Alphabet has invested in several space companies.Alphabet (GOOGL 3.22%) (GOOG 3.16%) is best known for Google, which is the most dominant search engine on the planet. Google commands an approximate 90% market share in search, in large part due to the distribution advantages it has. The company owns both the world's leading web browser in Chrome and the No. 1 smartphone operating system in Android.Alphabet also has a search revenue-sharing deal with Apple to be the default search on all its devices. This ess ...

Space Economy Growth & Vision - The space economy is at an inflection point, experiencing rapid growth, driven by commercial space activities and private companies [1][2][5] - By the end of the decade, a fully commercial space station, built by Axiom Space, is expected to be in orbit before the International Space Station retires, with the first module launching by early 2027 [3][4] - The ultimate destiny for humanity is interstellar travel, with the moon and Mars serving as stepping stones [16] - By 2050, the vision includes hourly launches to a space city above Earth, daily launches to the moon, and weekly launches to Mars, with quarterly launches to Proxima Centauri [18] Commercial Space Opportunities - Opportunities exist in low Earth orbit (LEO) for orbital data centers, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and bioprinting due to the unique environment of space [10][12] - AI data centers in space are a growing area, with companies like AWS pioneering in this field [13][14] - Mining on the moon, particularly for helium-3, presents economic and national security opportunities [16] Human Spaceflight & International Collaboration - Access to space is becoming more affordable, attracting interest from numerous countries, with Axiom Space having worked with 11 countries and being oversubscribed [6] - Space missions inspire the next generation, as demonstrated by the 350 million people under 16 in India who tuned in to a mission [8] Power & Nuclear Energy - Nuclear energy is crucial for space habitation and interstellar travel, with X-Energy developing small modular reactors [20][24] - X-Energy has signed deals with Amazon AWS for initially 5 gigawatts, potentially growing to 10 gigawatts, and with Centricon in the UK to power AI data centers [21] - Safe space nuclear power is necessary for lunar surface operations, nuclear electric propulsion, and nuclear thermal propulsion to shorten travel times to other planets [24]

Group 1 - Elon Musk predicts that solar electricity will become the primary power source for civilization, addressing the energy crisis driven by AI demands [1][2] - The global power demand is expected to increase by 30% by 2035, primarily due to the energy needs of AI, leading to concerns that electricity rates could double in five years [2][5] - Industry leaders are proposing innovative solutions to the energy crunch, including orbital data centers and floating data centers utilizing cold seawater for cooling [3][4] Group 2 - Musk's SpaceX Starship is identified as a critical technology for making orbital data centers economically viable, highlighting the connection between Musk's ventures and the AI industry's power challenges [5][6] - Notable companies in the solar and energy sectors have shown strong year-to-date and one-year performance, with Sunrun Inc. leading at 84.82% YTD [7]