Elon Musk’s SpaceX ties up with LG for batteries to power Mars-bound Starship
According to reports, Elon Musk’s SpaceX will use batteries developed by South Korea’s LG Energy Solution for its Starship rocket, which is intended for Mars.
The reports state that the South Korean battery manufacturing firm is planning to develop new cells based on its cylindrical batteries for the Starship rocket.
According to a report in Korean media, SpaceX has signed a deal with LG Energy Solution to supply cylindrical lithium-ion batteries custom-built to meet the demands of the Starship rocket.
Details about the size of the battery shipment and the valuation of the deal are yet to emerge.
Neither SpaceX, nor LG Energy Solution have revealed any more details about the deal to any publication.
The space firm based in the US generally builds and uses its own batteries for its spacecraft.
However, the reports mention that it has turned to the Korean firm as the number of launches is going to increase, and it is also looking at battery options that can function for longer.
It is important to note that LG had previously supplied some batteries to SpaceX, but those were under one-off deals.
LG Energy Solutions' new deals
Sources told Korean publication KED Global that the US firm has entered into a contract with LG to procure cylindrical lithium-ion batteries for the Starship flights, which are slated to begin as early as 2025.
According to the article, LG batteries will be used for primary and backup power supply in the rockets and energy storage systems.
The KED Global report also mentions that the deal opens the door for LG’s batteries to be chosen to power humanoid robots being developed by Musk’s other venture, Tesla.
However, as of now, this seems to be a mere speculation and no clear details on this topic are out in the open yet.
This is LG's second major announcement in a matter of days. Earlier this month, American EV manufacturer Rivian partnered with LG to procure batteries for its upcoming R2 electric SUV cars.
As part of the Rivian deal, LG Energy Solutions will supply 4695 cylindrical batteries under a five-year agreement.
The next-generation 4695 cylindrical battery, measuring 46mm in diameter and 95mm in height, offers a long range and high safety. It has six times the energy storage capacity of the current 2170 cylindrical batteries.
Its larger size allows for higher energy density, better space efficiency, and improved safety, drawing attention across the industry.
SpaceX’s recent success with Starship
Earlier last month in an industry-first feat, SpaceX had used giant ‘chopsticks’ to catch the descending first stage of the Starship, while the upper stage continued its journey into space.
The spectacular capture marked a major milestone in SpaceX’s push to develop fully reusable and quickly re-launchable rockets.
The main objective of the flight was to show that SpaceX can capture returning Super Heavy boosters on the launch pad for quick refurbishment, refueling, and relaunch.
