Microsoft, Elon Musk’s SpaceX team up on orbital connectivity – CNET [CNET]

Microsoft is partnering with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to offer cloud computing in spacecraft and fleets of satellites through its Azure service, the tech giant said Tuesday. It comes four months after Amazon announced that its Web Services unit was expanding into space.

The company is also expanding its partnership with Luxembourg’s SES SA, which has a network of larger satellites farther away from earth under the brand O3b, as noted by the Wall Street Journal. 

“Space-generated data is growing exponentially, requiring expanded ground control capabilities as well as data processing, storage and analytics — turning this data into knowledge and actionable solutions,” Microsoft wrote in a blog post. “Another big global challenge is the growing need for bandwidth and cloud services in remote locations. Azure Space is designed to address these challenges while supporting the space community’s evolution.” 

SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for further comment.