Nov. 11 (UPI) — SpaceX has reportedly struck a deal with LG Energy Solution Ltd. to supply cylindrical lithium-ion batteries for Elon Musk’s Starship rocket, expected to launch early next year, according to industry sources.
“We have signed a contract to supply power supply batteries for SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and are currently developing the product,” a spokesperson for LG Energy Solution told Teslarati, The Korea Herald and The Korea Economic Daily on Monday.
LG Energy, which is based in South Korea, currently supplies batteries to electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, also owned by Musk. This would be the first long-term battery purchase for SpaceX from a third party. While LG Energy has supplied batteries in one-time deals for SpaceX, the spacecraft manufacturer has relied on self-made batteries.
NASA used LG Energy’s lithium-ion batteries for its space exploration suits in 2016 and in 2023. Next year, LG Energy will supply batteries for NASA’s lunar electric rover.
For SpaceX, the Korean battery-maker will develop batteries for the power supply units and energy storage systems of SpaceX’s Starship launch vehicle, which is the world’s first reusable rocket.
“Compared to TVs, spacecraft battery cells face more stringent requirements,” said Bae Jae-sung, an aerospace engineering professor at Korea Aerospace University.
“They must be properly sealed to operate in a vacuum state, withstand intense acceleration and vibration during the launching process and scorching temperatures of at least 300 degrees Celsius. The cells must be lightweight and have high energy density for maximum efficiency.”
While SpaceX is seeking high-safety batteries with a longer lifespan for Starship, there is no information on the size or value of the supply contract with LG Energy.
Starship is the largest rocket ever built for space travel and is reusable like an airplane. The rocket’s Super Heavy booster and attached Starship vehicle make the machine the world’s tallest at 400 feet. It is also the most powerful rocket, with 33 Raptor engines in its first stage and six Raptor engines in its upper stage.
Last month, SpaceX completed its fifth flight test of Starship with a successful liftoff of its Super Heavy booster and hot-stage separation. Starship made a controlled reentry, successfully making it through the phases of peak heating and max aerodynamic pressure, as well as vehicle control using flaps while descending through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. Starship then executed its first flip maneuver and landing burn, followed by a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
With battery supply deals between LG Energy and SpaceX, as well as Tesla, industry officials are now speculating the South Korean battery-maker could be tapped to power Tesla’s humanoid robots in the future.
LG Energy’s response was, “We can’t confirm contracts with our customers.”
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