands.
Why the Move Matters: AI, Space & Infrastructure Convergence
If Altman succeeds, this could mark a new frontier where AI, cloud-computing infrastructure, and space launch services converge:
- Supporting AI infrastructure at scale: As AI demand grows, moving data centers off-world could reduce environmental impact on Earth and offer nearly unlimited compute capacity.
- Adding competition to private space industry: A new rocket company backed by a major AI player could intensify competition against established space firms like SpaceX, potentially pushing innovation and lowering launch costs.
- Bridging machine-learning and space tech: The synergy between AI compute needs and rocket/launch infrastructure could create new business and research models — e.g., AI in orbit, large-scale data processing off-planet.
What Is Still Uncertain — And Why Caution Is Warranted
- According to recent reporting, the talks between OpenAI/Altman and Stoke Space “have since ceased and are no longer active.” The Wall Street Journal
- No formal announcement has been made by Altman, OpenAI, or any aerospace firm that confirms a rocket-company launch under Altman’s leadership.
- Building or scaling a rocket-company — even via acquisition — involves high technical, regulatory, financial, and safety challenges. Success is far from guaranteed, especially given how difficult space-launch remains globally.
- The motivations (“data centres in space,” “AI infrastructure at scale”) are speculative; many “big ideas” have been floated in tech that never materialize.
What This Could Mean — If It Happens
If Altman’s rocket-company ambitions revive — or if he pursues a similar path — here’s what might follow:
- Emergence of a new “AI-backed” space startup: driven by AI capital and need for compute infrastructure, potentially funded by AI profits rather than traditional space-industry investors.
- Increased pressure on legacy space players: this could spur rocket-launch competition, innovative business models, and maybe cheaper access to space.
- New convergence of AI, cloud, and space: enabling off-earth compute, orbital data centers, and next-gen infrastructure for AI — possibly reshaping how we think about computing and space exploration.
- Greater scrutiny: regulators might examine AI-space convergence for safety, data security, and ethical implications — especially if “data centres in space” become real.
Conclusion
Recent reports suggest that Sam Altman has considered building or backing a rocket company — a bold step bridging AI and space. While talks reportedly stalled, the ambition highlights growing interest among AI leaders in space infrastructure. Whether this vision becomes reality remains uncertain; but if it does, it could reshape both the AI and the private-space industries fundamentally.
