SpaceX has a total of 202 patents globally, out of which 84 have been granted. Of these 202 patents, more than 88% patents are active. The United States of America is where SpaceX has filed the maximum number of patents, followed by Germany and Taiwan. The USA seems to be the main focused R&D center and is also the origin country of SpaceX.
SpaceX was founded in the year 2002 by Elon Musk and Tom Mueller. The company designs and manufactures rockets and space crafts and develops crew and cargo capsules, engines, cryogenic tank structures, avionics, and equipment.
Do read about some of the most popular patents of SpaceX which have been covered by us in this report and also you can find SpaceX’s patents information, the worldwide patent filing activity and its patent filing trend over the years, and many other stats over SpaceX’s patent portfolio.
Do read about some interesting highlights of the SpaceX Starship portfolio
Also: Inflatable Space Habitat- Innovations in Space
How many patents does the Founder and CEO of SpaceX have?
The Founder and CEO Elon Musk has 18 patents.
How many patents does SpaceX have?
SpaceX has a total of 202 patents globally. These patents belong to 83 unique patent families. Out of 202 patents, 179 patents are active.
How Many Patents did SpaceX File Every Year?
Are you wondering why there is a drop in patent filing for the last two years? It is because a patent application can take up to 18 months to get published. Certainly, it doesn’t suggest a decrease in the patent filing.
| Year of Patents Filing or Grant | SpaceX Applications Filed | SpaceX Patents Granted |
| 2024 | 1 | 16 |
| 2023 | 29 | 16 |
| 2022 | 40 | 27 |
| 2021 | 39 | 15 |
| 2020 | 49 | 7 |
| 2019 | 37 | 2 |
| 2018 | 5 | – |
| 2016 | 1 | – |
| 2009 | – | 1 |
| 2005 | 1 | – |
How many SpaceX patents are Alive/Dead?
Worldwide Patents
How Many Patents did SpaceX File in Different Countries?
Countries in which SpaceX Filed Patents
| Country | Patents |
| United States Of America | 138 |
| Germany | 30 |
| Taiwan | 10 |
| Japan | 5 |
| Canada | 3 |
| United Kingdom | 1 |
| Europe | 1 |
What Technologies are Covered by SpaceX Patents?
The chart below distributes patents filed by SpaceX in different countries on the basis of the technology protected in patents. It also represents the markets where SpaceX thinks it’s important to protect particular technology inventions.
Where are the Research Centres of SpaceX Patents Located?
R&D Focus: How SpaceX Research Focus Changed Over the Years?
10 Best SpaceX Patents
US20180241122A1 is the most popular patent in the SpaceX portfolio. It has received 19 citations so far from companies like Qorvo Us Inc, Qualcomm and Samsung.
Below is the list of 10 most cited patents of SpaceX:
| Publication Number | Citation Count |
| US20180241122A1 | 19 |
| US20190252800A1 | 9 |
| US10770790B1 | 8 |
| US7503511B2 | 8 |
| JP1676650S | 5 |
| JP1676653S | 5 |
| JP1676652S | 4 |
| JP1676651S | 4 |
| US11283666B1 | 3 |
| JP1676649S | 3 |
How many inventions of other companies were rejected due to SpaceX patents?
The statistics below share strategic R&D insights. It tells the companies that were trying to protect inventions similar to SpaceX invention. They couldn’t because SpaceX had protected those before them.
Examiners at the USPTO referred 4 SpaceX patents in 6 rejections (35 USC § 102 or 35 USC § 103 types).
The citing companies in the SpaceX patent portfolio are Samsung, Texas Instruments and Rohde & Schwarz.
List of the Companies whose Patents were rejected citing SpaceX –
| Company | Number of Patent Applications that faced Rejection Citing SpaceX Patents | Number of Rejections (102 & 103) |
| Samsung | 1 | 3 |
| Texas Instruments | 1 | 1 |
| Rohde & Schwarz Gmbh | 1 | 1 |
| Hughes Network Systems | 1 | 1 |
One more thing, We have converted this entire analysis in PDF form that you can download and save for later reading (or sharing with your friends). You can download it using the form below: