SpaceX has signed a major supply contract with German equipment manufacturer SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES to build heterojunction (HJT) solar cell production lines at its Bastrop, Texas facility. The initial turnkey production line, valued at over $69 million, is scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2027.

This agreement is part of a broader strategic partnership aimed at scaling manufacturing capacity to support more than 100 GW of production equipment annually for SpaceX’s Starmind satellite constellation, which CEO Elon Musk has described as a plan to create a "sentient sun" for orbital AI computing.

"SpaceX has ordered 100 GW/year of HJT solar manufacturing equipment from Singulus in Germany," Musk wrote on X. "This is for Starmind to create a sentient sun."

SINGULUS will provide a complete turnkey production line for high-efficiency HJT solar cells, which combine crystalline and amorphous silicon layers.

All solar cell production will take place at SpaceX’s Gigasat facility in Bastrop, Texas, establishing a vertically integrated manufacturing path for the Starmind satellites.

The partnership began in March 2026, with SpaceX providing significant financial funding to SINGULUS in both March and October 2026, including through a subordinated secured loan.

While the first line is confirmed for first half of 2027, SINGULUS plans to supply multiple additional lines to meet the 100 GW annual equipment target as satellite production accelerates.

The Starmind program involves a constellation of satellites designed to carry heavy computing payloads that run AI workloads in orbit, powered by solar energy generated directly in space.

Musk clarified on X that the 100 GW/year figure refers to the capacity of the manufacturing equipment rather than the electricity generated, signaling an ambition to produce hundreds of thousands of satellites.

The solar arrays are a critical component, as they reportedly constitute most of the mass of each Starmind satellite, making domestic cell production essential for supply chain durability.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admitted to an extramarital affair with Alice Huang, a suspected Chinese spy, in a letter to staff on Sunday, prompting the company’s board to launch an independent investigation into potential national security breaches.

U.S. intelligence agencies determined that Alice Huang, an executive at a Singapore-based data center company and Nvidia customer, Megaspeed, was recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). She allegedly engaged in a "honeypot" operation to influence Jensen Huang, who has advocated for looser AI chip export restrictions to China, and to help restricted Chinese firms acquire advanced Nvidia GPUs.

Megaspeed had reportedly purchased billions of dollars in Nvidia hardware and faced scrutiny regarding potential export control violations and whether advanced chips were being channeled into China.

In a memo titled "A message to our company," Huang stated, "I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did." He accepted full responsibility, apologized to his family and colleagues, and expressed his commitment to protecting Nvidia and U.S. national security.

Nvidia’s Board of Directors initiated an independent investigation, assisted by outside counsel, to determine if Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort and if any secrets were compromised. Despite the probe, the board expressed full confidence in his leadership, noting that routine customer interactions do not inherently involve sensitive information.

The State Department and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously warned top Trump officials about the relationship, leading to the public disclosure by The New York Times in late October.

The Chinese government dismissed the spying allegations as "groundless speculation" and "smears."

The U.S. House Select Committee on China requested that Huang appear before Congress to answer questions regarding potential security protocols, foreign adversary espionage risks, and U.S. export control compliance.

U.S. markets reacted with a slide in Nvidia’s share price.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) over the weekend, announced the establishment of Task Force Iron Gate, a coordination unit directed by Admiral Brad Cooper to disrupt Iran’s overland supply chains. The task force which will consist of about 20 civilian and military personnel is based in Tampa, Florida; and will work with other U.S. government agencies to monitor, detect, and prevent the movement of advanced weapons systems, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials, and illegal revenue streams across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea.

"The establishment of Task Force Iron Gate reinforces the success of our ironclad blockade against Iran at sea," said Cooper. "Strengthening CENTCOM's collaboration with U.S. interagency partners will further constrain Iran's ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and replenish their military."

This initiative expands U.S. pressure on Iran by targeting land-based transit routes, complementing maritime enforcement measures that CENTCOM claims have prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion in crude oil in recent months amid stalled US-Iran peace negotiaitions to formally end the war which started on February 28 with US-Israeli bombing of Iranian targets.

President Donald Trump confirmed the operational status of the unit in a Sunday post on Truth Social, writing that Task Force Iron Gate is "in full force and effect" alongside a broader naval blockade.

The formation of Task Force Iron Gate serves as an interagency coordination effort rather than a direct combat deployment, aiming to constrain Iran's ability to finance terrorism and rebuild military capabilities.

This move follows an eight-month naval blockade of Iranian ports along the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, with the new task force specifically focusing on northern transit corridors that may be used to bypass maritime restrictions.

Trump confirmed on Friday that the U.S. carried out "minor" strikes on an Iranian air defense system on Qeshm Island, a crucial area for oil shipments. "....We do minor strikes..., but they built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device, and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five," Trump told reportetrs Friday.

Trump Agrees With Vance Over GOP Midterm Election Loss: 'There is Great Dislike For Israel'

The U.S. airstrikes on Queshm Island occur as Vice President JD Vance is reportedly engaged in intensive behind-the-scenes diplomacy with Pakistani and Qatari mediators to get Tehran to agree to direct peace talks with Washinghton. The vice president and Trump agreed that their Republican Party's recent sweeping loss in Tuesday's midterm elections were the result of voters anger at the war, high gas prices and US-israeli relations.

"They didn't like the war; they didn't like the fact that gasoline went up....; and there's a great dislike incredibly for Israel," Trump told CBS.