Property, plant and equipment, net, as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 consisted of the following:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| December 31, |
| 2025 | | 2024 |
| Buildings and improvements | $ | 78,564 | | | $ | 68,631 | |
| Machinery, equipment, vehicles and office furniture | 174,526 | | | 127,577 | |
| Computer equipment, hardware and software | 20,751 | | | 16,204 | |
| Launch site assets | 25,330 | | | 20,726 | |
| Construction in process | 111,167 | | | 27,285 | |
| Property, plant and equipment—gross | 410,338 | | | 260,423 | |
| Less accumulated depreciation and amortization | (90,865) | | | (65,585) | |
| Property, plant and equipment—net | $ | 319,473 | | | $ | 194,838 | |
Depreciation expense recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 consisted of the following:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Years Ended December 31, |
| Depreciation expense | | 2025 | | 2024 | | 2023 |
| Cost of revenues | | $ | 12,749 | | | $ | 11,088 | | | $ | 8,481 | |
| Research and development, net | | 8,433 | | | 5,890 | | | 4,700 | |
| Selling, general and administrative | | 4,187 | | | 2,798 | | | 2,226 | |
| Total depreciation expense | | $ | 25,369 | | | $ | 19,776 | | | $ | 15,407 | |
About PP&E Disclosures
The PP&E disclosure details a company's physical asset base — land, buildings, machinery, and equipment — along with the depreciation methods and useful life assumptions that determine how these costs flow through the income statement. Capitalization policy thresholds reveal management's judgment on the boundary between expense and asset, directly affecting both reported earnings and asset values.
Key signals: changes in estimated useful lives or depreciation methods can materially shift reported earnings without any operational change. Compare capital expenditures against depreciation expense — when capex consistently trails depreciation, the asset base may be aging and underinvested. Watch for large asset impairments or write-downs that signal overvalued carrying amounts. Asset retirement obligations reveal future environmental or decommissioning costs that are often underappreciated. Compare PP&E intensity (PP&E-to-revenue) against industry peers to assess capital efficiency and competitive positioning.