As the global satellite industry shifts toward standardization and high-volume production, demand is accelerating for satellite subsystems, communications hardware, and onboard computing systems. Leveraging its strengths in advanced semiconductor fabrication, electronic hardware, and high-precision manufacturing, Taiwan has emerged as an indispensable supply-chain partner for international space companies.

Space-based data centers could open a new market for low-power AI chips, but moving computing workloads into orbit presents challenges involving radiation, cooling, and hardware reliability. South Korean AI chip developer Rebellions is calling for government support to help companies establish a track record in space, while researchers recommend adapting existing processors rather than developing new chips from scratch.

NASA is accelerating construction of a lunar south pole base by selecting eight aerospace companies for the second phase of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS 2) program. The companies will compete for lunar transport missions over 10 years, with a combined procurement ceiling of US$10 billion.

South Korea plans to develop small, medium, and large data centers in orbit under its K-Moonshot initiative, aiming to conduct its first in-orbit demonstration in 2028 and lay the groundwork for commercial space-based AI services before 2035.

A future communications network capable of detecting certain forms of eavesdropping may depend on something remarkably small: a semiconductor device designed to emit individual particles of light.

Taiwan will continuously elevate its self-reliant space technology capabilities while leveraging its long-standing strengths in semiconductors, electronics, telecommunications, and precision manufacturing, President Ching-Te Lai stated today (Nov. 9) as the 2026 Taiwan International Assembly of Space Science, Technology, and Industry (TASTI 2026) opened in the southern Taiwan city of Tainan.

On November 7, local US time, Elon Musk appeared remotely at the 33rd Baron Investment Conference in New York. During an hour-long conversation with Baron Capital founder Ron Baron, Musk repeatedly framed space-based computing power as a strategic asset.

Foxconn showcased its second-generation PEARL-1A and PEARL-1B low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites at TASTI 2026, highlighting its shift from single-satellite validation to coordinated two-satellite communications. The company also exhibited satellite communications modules, phased-array antennas, user terminals, and key cabling.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the company's annual recurring revenue (ARR) will likely exceed US$500 billion in December 2027, and that a US$1 trillion run rate is no longer out of the question. However, he put the odds of the higher figure at about 2%. Musk made the remarks on November 6 during a virtual fireside chat with investor Ron Baron at the 33rd Annual Baron Investment Conference in New York, according to a clip posted by Sawyer Merritt on X and a transcript published by Tesla North.

The Department of Defense's Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) has offered Halo Industries, a semiconductor startup based in Santa Clara, California, a conditional loan commitment of US$75 million. The funding is expected to attract an equal amount of private capital to expand silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor wafer manufacturing for defense, AI infrastructure, and high-voltage power electronics, reducing US reliance on overseas critical semiconductor materials.

The US Navy is seeking a second-generation tactical resupply drone for the Marine Corps, requiring a fuel-powered or hybrid aircraft to carry 100 pounds (about 45 kilograms) of cargo for 40 nautical miles (about 74 kilometers) and return without refueling. Flight demonstrations are scheduled from January 25 to February 5, 2027, in Huntsville, Alabama, with applications due by November 30, 2026.