SpaceX Sells 10% Stake to Google, Fidelity for $1B

This is very exciting. While Google might have strayed from their original "Don't be evil" mantra a little bit, I couldn't think of a better partner for SpaceX to work with on this. Not only does Google have the drive and deep pockets, they've got the incentive. If this works out as well as everyone is hoping, not only will it upset the internet industry, I can see this having benefits for the telco/cell carrier industry as well. With cheap, fast internet available worldwide, nobody is going to pay $30 for a 2GB cap on their mobile phones.

I find it fascinating that through the business lens, Google is competing with Facebook to sell more <i>ads</i> by going into <i>low earth orbit</i>. We didn&#x27;t get flying cars like they promised in the Jetsons, but that sounds pretty futuristic.

So let me get this straight... SpaceX is worth half of WhatsApp? Does anyone else feel like they&#x27;re living in Bizarro-world?

Before anyone mentions that Satellites can only deliver inferior internet service, previous threads have taught us that with <i>low earth orbit</i> satellites latency is not a problem.

Does that mean 100% of SpaceX is currently worth $10B? Isn&#x27;t that surprisingly low?<p>I know nothing about these sorts of things, so sorry if that&#x27;s a stupid question.

Traveling to Mars will now require a Google+ account.

There is this fairly sparse press-release on the SpaceX website:<p><pre><code> Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has raised a billion dollars in a financing round with two new investors, Google and Fidelity. They join existing investors Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Valor Equity Partners and Capricorn. Google and Fidelity will collectively own just under 10% of the company. SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches the world&#x27;s most advanced rockets and spacecraft. This funding will be used to support continued innovation in the areas of space transport, reusability, and satellite manufacturing. </code></pre> <a href="http://www.spacex.com/press/2015/01/20/financing-round" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.spacex.com&#x2F;press&#x2F;2015&#x2F;01&#x2F;20&#x2F;financing-round</a>

At $10B, SpaceX is beyond undervalued.<p>Think about it this way, if they truly are the first company to start laying claim to mineral deposits (or provide service to whatever govt does lay claim) on asteroids, satellites like the Moon, and other planets the amount of value in this company - even over the upcoming centuries - is going to be greater than the East India Company, General Electric, or Apple ever where.<p>Now that&#x27;s an investment well worth leaving to our kids.

Google&#x27;s next internet broadband distribution project: Leon.

I feel like in the long run this could be one of Google&#x27;s best investments to date.

Maybe SpaceX can use the Google Barges for landing platforms?

Once, long ago, I thought Google would have bought Radio Shack and installed wireless network hubs in all ~5000 of them to bring internet to the masses. I guess this is a subsequent option.<p>That said, on the verge of bankruptcy, Radio Shack currently only has a Market Cap of 25MM.