SpaceX Signs €60 Million Solar Cell Contract with German Manufacturer Singulus

American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX has contracted German equipment maker Singulus Technologies in a €60 million agreement to supply specialized solar cells for a planned space-based artificial intelligence project. Components manufactured under the agreement are scheduled for delivery to SpaceX's production facility in Texas starting in early 2027.

Following the announcement of the contract, shares of the Kahl am Main-based firm rose by up to 80 percent, temporarily bringing the company's total market value to roughly €73 million. Singulus recorded annual sales of €48.3 million during the 2025 financial year. SpaceX founder Elon Musk indicated on X that the initial order is intended to be the first in a series of planned procurements.

Under the partnership, Singulus will supply heterojunction solar cells for SpaceX's Starmind initiative, which aims to operate satellites equipped as orbital computing units for artificial intelligence data processing. According to regulatory filings submitted to the Federal Communications Commission, the satellites are designed with 75-meter solar wings to capture solar energy continuously in orbit, with processed data returned to Earth via laser. SpaceX stated in its regulatory filing that direct solar power generation in orbit is intended to achieve higher energy efficiency and reduce environmental impacts compared to land-based data infrastructure.

The overall partnership outline envisages building additional production lines to ultimately establish a solar manufacturing capacity of 100 gigawatts. Lars Lieberwirth, a member of the executive board at Singulus, stated that "the strategic partnership with SpaceX allows us to further industrialise these capabilities at a meaningful scale and solidify our position as a leading Western provider of next-generation solar cell technology." Mike Nicolls, Senior Vice President of Starlink at SpaceX, said that "the combination of their process expertise and our long-term commitment creates a durable option for scaling solar production." Singulus manufactures equipment for several sectors, including semiconductors, photovoltaics, medical devices, and hydrogen technology.

SpaceX's regulatory requests include potential scaling up to a high number of orbital units, a standard practice among satellite operators seeking design flexibility. Approximately 15,000 operational satellites currently orbit the Earth, with SpaceX's Starlink network accounting for roughly 9,500 of the total. Other global technology companies, including Google, have similarly begun evaluating concept plans for satellite-based computing units powered by solar energy.

Written by Sandy van Dongen sandy.vandongen@alpineweekly.com