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January 5, 2026
Injection Molding is Quietly Becoming One of the Core Technologies Used by SpaceX for Starlink Hardware
Injection Molding is Quietly Becoming One of the Core Technologies Used by SpaceX for Starlink Hardware
SpaceX is preparing for one of its largest manufacturing expansions yet, and injection molding is quietly becoming one of the core technologies powering that growth. As Starlink adoption accelerates worldwide (now surpassing 9 million users), the company is scaling its U.S. production footprint to meet demand for millions of additional satellite internet kits.
At the heart of this expansion is SpaceX’s Bastrop, Texas, factory, which recently added another million square feet of manufacturing space. The site originally produced around 15,000 Starlink dishes per day. With the added capacity, SpaceX now reports more than 170,000 Starlink kits per week rolling out across its U.S. operations, roughly 9 million units per year.
A major part of that scale-up comes from deeper vertical integration in injection molding, alongside die‑casting, PCB fabrication, and PCBA assembly. By bringing more molding operations in‑house, SpaceX reduces reliance on external suppliers, shortens lead times, and gains tighter control over part quality for high‑volume plastic components used in Starlink terminals.
The company says the Bastrop site will double production again in 2026, signaling even greater investment in molded components as Starlink expands into new markets, including India. Higher output could also influence hardware pricing, especially as SpaceX continues to refine its designs and introduce new dish models.
With injection molding now embedded in its manufacturing strategy, SpaceX is positioning Starlink hardware to be produced faster, at larger scale, and with greater cost efficiency, all engineered and built in the United States. Learn more about this topic here.
At the heart of this expansion is SpaceX’s Bastrop, Texas, factory, which recently added another million square feet of manufacturing space. The site originally produced around 15,000 Starlink dishes per day. With the added capacity, SpaceX now reports more than 170,000 Starlink kits per week rolling out across its U.S. operations, roughly 9 million units per year.
A major part of that scale-up comes from deeper vertical integration in injection molding, alongside die‑casting, PCB fabrication, and PCBA assembly. By bringing more molding operations in‑house, SpaceX reduces reliance on external suppliers, shortens lead times, and gains tighter control over part quality for high‑volume plastic components used in Starlink terminals.
The company says the Bastrop site will double production again in 2026, signaling even greater investment in molded components as Starlink expands into new markets, including India. Higher output could also influence hardware pricing, especially as SpaceX continues to refine its designs and introduce new dish models.
With injection molding now embedded in its manufacturing strategy, SpaceX is positioning Starlink hardware to be produced faster, at larger scale, and with greater cost efficiency, all engineered and built in the United States. Learn more about this topic here.
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