SpaceX signs $69M deal with German firm for solar equipment
What's the story
SpaceX has signed a $69 million supply contract with German firm Singulus Technologies. The deal will see Singulus set up a production line for heterojunction (HJT) solar cells in Bastrop, Texas. This is part of SpaceX's plan to manufacture its Starmind satellites. The first production line from Singulus is expected to be delivered in the first half of 2027, according to an official announcement by the company on Tuesday.
Technological collaboration
Singulus will develop high-performance solar cells and production equipment
As part of the partnership, Singulus will develop high-performance solar cells and production equipment using proven technologies.
The deal is expected to support more than 100GW of production equipment as SpaceX ramps up satellite manufacturing.
Mike Nicolls, Senior Vice President of Starlink at SpaceX, said this agreement provides a sustainable solution for advanced solar cell manufacturing as it accelerates its Starmind satellite production in Texas.
Project details
Musk reveals details about 'sentient sun' project on X
Elon Musk revealed on X that SpaceX has ordered 100GW/year of HJT solar manufacturing equipment from Singulus in Germany.
He described the deal as a step toward creating a "sentient sun" for Starmind.
The project also includes plans to launch around 10,000 NVIDIA server racks into orbit by 2028 for its Starmind data centers.
Technological advancements
SpaceX's vision for Starmind project
On its website, SpaceX detailed its plans for the Starmind project. The company said it will use orbital satellites with localized computing capabilities, leveraging readily available power and cooling in space.
These satellites would send data back via high-bandwidth lasers to the Starlink constellation.
Additionally, SpaceX plans to mass-produce advanced AI chips at its new fab facility, a joint project with Tesla, using a modular architecture for seamless integration and continuous upgrades of next-gen processors.