--- description: Find out why SpaceX was selected for TIME‘s list of the most influential companies of 2026. title: TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2026: SpaceX image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt27423cd2d1863d65/69d7dc9f1791396eb89815f7/time100-companies-2026-spacex.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Apr 30, 2026 # SpaceX The rocket factory by [Jeffrey Kluger](/author/jeffrey-kluger/) ## Jeffrey Kluger Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Editor at Large  SpaceX launch facility in Boca Chica Texas SpaceX launch facility in Boca Chica TexasMark Mahaney for TIME It’s hard to keep up with just how many rockets [SpaceX](https://time.com/article/2026/03/26/gwynne-shotwell-profile/ "undefined")—the aerospace phenom helmed by founder and CEO Elon Musk—is hurling to space at any one time, but for those who are keeping track, the company logged a record-breaking 165 launches of its Falcon 9 rocket last year alone. And that’s not all that makes SpaceX a pacesetter. Its Starlink constellation—now with nearly 9,500 satellites with plans to grow to 20,000—has brought internet to conflict zones in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran. In February, SpaceX announced it was merging with xAI, the Musk-founded artificial intelligence company, and the company has sought FCC permission to launch a [1-million-strong constellation](https://spacenews.com/spacex-files-plans-for-million-satellite-orbital-data-center-constellation/ "undefined") of AI satellites that would deliver data powered by the sun and cooled by space. And the company’s Starship rocket, the most powerful launch vehicle ever built, is set for its twelfth test flight [this spring.](https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/03/ship-39-preflight-test-objectives/ "undefined") Since the founding of SpaceX in 2002, Musk has been talking about colonizing Mars—and, more recently, the moon. The company’s workforce believes in that vision. “If Starship can take 50 to 100 \[people\] at a time to the moon,” says SpaceX president and COO [Gwynne Shotwell](https://time.com/article/2026/03/26/spacex-gwynne-shotwell-full-interview/ "undefined"), “if we can’t do it in 10 years, that would be a shame.” _Disclosure: Investors in SpaceX include TIME co-chair and owner Marc Benioff._ SpaceX: 2026 TIME100 Most Influential Companies ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collection/time100-most-influential-companies/2026/spacex/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collection/time100-most-influential-companies/2026/spacex/"},"headline":"SpaceX","datePublished":"2026-04-30T13:37:08.908Z","dateModified":"2026-05-12T07:03:06.238Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collection/time100-most-influential-companies/2026/spacex/","keywords":["TIME100 Companies","franchise","list"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt27423cd2d1863d65/69d7dc9f1791396eb89815f7/time100-companies-2026-spacex.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jeffrey Kluger","jobTitle":"Editor at Large","url":"https://time.com/author/jeffrey-kluger/"}],"creator":"Jeffrey Kluger","articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt27423cd2d1863d65/69d7dc9f1791396eb89815f7/time100-companies-2026-spacex.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collection/time100-most-influential-companies/2026/spacex/","name":"SpaceX"}}]}] ```