SpaceX Partners with Singulus Technologies for Starmind Satellite Solar Power
German firm Singulus secures a €60 million contract to supply solar cell production lines.
1Strategic Solar Partnership
SpaceX has signed a €60 million contract with German engineering firm Singulus Technologies to supply solar cell production lines. This deal, formalized following a partnership established in March 2026, focuses on equipping SpaceX’s manufacturing site in Bastrop, Texas. The collaboration aims to support the production of advanced solar cells for the upcoming Starmind satellite constellation.
2Market Impact and Valuation
Following the announcement, Singulus Technologies experienced a significant stock price surge between 65% and 80%, briefly pushing the company's valuation to approximately €73 million. This represents a substantial shift for the firm, which reported annual revenue of €48.3 million in 2025, highlighting the transformative financial influence of this new, major industrial order.
3Heterojunction Technology Focus
Singulus will provide turnkey production lines for heterojunction solar cells, a technology known for high efficiency in space applications. The platform integrates wet chemistry, vacuum coating, and thermal processing to ensure durability. Lars Lieberwirth of Singulus stated this partnership allows the company to industrialize these specific capabilities at a meaningful, large-scale industrial level.
4Ambitious Production Targets
The partnership includes plans for production lines capable of supporting 100 gigawatts of solar power capacity. While the timeline for this scale remains broad, SpaceX intends to accelerate satellite manufacturing by early 2027. This capacity target aligns with Elon Musk’s broader goal of establishing massive solar manufacturing infrastructure within the United States for space-based computing.
5Starmind Satellite Objectives
The Starmind project aims to deploy satellites that function as AI data centers in orbit. These units will feature 75-meter-long solar wings to harness near-constant solar energy. By processing AI data in space and transmitting it via laser to Earth, SpaceX seeks to achieve high energy efficiency while reducing the environmental impact of terrestrial data centers.
6Financial Backing History
The relationship between the two companies deepened prior to this contract through significant funding rounds. SpaceX provided subordinated secured loans to Singulus in March 2026 and again in October 2026. These financial injections were critical in preparing the German firm to meet the rigorous manufacturing demands required for the specialized Starmind satellite solar components.
7Competitive Landscape in Texas
Texas is becoming a hub for solar manufacturing, with other firms like Toyo and SEG Solar planning facilities with capacities of 1.5 GW and 4 GW respectively. SpaceX’s push for 100 GW of capacity far exceeds these regional projects, positioning the company as a dominant force in the domestic production of next-generation solar energy technology.
8Future Scaling and Outlook
While Musk has discussed launching up to 1 million satellites, such figures often serve to secure design flexibility rather than immediate deployment targets. Currently, only 15,000 satellites orbit Earth, with Starlink holding 9,500. The success of the Starmind project depends on proving this solar-powered computing model, a concept also being explored by competitors like Google.