SpaceX signs SINGULUS deal to build solar cells for its Starmind satellites in Texas

TL;DR: SpaceX has signed a supply contract with German equipment maker SINGULUS Technologies for a turnkey production line that makes heterojunction solar cells. The cells are for SpaceX's Starmind satellites, built in Bastrop, Texas. The first line arrives in the first half of 2027, and the partnership is meant to scale to more than 100 GW of production equipment.

What SpaceX announced

On November 10, 2026, SpaceX posted on X that it has "signed a major supply contract with SINGULUS to create a durable option for advanced solar cell manufacturing to support more than 100 GW of equipment as we accelerate the production of our Starmind satellites in Bastrop, Texas" (SpaceX on X).

SINGULUS's own announcement adds the details. The contract covers one complete production line for heterojunction solar cells, and it is part of a strategic partnership under which SINGULUS plans to deliver multiple additional lines. The first line will be delivered in the first half of 2027 (SINGULUS).

Mike Nicolls, SpaceX's Senior Vice President of Starlink, said in the release: "Partnering with SINGULUS gives us a high-performance manufacturing path for solar cells for our Starmind satellites at our production facility in Texas."

What the 100 GW figure means

The 100 GW number describes how much solar cell production equipment the partnership is designed to support over time. It is not solar power already flying in orbit, and it is not a single order. Only the first line is under contract so far, and it has not been delivered yet (TeslaNorth). Stocktwits reports, citing SINGULUS, that the first line carries an order volume of more than 60 million euros (Stocktwits).

Why heterojunction cells

Heterojunction cells layer thin films of amorphous silicon onto crystalline silicon. The design converts sunlight more efficiently and holds up better in heat than standard cells, which matters on a satellite, where every extra watt per square meter means less panel to carry and unfold.

What Starmind is

Starmind is SpaceX's planned constellation of solar-powered satellites built to run AI computing in orbit, rather than relay broadband like Starlink, as reported by Stocktwits and TeslaNorth. Power is the hard limit for computing in space, so making its own high-efficiency cells at scale gives SpaceX more control over its supply.

The backstory

This deal did not come out of nowhere. SINGULUS says the two companies entered a strategic partnership in March 2026, and that SpaceX provided significant funding to SINGULUS that month and again in October 2026 through a subordinated secured loan (SINGULUS).