Ellie In Space is more than a YouTube channel dedicated to SpaceX and space in general. The host, Ellie, has a unique story of her own. In the video (at the end of the article), we interviewed one another and shared our stories.
This article is a short recap of my interview with Ellie.
From TV to Ellie In Space
Eliana (Ellie) Sheriff has a very interesting story. Her background is in media and broadcasting. She moved to Utah for a job that she later left to pursue her passions for space and TV.
Ellie worked as a TV news anchor and reporter for over eight years and is now applying those skills to full-time, independent space reporting. She, as I am, is inspired by Elon Musk I asked her about her story.
Ellie left her job as a TV station news anchor to pursue independent space reporting.
Elon Musk has often talked about how negative the media has become of late. He even brought it up during my own interview with him last month. His words may seem harsh to some but they also ring true for those having to face the negativity day in and day out.
Ellie was one of those people.
“I had been debating leaving for a couple of years due to various reasons. One of the biggest ones being the pay is not that great. And then, other things started to drain on me such as news is quite depressing.”
“Most weeks, it would be like, ‘okay go cover that shooting that just happened and go interview victims or a family of the victim. Or, go cover this fire.’ You know, just stuff that wasn’t pleasant and that’s part of the job description.”
Ellie had another outlet for her creativity. She’d already started her YouTube channel which was already growing. Ellie asked herself ‘why don’t I just do what I’m doing now for a TV news station but instead, do it for my own brand and cover something that’s exciting and inspiring?’
Her channel had already started paying her rent for a year so it made sense for her to quit a depressing job and go full-time with Ellie in Space.
Why SpaceX and Elon?
Like me before I started writing full-time for CleanTechnica and then Teslarati, Ellie didn’t know much about Elon Musk, SpaceX, or Tesla.
“Like you, I didn’t know a lot about SpaceX and Tesla prior to covering it but that’s the thing. You learn about it. You interview people. And then you can be a source of information.”
From Airbnb to Starlink
Her former boyfriend encouraged her to start her YouTube channel and said that she’d be really good at it. She began sharing Airbnb vlogs and other things that weren’t getting much traction. But then, her former boyfriend received some good news from SpaceX.
He’d gotten approved to beta test Starlink. This was during a time when Starlink wasn’t accessible as it is now.
Ellie didn’t know what Starlink was, however, it wound up taking her on a journey that has opened her up to many adventures.
“He was like, ‘we should make a video and do some speed tests or whatever and see how it goes. And I made this video and it started doing really well. And I just thought that as any journalist has a beat, you know maybe they are covering crime news or maybe they’re covering health news. I was like, ‘why don’t I just make this my beat, and I’ll cover Starlink news?’”
You can watch our double interview in the video below. My interview with Ellie begins just after 22 minutes into the video.
Disclaimer: Johnna is long Tesla.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @JohnnaCrider1
Elon Musk
Starlink V2 to bring satellite-to-phone service to Deutsche Telekom in Europe
Starlink stated that the system is designed to deliver 5G speeds directly to compatible smartphones in remote areas.
Starlink is partnering with Deutsche Telekom to roll out satellite-to-mobile connectivity across Europe, extending coverage to more than 140 million subscribers across 10 countries.
The service, planned for launch in 2028 in several Telekom markets, including Germany, will use Starlink’s next-generation V2 satellites and Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum to enable direct-to-device connectivity.
In a post on X, the official Starlink account stated that the agreement will be the first in Europe to deploy its V2 next-generation satellite-to-mobile technology using new MSS spectrum. The company added that the system is designed to deliver 5G speeds directly to compatible smartphones in remote areas.
Abdu Mudesir, Board Member for Product and Technology at Deutsche Telekom, shared his excitement for the partnership in a press release. “We provide our customers with the best mobile network. And we continue to invest heavily in expanding our infrastructure. At the same time, there are regions where expansion is especially complex due to topographical conditions or official constraints,” he said.
“We want to ensure reliable connectivity for our customers in those areas as well. That is why we are strategically complementing our network with satellite-to-mobile connectivity. For us, it is clear: connectivity creates security and trust. And we deliver. Everywhere.”
Under the partnership, compatible smartphones will automatically switch to Starlink’s satellite network when terrestrial coverage is unavailable, enabling access to data, voice, video, and messaging services.
Telekom reports 5G geographic coverage approaching 90% in Germany, with LTE exceeding 92% and voice coverage reaching up to 99%. Starlink’s satellite layer is intended to extend connectivity beyond those terrestrial limits, particularly in topographically challenging or infrastructure-constrained areas.
Stephanie Bednarek, VP of Starlink Sales, also shared her thoughts on the partnership. “We’re so pleased to bring reliable satellite-to-mobile connectivity to millions of people across 10 countries in partnership with Deutsche Telekom. This agreement will be the first-of-its-kind in Europe to launch Starlink’s V2 next-generation technology that will expand on data, voice and messaging by providing broadband directly to mobile phones,” she said.
Starlink’s V2 constellation is designed to expand bandwidth and capacity compared to its predecessor. If implemented as outlined, the 2028 launch would mark one of the first large-scale European deployments of integrated satellite-to-phone connectivity by a major telecom operator.
News
Tesla back on top as Norway’s EV market surges to 98% share in February
Tesla became Norway’s top-selling brand with 1,210 registrations, representing a 16.6% share.
Tesla reclaimed the top spot in Norway’s auto market in February as electric vehicles captured more than 98% of all new car registrations.
The rebound follows a sharp January slump triggered by VAT rule changes, which prompted numerous car buyers to advance their purchases into late 2025.
As per data from the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Council (OFV), 7,127 new electric vehicles were registered in February, representing a 98.01% market share. Fossil-fuel vehicles and hybrids accounted for just 2% of total new registrations.
Total new car registrations reached 7,272 units in February, hinting at a rapid recovery after January sales fell nearly 75% year-over-year following VAT adjustments.
OFV Director Geir Inge Stokke noted that similar patterns were observed after previous VAT changes in 2022, with demand temporarily weakening before normalizing, as noted in an Allt Om Elbil report.
“We are now seeing signs that the market is returning to a more normal level of activity, which we also experienced after the VAT change in 2022. At that time, changes in demand led to a weak start to 2023. We have seen the same pattern this year,” he said.
Amidst this trend, the Tesla Model Y made a strong comeback in the domestic market. After an unusually weak January that saw the Tesla Model Y drop to seventh place, the model returned to the top of Norway’s sales chart in February.
The Model Y recorded 1,073 registrations, giving it a 14.8% market share for the month. Tesla also became Norway’s top-selling brand with 1,210 registrations, representing a 16.6% share. Toyota followed with 941 registrations, while Volkswagen, Volvo, and Skoda rounded out the top five brands.
The February data suggests that Tesla’s January dip was tied more to timing effects around VAT adjustments than to structural demand shifts. It would then be interesting to see how the rest of the year unfolds for Tesla, particularly as the company pushes for the release of its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system to Europe this year.
News
Tesla arson suspect pleads guilty, faces up to 70 years in prison
The update was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
A Las Vegas man has pleaded guilty to federal arson charges tied to a March 2025 attack on a Tesla Collision Center in Nevada.
The update was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, Paul Hyon Kim spray-painted the word “RESIST” on the front entrance of the Tesla Collision Center before damaging the facility and multiple vehicles.
Federal prosecutors stated that Kim used a PA-15 multi-caliber firearm equipped with a .300 BLACKOUT upper receiver and a 7.62mm silencer to shoot out surveillance cameras. He then fired multiple rounds into Tesla vehicles on the property.
Authorities stated that Kim later threw three Molotov cocktails into three separate Tesla vehicles. Two of the devices exploded and ignited the vehicles, while a third did not detonate. In total, five Tesla vehicles were damaged in the incident.
Kim pleaded guilty to two counts of arson of property used in interstate commerce, one count of attempted arson of property used in interstate commerce, and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm classified as a destructive device.
The mandatory minimum sentence for the charges is five years in federal prison, though the total maximum statutory penalty is 70 years, as per a release from the United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Nevada.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 27, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. A federal judge will determine the final sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.
Starlink V2 to bring satellite-to-phone service to Deutsche Telekom in Europe
Tesla back on top as Norway’s EV market surges to 98% share in February
