Elon Musk Teases A Space‑Energy Boom — Rocket Lab's Little-Known Solar Arm Is Ready For It

Elon Musk may have just handed investors a new way to think about the space economy—and it has little to do with rockets. Responding to a post on X that highlighted the rapid growth of Starlink‘s orbital solar capacity, Musk wrote: “This trend will continue for many years.”

The post claimed SpaceX grew deployed solar capacity from roughly 10 megawatts across about 3,000 first-generation Starlink satellites to around 100 megawatts across 7,000 second-generation satellites. The next-generation constellation could eventually push that figure toward 1 gigawatt.

Starlink’s Hidden Solar Story

Starlink’s satellites carry solar arrays that generate power in orbit.

As the constellation expands, so does demand for specialized space-grade solar technology. Unlike rooftop or utility-scale solar panels, satellite solar cells must be lightweight, highly efficient, and capable of withstanding years of radiation exposure in space.

That distinction could matter for investors looking for publicly traded companies tied to the trend. Space-grade solar has been a relatively small (~$1.5 billion/yearr), oligopolistic market with Boeing Co‘s (NYSE:BA) Spectrolab, Rocket Lab Corp‘s (NASDAQ:RKLB) SolAero and a handful of European/Japanese suppliers in the market.

Rocket Lab’s Overlooked Asset

One company with exposure is Rocket Lab Corp (NASDAQ:RKLB).

The company acquired SolAero Technologies in 2022, adding a business that manufactures high-efficiency solar cells and solar panels for satellites and spacecraft. With the acquisition, Rocket Lab now operates the world's largest installed production capacity for gallium arsenide (GaAs)- and germanium-based solar arrays, generating ~$50 million+ in annual space power revenue.

SpaceX uses SolAero’s products on numerous space missions and programs.

While Rocket Lab is best known for its launch business and growing satellite systems segment, its space-solar operation receives far less attention from investors.

A Different Way To Play The Space Boom

Musk’s comment was focused on Starlink, but it also highlights a broader theme: satellite constellations are becoming major consumers of power-generation hardware.

If orbital infrastructure continues to scale—from communications networks to future space-based computing platforms—the demand for specialized solar technology could grow alongside it.

For investors, that means the next beneficiary of SpaceX’s expansion may not be another rocket company. It could be a supplier helping power the satellites already in orbit.

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