SeAh Changwon Integrated Special Steel Co. could soon become a supplier for SpaceX. The South Korean company is reportedly in talks to supply SpaceX with steel for its rockets and satellites.
According to industry sources familiar with the ongoing discussions, negotiations between the two companies has progress to the point where the size and duration of the contract are now being discussed. SpaceX has not commented on the potential deal, and SeAh declined to confirm or deny the discussions when reached for comment by Yonhap News Agency.
If SeAh is successful in securing the deal they would become the first Korean company to become a SpaceX supplier. According to a report by the Korea Economic Daily, SeAh would likely supply SpaceX with its alloy steel made of nickel, chrome, and titanium for a period of between 3 to 5 years.
There has been much speculation about where SpaceX gets steel for its Starships and other rockets and satellites. Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) has popped up several times as a potential supplier, although the company has denied any relationship with two of Elon Musk’s companies, Tesla and SpaceX.
The first mention of a connection with SDI came from San Patricio County Judge David Krebs, who said in 2020 that SDI’s new facility in Texas would supply steel for the Cybertruck. Following those reports SDI reached out to Drive Tesla to say they “cannot confirm any supply agreement between Tesla’s TX assembly facility and SDI’s Sinton (or other) steel mills.”
That wasn’t the end of it however as SDI again popped up on a display at the Petersen Museum, in which a sign said the company supplied steel for Starship. That reference was later removed from the display.
