STARBASE, Texas: SpaceX has taken a significant step toward the public markets, launching a secondary share sale that values the rocket and satellite company at US$800 billion and signaling preparations for a potential initial public offering, according to a letter sent to shareholders and reviewed by Reuters.

The insider transaction, outlined in a December 12 letter from Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen, allows eligible shareholders to sell shares to new and existing investors as well as the company itself. The move underscores growing investor enthusiasm for SpaceX as its Starlink satellite internet business expands rapidly and its Starship rocket program advances toward missions to the moon and Mars.

Under the approved arrangement, SpaceX will buy up to $2.56 billion of shares at a price of $421 per share, Johnsen said, placing the company's valuation at $800 billion.

"We are preparing the company for a possible IPO in 2026. Whether it actually happens, when it happens, and at what valuation are still highly uncertain, but the thinking is that if we execute brilliantly and the markets cooperate, a public offering could raise a significant amount of capital," Johnsen wrote.

The Elon Musk-led company plans to deploy any new capital to accelerate development across several ambitious projects, including increasing the flight rate of its Starship rocket, deploying artificial intelligence data centers in space, building Moonbase Alpha, and sending both uncrewed and crewed missions to Mars, Johnsen said in the letter.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bloomberg News and The New York Times first reported details of the share sale on December 12.

Musk has recently hinted at a public listing for SpaceX. Earlier this week, he suggested on the social media platform X that an IPO could be on the horizon.

It was reported earlier that SpaceX is exploring raising more than $25 billion in an IPO that could take place as early as June.

Reports of a potential listing have been welcomed by investors, who see an IPO as a way to fund Musk's long-standing ambitions to colonize Mars while potentially valuing the company at more than $1 trillion.

SpaceX is already the world's second-most valuable private startup, trailing only the maker of ChatGPT, OpenAI, according to data from Crunchbase.

The IPO discussions are unfolding amid a broader rebound in global equity listings. After a three-year drought, the IPO market has seen renewed momentum in 2025, creating a more favorable environment for extensive, high-profile offerings such as SpaceX.

If it proceeds, a SpaceX listing would rank among the biggest initial public offerings ever, reflecting both the scale of its commercial satellite business and the growing investor appetite for companies tied to space, artificial intelligence, and next-generation infrastructure.