Weltraumfirma: Musks SpaceX mit Milliarden-Quartalsgewinn

Elon Musk's SpaceX has experienced a remarkable surge in earnings, reporting a $4.4 billion profit in the most recent quarter. This significant milestone follows a prolonged period of financial challenges. The company's growth is primarily attributed to its internet services from space, known as Starlink, and the burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) sector.

In the previous year's third quarter, SpaceX incurred a loss of nearly $1 billion, marking a stark contrast to its current financial health. The company's revenue skyrocketed from $5.58 billion a year ago to $14.58 billion, exceeding analysts' expectations of $12.7 billion. The Starlink service, a satellite-based internet provider, saw a 69 percent increase in revenue to $5.2 billion, with 13.6 million customers as of September 30th.

Starlink is now available on 3,800 airplanes and even in Ukraine to aid in their defense against Russian attacks.

SpaceX's AI division has also seen a surge, with revenues skyrocketing from $813 million to $7.56 billion in the last quarter alone. SpaceX's AI firm has built large data centers that are now leased out for billions to AI competitors like Anthropic. The AI segment reported a $431 million operating profit, a significant turnaround from a $1.7 billion loss the previous year.

SpaceX's rocket launches business grew by 6 percent year-over-year, reaching $1.77 billion. The stock of SpaceX surged to a record high of $75 billion in mid-June, giving the company a valuation of nearly $1.8 trillion at its initial public offering (IPO). Despite this impressive valuation, the stock has since dipped to around $150, reflecting a more grounded assessment of the company's prospects.

Nevertheless, SpaceX's importance to the U.S. space program and its ambitious plans for the Starship rocket have continued to drive interest and investment.