In brief: Over the weekend, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk internally outlined a disquisitional situation regarding engine production for its rockets. Product issues seem to be putting its Starship projection and Starlink satellite internet service in jeopardy, and Musk admits the possibility of bankruptcy if these issues aren't solved.

Co-ordinate to a Thanksgiving companywide email leaked to CNBC and Space Explored this calendar week, the crisis with the production of Raptor engines is worse than Musk had earlier realized. The SpaceX exec ended up canceling his planned Thanksgiving interruption, requesting all easily on deck to set what he calls "a disaster."

The problem seems to concern whether SpaceX can become engine production on track to support the satellite launches necessary for its Starlink internet service. SpaceX adult the Raptor engines to power its "Starship" rockets. The company aims to use Starship for a 2023 lunar mission and eventually to send humans to Mars. However, its curt-term goal is to use Starship to launch the satellites for Starlink.

Musk explains in the e-mail that SpaceX is ramping up the product of terminals Starlink customers will utilize to access the internet. SpaceX'due south plans to build millions of units per yr will suck upwardly "massive capital" and volition be useless unless the company can get enough satellites in orbit.

"What it comes down to is that nosotros face up a genuine risk of defalcation if nosotros tin can't reach a Starship flying charge per unit of at to the lowest degree once every ii weeks side by side year," Musk wrote.

Last week, CNBC reported that 2 SpaceX vice presidents in charge of rocket production had left. Sources said lack of progress led to SpaceX Vice President of Propulsion Will Heltsley's removal from Raptor development. SpaceX Vice President of Mission and Launch Operations Lee Rosen also left in November, as did Senior Director of Mission and Launch Operations Ricky Lim. All three had been with the visitor for years.