[dougmwne]

Who knows what this even means. Breakeven including launch costs? Breakeven on only satellite operation costs? Breakeven when you exclude all satellite and ground infrastructure costs? Breakeven when you exclude all costs except Elon’s ego stroking expenses?

[next_xibalba]

Likely Starlink operates as a distinct business unit, having its own financial statements (income, balance sheet, and cash flow). Breakeven means that the unit didn’t lose cash (but didn’t necessarily produce positive cash). Launch costs are very likely capitalized and amortized over the useful life of the equipment that was launched. Any costs hit cash flows as soon as invoices are paid, but is not recognized all at once on the income statement.

Being cash flow positive is an extremely important milestone for a startup, but no, it doesn’t indicate profitability.

[spikels]

Some background from Gwen Shotwell back in February[1]:

> While Musk said in October that Starlink was losing money, Shotwell offered a more upbeat assessment. “This year Starlink will make money,” she said, noting that the company’s Falcon launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, and other unspecified work, already makes money.

> “We actually had a cashflow positive quarter last year, excluding launch. This year, they’re paying for their own launches, and they will still make money,” she said.

> She said cash flow from operations pays for development, supplemented as needed by outside investment. Tackling both Starlink and the Starship launch vehicle at the same time, she argued, drives that need for outside investment.

> “If we had done Starlink and then Starship, or Starship and then Starlink, we probably could have funded them through customer contracts and revenue from Falcon and Dragon. But you do both of them at the same time it’s a lot of money every year.”

Combining this with today’s statement I think we can answer your questions:

> Breakeven including launch costs?

Yes - cash flow breakeven for the Starlink business unit which includes it’s launch costs.

> Breakeven on only satellite operation costs? Breakeven when you exclude all satellite and ground infrastructure costs? Breakeven when you exclude all costs except Elon’s ego stroking expenses?

No to all these alternatives. But why the dumb ad hominem?

[1] https://spacenews.com/shotwell-ukraine-weaponized-starlink-i...

[juujian]

It definitely does not include the cost associated with polluting our atmosphere

[Dylan16807]

Did you check any numbers before being so sure?

Each launch burns about 120 tons of kerosene for about 360 tons of CO2.

If we take this Nature study as accurate, a ton of CO2 has a societal cost of about $185. If we add that all up, it's $70k per launch? Let's round up to $100k per launch.

Multiplied by launch count, that's only a few million dollars. They're still at breakeven when you include it.

[bequanna]

It says right in the description: cash flow break even.

This is not the same as some fiscal year net income calculation.

Edit: fixed

[next_xibalba]

EBITDA is an approximation of cash flow profit. I think you mean net income.