What is the story about?
Anthropic has announced a partnership with SpaceX to significantly expand its compute capacity, a move that will also enable higher usage limits for Claude Code and the Claude API.
In a post on X, Claude said the agreement, along with other recent compute deals, has allowed the company to increase its usage limits. The development comes as artificial intelligence firms continue to ramp up infrastructure to meet rising demand.
As part of the agreement, Anthropic will utilise all of the compute capacity at SpaceX’s Colossus 1 data centre in Memphis, Tennessee. The facility provides access to more than 300 megawatts of compute capacity, marking a major scale-up in Anthropic’s infrastructure capabilities.
The partnership also includes a potential future collaboration on space-based infrastructure. Anthropic has expressed interest in working with SpaceX to develop multiple gigawatts of compute capacity in space, signalling a long-term push towards advanced and distributed AI systems.
The deal comes amid tensions between Elon Musk and Anthropic. Musk, who runs rival AI firm xAI, has been a vocal critic of the company in recent months. Earlier this year, Musk merged xAI with SpaceX in a deal valuing the startup at $250 billion.
At the same time, xAI has been expanding its own data infrastructure, particularly in Memphis, as it competes with major players such as OpenAI, Google and Anthropic in the fast-growing AI market.
Colossus 1 is currently the largest facility operated by xAI. The company and its subsidiary MZX Tech, LLC, have installed multiple natural gas-burning turbines at the site to power operations. These turbines, reportedly set up without federal permits due to their temporary classification, have drawn criticism over worsening air pollution and triggered protests in the region.
In a post on X, Claude said the agreement, along with other recent compute deals, has allowed the company to increase its usage limits. The development comes as artificial intelligence firms continue to ramp up infrastructure to meet rising demand.
We’ve
agreed to a partnership with @SpaceX that will substantially increase our compute capacity.
This, along with our other recent compute deals, means that we’ve been able to increase our usage limits for Claude Code and the Claude API.
— Claude (@claudeai) May 6, 2026
As part of the agreement, Anthropic will utilise all of the compute capacity at SpaceX’s Colossus 1 data centre in Memphis, Tennessee. The facility provides access to more than 300 megawatts of compute capacity, marking a major scale-up in Anthropic’s infrastructure capabilities.
The partnership also includes a potential future collaboration on space-based infrastructure. Anthropic has expressed interest in working with SpaceX to develop multiple gigawatts of compute capacity in space, signalling a long-term push towards advanced and distributed AI systems.
The deal comes amid tensions between Elon Musk and Anthropic. Musk, who runs rival AI firm xAI, has been a vocal critic of the company in recent months. Earlier this year, Musk merged xAI with SpaceX in a deal valuing the startup at $250 billion.
At the same time, xAI has been expanding its own data infrastructure, particularly in Memphis, as it competes with major players such as OpenAI, Google and Anthropic in the fast-growing AI market.
Colossus 1 is currently the largest facility operated by xAI. The company and its subsidiary MZX Tech, LLC, have installed multiple natural gas-burning turbines at the site to power operations. These turbines, reportedly set up without federal permits due to their temporary classification, have drawn criticism over worsening air pollution and triggered protests in the region.
