SpaceX is gearing up plans to construct a giant solar factory near Austin. This factory would be capable of producing 10 gigawatts of solar power equipment according to permit filings submitted to Bastrop County, reports Bloomberg.
Furthermore, the project, if approved and completed, it would become one of the largest solar manufacturing facilities in the United States. A 10-gigawatt factory could produce enough solar panels annually to power millions of homes.
The company already operates its Starbase facility in Texas. Additionally, it has major operations in the Austin area. This includes its vehicle manufacturing plant.
Powering Space AI Infrastructure
Moreover, the factory will produce advanced solar technology that will be used in both next-generation Starlink satellites and Elon Musk’s long-term vision of orbital data centres. These space-based computing hubs would leverage constant solar energy. This will allow them to bypass Earth’s power grid constraints thereby helping to meet the massive global demand for AI processing.
SpaceX Expands Footprint in Bastrop
This new project builds on SpaceX’s existing footprint in Bastrop. SpaceX already employs over 1,000 people in Bastrop at its large Starlink production hub. Therefore, by manufacturing solar cells domestically, SpaceX seeks to scale up the power systems needed for thousands of future satellites.
On the financial front, the company is moving hastily toward an initial public offering. SpaceX has filed its S-1 prospectus. Also, it is eyeing a Nasdaq debut as early as mid-June 2026 under the ticker SPCX. With a potential valuation north of $1 trillion, the IPO would be one of the largest in history. It will provide the capital needed to fuel Starship development, expand Starlink, and build out this ambitious orbital AI infrastructure.
Construction in Bastrop is already underway. This marks a major shift for the company as it becomes a powerhouse in both aerospace and advanced energy manufacturing.
Project Factsheet
Project Name: SpaceX Solar Cell Factory (Bastrop Expansion)
Location: FM 1209, Bastrop County, Texas (East of Austin)
Developer / Owner: Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)
Target Annual Capacity: 10 Gigawatts (GW) of solar cell production at full ramp
Primary Objective: High-volume fabrication of proprietary, space-grade, high-efficiency solar cells to power next-generation Starlink mega-constellations and massive orbital AI data centers.
Current Status: Active production ramp-up following a multi-phase facility expansion.
Campus Footprint: The expansion scales the total Bastrop complex beyond 1.7 million square feet of highly automated manufacturing space.
Core Manufacturing Technologies:
- Advanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD): Multi-stage semiconductor deposition systems optimized for high-efficiency photovoltaic materials.
- Automated Cell Assembly: High-speed, 24/7 robotic material handling and inline quality diagnostics.
- Vertical Integration: Operates directly alongside SpaceX’s proprietary Advanced Silicon Packaging (Panel Level Packaging – PLP) and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) lines.
Grid and Supply Chain Defense: Designed to achieve complete domestic manufacturing independence for solar technology, insulating SpaceX from volatile international tariffs and global supply constraints.
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