SpaceX signs a SINGULUS solar-cell equipment deal for Starmind AI satellites, with the first production line due in the first half of 2027.
SpaceX has signed a deal with Germany’s SINGULUS Technologies for solar-cell manufacturing equipment to support its Starmind AI satellites, adding a factory supplier to its push to put computing power in orbit.
The agreement, announced November 10, covers a turnkey heterojunction, or HJT, solar-cell production line. The first line is scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2027, with additional lines planned through the companies’ partnership.
It is a practical next step behind SpaceX’s proposed Starmind constellation. The company has shown a vision of AI satellites flying in tight formation, using solar energy to run computing hardware in space. Its Gigasat factory in Bastrop, Texas, is part of the manufacturing plan.
SpaceX says the SINGULUS relationship is intended to support “more than 100 GW of production equipment” as it accelerates Starmind satellite manufacturing in Bastrop. That is the scale the companies want to build toward, with the initial equipment delivery still ahead.
The agreement supplies machinery for making solar cells. The 100 GW figure describes the manufacturing-equipment ambition, rather than electricity already being generated or AI computing capacity already operating in orbit.
The solar push has been taking shape throughout 2026. Back in February, SpaceX and Tesla were hiring for large U.S. solar-manufacturing expansions, with SpaceX seeking engineers across solar, automation, manufacturing and other disciplines. Those plans connect the satellite designs to the factories and specialist workers needed to produce them at scale.
SINGULUS says its strategic partnership with SpaceX began in March, and SpaceX supplied funding in both March and October. In the latest announcement, SpaceX executive Mike Nicolls specifically identified Starmind satellites as the destination for the solar cells.
For the orbital-AI project, the significance is straightforward: designing a satellite is only one part of the job. SpaceX also needs a reliable way to build its power systems in large numbers. This contract puts a named equipment partner and a first delivery window behind that effort.
Do you think solar-powered AI satellites will become a major part of the world’s computing infrastructure?
P.S. — Buying a new Tesla? Use our referral link to get 3 months of FSD (Supervised) free, while supporting independent news.
Getting Starlink? Sign up with our referral link and get a $100 US perk.
Help support us by shopping on Amazon here.
Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent media!
Software updates, deliveries, FSD rollouts. Five minutes. Free.
Tesla News, Electric Vehicles, Elon Musk, SpaceX and More
© 2026 TeslaNorth.com
Free newsletter
Software updates, deliveries and FSD rollouts. Five minutes, free.
