Space Exploration Technologies Corp., doing business as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and provider of space transportation, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence services, headquartered at the Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. The company operates three primary segments: Space, which develops and flies the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, as well as the Dragon spacecraft, and conducts more orbital launches annually than any other launch provider (including national programs); Connectivity, which operates the Starlink satellite constellation; and AI, conducted through its wholly owned subsidiary SpaceXAI, which develops the Grok family of models and related products, operates the social network X, and builds and runs large-scale data centers. The company is credited with advances in rocket propulsion, reusable launch vehicles, human spaceflight, and satellite constellation technology. The company's largest customers include NASA, the United States Space Force, and the National Reconnaissance Office. Elon Musk owns 39% of the outstanding shares of SpaceX (plus a number of vested options and unvested restricted shares) and controls 84% 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 (subsequently operated as the wholly owned subsidiary SpaceXAI), 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.
History
2001–2002: Founding In early 2001, Elon Musk met Robert Zubrin and donated $100,000 to his Mars Society and briefly joined its board of directors. In August 2001, he gave a plenary talk at their fourth convention where he announced Mars Oasis, a project to land a greenhouse and grow plants on Mars. Musk initially attempted to acquire a Dnepr launch vehicle for the project through Russian contacts provided by Jim Cantrell; however, he was unsuccessful. Musk returned with his team to Moscow, this time bringing Michael D. Griffin, who later became the 11th Administrator of NASA, but found the Russians increasingly unreceptive. On the flight home, Musk stated that he could start a company to build the affordable rockets the project required. By applying vertical integration, using inexpensive commercial off-the-shelf components when possible, and adopting the modular approach of modern software engineering, Musk believed SpaceX could significantly cut launch costs. In early 2002, Elon Musk started to look for staff for his company, soon to be named SpaceX. Musk approached five people for the initial positions, including Griffin, who declined the position of Chief Engineer, Jim Cantrell and John Garvey (Cantrell and Garvey later founded the company Vector Launch), rocket engineer Tom Mueller, and Chris Thompson. SpaceX was first headquartered in a warehouse in El Segundo, California. Early SpaceX employees, such as Tom Mueller (CTO), Gwynne Shotwell (COO), and Chris Thompson (VP of Operations), were previously employed at TRW and Boeing. Musk personally interviewed and approved all of SpaceX's early employees.
2003–2010: Falcon 1, COTS, and Falcon 9
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
