SpaceX inks major compute pact with open-source AI lab Reflection

SpaceX has reached a substantial computing capacity agreement with Reflection AI that will reportedly give the startup immediate use of Nvidia GB300 chips housed inside Elon Musk’s Colossus 2 supercluster.

Under the pact, Reflection will pay Musk’s rocket company $150 million per month beginning July 1, 2026, with the arrangement running through 2029. The payments would add up to approximately $6.3 billion if the full term is completed, according to materials viewed by CNBC. Either side may terminate the contract with 90 days’ notice after the initial three months.

The transaction illustrates how SpaceX is converting its Colossus infrastructure into a revenue-generating computing platform after the company’s record initial public offering. It has already secured similar arrangements with Anthropic, Google and Cursor; Musk’s firm is now acquiring Cursor.

Reflection brings a distinct profile to the customer list as an AI developer specializing in open-source models. The timing aligns with governments and large organizations reevaluating reliance on closed AI systems.

Open-source AI has gathered speed following Anthropic’s decision to revoke access for Fable and Mythos, which spotlighted hazards of depending on proprietary providers for essential tasks. That episode bolstered the case that users should retain the ability to inspect, modify and operate models under greater autonomy.

Reflection, last valued at $25 billion, is developing American open-source AI systems capable of rivaling frontier offerings from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google while supplying added flexibility to public-sector and enterprise clients. “Recent events highlight how important open source is to the AI ecosystem, with more nations and enterprises recognizing the risks and costs associated with exclusively depending on closed models,” a Reflection spokesperson said in a statement.

The startup has yet to release a public frontier open-source model but has secured traction among government and national-security users. It is collaborating with the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission and participating in wider Pentagon AI initiatives.

For SpaceX, the arrangement further demonstrates that raw compute has emerged as strategic currency inside the artificial-intelligence competition.