Dec 12 (Reuters) - SpaceX has authorized an insider

share sale that values Elon Musk's company at about $800 billion

as the rocket-maker prepares for its initial public offering,

Bloomberg News reported on Friday.

The company's move towards a public listing, which could

rank among the largest global IPOs, has been largely driven by

the rapid expansion of its Starlink satellite internet business,

including plans for direct-to-mobile service and progress in its

Starship rocket program for moon and Mars missions.

The company is offering shares to insiders at $421 apiece,

and also said it is preparing for a possible IPO in 2026,

Bloomberg reported, citing a company message.

The New York Times reported that Bret Johnsen, SpaceX's

chief financial officer, said in a letter to employees the

company planned to buy $2.56 billion of stock from shareholders

at $421 a share.

"Whether it actually happens, when it happens, and at

what valuation are still highly uncertain, but the thinking is

that if we execute brilliantly and the markets cooperate, a

public offering could raise a significant amount of capital,"

Johnsen said in the letter, according to the NYT.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment

on either report. Reuters could not immediately verify the

reports.

Reuters and others reported on Tuesday that SpaceX was

looking to raise more than $25 billion through an IPO in 2026, a

move that could boost the rocket-maker's valuation to more than

$1 trillion.

Musk also hinted at a possible SpaceX IPO in a post on

social media platform X earlier this week.

The California-based company ranks as the world's second

most-valuable private startup after ChatGPT maker OpenAI,

according to data from Crunchbase.