SpaceX partners with SINGULUS to scale HJT solar cell production for the Starmind AI satellite network

On 2026-11-11, Eastmoney reported that German equipment maker SINGULUS had announced on 2026-11-10 that it would supply turnkey HJT solar cell production lines to SpaceX, with first delivery planned for the first half of 2027. SpaceX Starlink SVP Mike Nicolls was quoted as saying the cells would go into Starmind AI satellites built at SpaceX's Texas factory, which put the order into the context of future space data center power needs.

According to SpaceX's public information cited in the report, Starmind is aimed at using space-based solar power to deliver low-cost, high-performance AI computing services to Earth. Beyond computing, storage, and networking hardware, the project also needs a large solar power generation system and an active cooling system, and the solar cell line represents the manufacturing preparation for the power supply side.

The two sides also plan to add multiple lines, and the announcement said the later equipment expansion would support more than 100 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity. However, the announcement did not disclose the specific capacity of the first line or the completion time for the full expansion. The same report noted that Starship was set for its 15th test flight as early as 2026-11-13 US local time, the first attempt to bring both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage back to the launch site in the same mission. As of the report, first-line delivery was still scheduled for H1 2027.