SpaceX Shows Video of Texas Saucer Plant Reaching 15,000 Starlink Terminals Per Day

SpaceX has released a video showing some details of its Starlink dish factory in Bastrop, Texas. The facility produces 15,000 dishes a day, or nearly 5.5 million a year, but is preparing to expand production.

Image source: x.com/SpaceX

This year, the plant is expected to expand by 1 million square feet (93,000 m²) to 1.7 million square feet (175,000 m²). This will increase the plant’s capacity: it was previously reported that the site can produce 4.6 million dishes per year. The plant manufactures standard Starlink dishes, a process that involves processing plastic pellets and aluminum, which are used to make the equipment’s housing.

To meet the growing global demand for high-speed internet, @Starlink is expanding its factory in Bastrop, Texas pic.twitter.com/dxSB2aZyoG

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The video offers a high-level overview of the entire manufacturing process, including the use of robotics to create the dish’s phased array antenna and printed circuit board. It also highlights SpaceX’s efforts to streamline production: the company’s early Starlink dishes cost $3,000 or more to make, causing the company to sell them at a loss until about 2023. “Our previous-generation production line is at capacity,” said Alexandra Noe, senior director of Starlink manufacturing. SpaceX has forced itself to “innovate” in developing its Texas facility, which has helped the company improve its manufacturing process.

The facility serves Starlink’s growing customer base: The company reported Friday that its global subscriber base had reached 5 million, up from 4 million in September. That same week, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said the company’s Texas facility would soon become the largest printed circuit board factory in the U.S., with about 1,000 employees. The company also makes antennas in Hawthorne, California.