SpaceX to use LG Energy batteries for Starship rocket

Spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, will use LG Energy Solution Ltd.'s batteries for its next-generation Starship rocket, marking its first long-term battery purchase from a third-party company, according to industry sources on Sunday.

The US company recently inked a contract with LG Energy for cylindrical lithium-ion batteries tailored to the Starship flight, expected to launch as early as 2025, the sources told The Korea Economic Daily.

The batteries are said to be used for primary and backup power supply, as well as energy storage systems.

The size and value of the supply have not been disclosed.

Previously, LG Energy had supplied batteries for SpaceX’s spacecraft in one-time deals.

SpaceX has relied mainly on self-made batteries for its flight vehicles. But as the frequency of its rocket launches increases, it has decided to turn to third-party manufacturers of high-safety batteries with a longer lifespan. 

Starship is designed to be reusable much like an airplane, which can be refueled and take off again after each landing. In its first test flight in 2023, it proved to be the most massive and powerful vehicle ever to fly.

The supply contract with SpaceX will diversify LG Energy’s business beyond electric vehicle batteries and expand its partnership with companies led by Elon Musk. It supplies batteries to Tesla Inc., the world’s largest EV maker.

The South Korean company has identified the space business as a new growth engine and is developing batteries and energy storage systems suitable for spaceships and spacesuits.

In 2023, it supplied spacesuit batteries to the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In 2025, it will ship batteries for NASA’s lunar electric rover, a battery-powered rover used on the moon.

Industry officials said the supply deals with SpaceX and Tesla would raise the chances of LG Energy being chosen as a battery supplier for Tesla’s humanoid robots, which are capable of performing unsafe and repetitive tasks.

When aked about the possibility of its batteries being used for humanoid robots, LG Energy said: “We can’t confirm contracts with our customers.”

Write to Sang-hoon Sung and Hyung-Kyu Kim at uphoon@hankyung.com
 

Yeonhee Kim edited this article.