space x

Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, doing business as SpaceX, is an American spaceflight, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence company headquartered at the Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. The company operates 3 divisions: "Space", which conducts more orbital launches annually than any other launch provider, including national programs; "Connectivity", which operates Starlink, a communications satellite company; and "Artificial intelligence", which operates Grok, X, and data centers. The company is credited with advances in rocket propulsion, reusable launch vehicles, human spaceflight, satellite constellation technology, and is considered to have significantly cheaper and more efficient launch operations compared to NASA. The company's largest customers include NASA, the United States Space Force, and the National Reconnaissance Office. Elon Musk owns 42% of the outstanding shares of SpaceX and controls 85% of the voting power via his super-voting stock. SpaceX was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the goal of reducing spaceflight costs, improving the reliability of access to outer space for ordinary humans, and colonizing Mars. In 2008, after three failed attempts between 2006 and 2008 that almost pushed the company to bankruptcy, SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon 1 into orbit, becoming the first private company to develop and launch a liquid-fueled rocket to orbit. In 2010, the company launched the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and the Dragon 1 spacecraft to fulfill NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contracts for cargo deliveries to the International Space Station (ISS). In 2012, SpaceX began flying Commercial Resupply Services missions to the ISS, becoming the first private company to successfully dock with the station, and started developing technologies to make the Falcon 9 first stage reusable. In 2015, Falcon 9 flight 20 was the first successful landing of an orbital-class rocket's first stage and the company's SES-10 completed the first reflight of an orbital-class booster in 2017. After a decade of development, the Falcon Heavy, which consists of three Falcon 9-derived boosters, made its maiden flight in 2018. As of May 2026, Falcon 9 launches averaged approximately three missions per week, and Falcon boosters had completed nearly 650 landings and reflights. In 2019, the first operational satellite of the Starlink internet satellite constellation came online, diversifying the revenue of the company. Starlink has generated the bulk of SpaceX's income and led to its Starshield military counterpart. In 2020, SpaceX began to operate its Dragon 2 capsules for NASA and private entity crewed missions. Around this time, SpaceX began building test prototypes for SpaceX Starship, the largest launch vehicle in history. SpaceX plans to adapt it as a human lander for lunar missions under NASA's Artemis program. In 2026, SpaceX acquired Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI, and announced a joint venture with Tesla, Inc. to build Terafab, a large plant for semiconductor device fabrication. The initial public offering of SpaceX on June 12, 2026, which raised $86 billion, was the largest IPO in history and briefly made Musk the first US dollar trillionaire.