Elon Musk has predicted that his space tech firm, SpaceX, will earn about $15.5 billion in revenue in 2025. This growth is attributed to multiple successful rocket launches, contracts with NASA and the US government, as well as the expansion of satellite services. The revenue projection comes days after reports suggested that SpaceX (along with Palantir and Anduril) is considered a leading competitor for a major part of US President Donald Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense shield project.
Notably, the Golden Dome missile defense project is expected to cost around $175 billion over 3 years, with an initial $25 billion budget for fiscal year 2026. According to reports, the group led by SpaceX has already met with top officials in the Trump administration to present their plan. The plan is said to be to build and launch between 500 – 1,000 satellites that would continuously circle the Earth, detecting and tracking incoming missiles. Additionally, there would also be a separate group of around 200 attack satellites (packed with missiles or lasers), which would be used to intercept and destroy enemy missiles.
Perhaps an interesting milestone: @SpaceX commercial revenue from space will exceed the entire budget of @NASA next year.
SpaceX revenue this year will be ~$15.5B, of which NASA is ~$1.1B.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2025
Musk also stated that SpaceX expects to earn more from its private, commercial space ventures in 2025 than NASA. He said the company’s revenue will surpass NASA’s budget of around $1.1 billion next year. Last year (2024), several analyst firms estimated that SpaceX generated between $12 and $13 billion in revenue, up from about $9 billion in 2023.
In addition to its commercial ventures, SpaceX is actively developing the Starship rocket (with a height of about 122 meters) system for future Mars missions. However, a significant portion of SpaceX’s revenue comes from its satellite internet service, Starlink. This firm has already achieved breakeven cash flow in 2023 and continues to expand its global broadband reach through a large satellite network. Recently, SpaceX partnered with Airtel and Jio to bring Starlink’s high-speed satellite broadband services to India. But these collaborations are currently contingent on regulatory approvals. Starlink also has plans for an IPO in the future.
Meanwhile, after setting a record with 134 Falcon launches in 2024, the Musk-led company now aims to surpass it with 170 launches by the end of this year (2025) to meet growing demand for satellite deployment.
Despite all its efforts and achievements, SpaceX has also faced several setbacks and challenges in its recent missions. Notably, the Starship rocket experienced two high-profile test flight failures in March and May 2025, with both prototypes exploding shortly after launch attempts. These incidents raised questions about the rocket’s readiness for future missions, including the planned uncrewed Mars flight aimed for the end of 2026. Additionally, the company has encountered regulatory hurdles and scrutiny related to its rapid Starlink satellite deployments, including concerns about space debris and interference with astronomical observations.
Content originally published on The Tech Media – Global technology news, latest gadget news and breaking tech news.
