SpaceX hires trader to build natural gas trading team

SpaceX is recruiting a trader to establish and lead a new natural gas trading team, signaling a move toward vertical integration of its energy supply chain. The role, which focuses on both physical and financial trading, will be based in either Cape Canaveral, Florida, or Starbase, Texas.

The initiative aims to support the company’s growing energy requirements for Starship rocket launches, which utilize super-chilled methane, and its broader ambitions in semiconductor manufacturing and data centers. To address logistics bottlenecks, SpaceX previously announced the ‘Starpipe’ pipeline, an eight-mile project intended to transport natural gas from the Brownsville area to Starbase by January 2027.

Beyond rocket propellant, the company is reportedly assessing natural gas needs for xAI data centers and potential gas-fired power plants to support a massive semiconductor facility being developed in Texas alongside Tesla. The job postings indicate the trading operation will involve managing regulatory compliance with the CFTC and FERC.