LG Energy to supply batteries for SpaceX Starship rocket
The product LG Energy is working on for Space X is reportedly a cylindrical lithium-ion battery, which could be installed in SpaceX’s new spacecraft.
LG Energy Solution (LGES) has signed an agreement to supply batteries for SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft, according to multiple reports in the Korean media.
SpaceX will use LGES batteries for its next-generation Starship rocket in its first long-term battery purchase from a third-party company.
LG Energy had previously supplied batteries for SpaceX’s spacecraft, but those were one-off deals.
LG Energy Solution, a subsidiary of South Korean chemical giant LG Chem, supplies advanced lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and consumer electronics, among other applications.
In 2016, the company was selected as the supplier of lithium-ion batteries for NASA’s space exploration suits.
According to media reports, the product LG Energy is working on for Space X is a cylindrical lithium-ion battery, which could be installed in SpaceX’s new spacecraft.
“We have signed a contract to supply power supply batteries for SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and are currently developing the product,” a representative from LG Energy Solution was quoted as saying.
Spacecraft engines can reach temperatures over 3,000 degrees Celsius, with surface temperatures rising to 2,000 degrees Celsius. Batteries must be durable to provide power in such extreme conditions.
“The company will develop lithium-sulfur batteries for stratospheric unmanned aerial vehicles and urban air mobility by 2027, as part of the next generation battery lineups,” Kim Je-young, chief technology officer at LG Energy Solution, had said in December 2023.
LG’s business ties with SpaceX’s parent company, Tesla, may have played a key role in the Starship contract.
