A long-exposure photo shows the path of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket as it launched its ispace mission on Dec. 11, 2022, as well as the rocket booster return and landing.
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SpaceX, Elon Musk’s reusable rocket maker and satellite internet company, has raised $750 million in a new funding round that values the company at $137 billion, according to communications obtained by CNBC. doing.
last month, bloomberg It first reported that SpaceX was allowing insiders to sell it for $77 per share. That puts the company’s valuation at nearly $140 billion. The company raised more than his $2 billion in 2022, including his $250 million round in July, and his $127 billion equity round in May. CNBC previously reported that he was valued at a dollar.
Andreessen Horowitz (also known as a16z) is likely to lead the new funding round, according to an email sent to SpaceX’s prospective investors. His early SpaceX investors included Founders Fund, Sequoia, Gigafund and many others.
A16z also participated in Twitter’s leveraged buyout by Elon Musk, a $44 billion deal that closed in late October 2022.
SpaceX and a16z did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Last year, SpaceX hit some new milestones, but faced delays in the Starship program, part of NASA’s effort to bring astronauts back to the moon.
On the plus side, Starlink, the company’s satellite Internet service, has surpassed 1 million subscribers, providing a lifeline for users in Ukraine, which has suffered infrastructure disruptions after the Russian invasion. SpaceX has also successfully launched his 60 reusable rockets in one year through the Falcon program.
The company currently continues development of the Starship and Super Heavy rockets at its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. It’s not clear when the company will move to the next step of the program. This includes orbital launch tests of these large rockets.
Just as Musk has repeatedly listened to geopolitical issues on Twitter, NASA administrator Bill Nelson recently told SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell that he would be the new owner and CEO of Twitter. I asked if SpaceX’s “distraction” could affect its work with the space agency. NBC News reported. Nelson said Shotwell reassured him otherwise.
NASA is currently considering whether SpaceX can help rescue residents of the International Space Station, including one astronaut and two from Russia’s Roscomos. According to CNETRussia’s Soyuz capsule suffered a coolant leak in December, prompting officials to determine if the spacecraft could safely bring the crew home, or if emergency measures should be taken instead. An investigation is in progress.
