SpaceX is growing its Colossus 2 artificial intelligence computing facility in Memphis by bringing two additional locations online, according to an announcement from Elon Musk. The billionaire entrepreneur, who shared the news on X on Sunday as reported by Lauren Edmonds for Business Insider, has named the new sites Gun Range and Spam.
Musk revealed that the Spam location was previously used for Hormel product storage, while the Gun Range site had belonged to the local police department. He provided a timeline for their activation:
Gun Range is tracking to be operational by end of November and Spam in December
Elon Musk
The entrepreneur described visiting the entire Colossus 2 complex both late at night and early in the morning, praising the SpaceX team and its partner contractors for their advancement on the project.
Powering Grok's expansion
The original Colossus supercomputer was constructed in Memphis during 2024. xAI, which is now integrated into SpaceX, launched Colossus 2 the following year with the goal of increasing computational resources dedicated to Grok, the company's AI assistant.
In recent announcements, Musk disclosed that SpaceX had secured $40 billion in debt financing to acquire AI processors. The company's artificial intelligence division has recently become its largest revenue generator, surpassing Starlink in the most recent quarter.
Ongoing legal challenge
The expansion plans proceed amid significant community opposition. Residents in the Memphis area have attended public meetings in large numbers, organized demonstrations and submitted formal complaints, according to Business Insider's reporting.
The NAACP initiated legal action in April against xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech, alleging that the companies are operating methane gas turbines without proper authorization in Southaven, Mississippi, to supply power to Colossus 2. A federal district court judge recently declined to accept the defendants' motion to have the lawsuit dismissed, allowing the case to proceed.
Source: The Next Web
