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EU considers SES to augment Starlink services

The EU considers funding SES to support Starlink. With MEO satellites already serving NATO, SES could be key in Europe’s space autonomy push.

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(Credit: SES)

European satellite company SES is negotiating with the European Union (EU) and other governments to complement SpaceX’s Starlink, as Europe seeks home-grown space-based communication solutions. The talks aim to bolster regional resilience amid growing concerns over reliance on foreign providers.

In March, the European Commission contacted SES and France’s Eutelsat to assess their potential role if American-based Starlink access for Ukraine was disrupted. The European Commission proposed funding EU-based satellite operators to support Kyiv. Ukraine is considering alternatives to Starlink over concerns about Elon Musk’s reliability.

Arthur De Liedekerke of Rasmussen Global warned, “Elon Musk is, in fact, the guardian of Ukraine’s connectivity on the battlefield. And that’s a strategic vulnerability.” However, SpaceX’s Starlink constellation is leagues ahead of any competition in the EU.

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“Now the discussions are much more strategic in nature. They’re much more mid-term, long-term. And what we’re seeing is all of the European governments are serious about increasing their defense spending. There are alternatives, not to completely replace Starlink, that’s not possible, but to augment and complement Starlink,” SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh told Reuters.

SES operates about 70 satellites, including over 20 medium Earth orbit (MEO) units at 8,000 km. The company provides high-speed internet for government, military, and underserved areas. It plans to expand its MEO fleet to 100, enhancing secure communications for NATO and the Pentagon.

“The most significant demand (for us) is European nations investing in space, much more than what they did before,” Al-Saleh said.

Competition from Starlink, Amazon’s Kuiper, and China’s SpaceSail, with their extensive low-Earth orbit constellations, underscores Europe’s push for independence.

“It is not right to say they just want to avoid Starlink or the Chinese. They want to avoid being dependent on one or two providers. They want to have flexibility,” Al-Saleh noted.

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SES’s discussions reflect Europe’s strategic shift toward diversified satellite networks, balancing reliance on Starlink with regional capabilities. As governments ramp up defense spending, SES aims to play a pivotal role in complementing global providers, ensuring robust connectivity for military and civilian needs across the continent.

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Elon Musk

Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai

The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.

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Credit: Grace Tao/Weibo

Tesla China sold 58,599 vehicles wholesale in February, reflecting strong year-over-year growth. The figure includes both domestic deliveries in China and vehicles exported to international markets.

The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.

Tesla’s February wholesale result represents a 91% increase year over year, compared with 30,688 vehicles in February 2025. Month over month, the result was down 15.2% from January, when Tesla China recorded 69,129 wholesale units.

The February total reflects combined sales of the Model 3 and Model Y produced at Gigafactory Shanghai. The facility produces the two vehicles for both domestic sales and exports.

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Gigafactory Shanghai continues to serve as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub, supplying vehicles to markets across Asia and Europe. Data compiled by Tesla watchers shows that 18,485 vehicles were sold domestically in China in January 2026, while exports accounted for 50,644 units during the same period.

Tesla has also been extending financing programs in China as it pushes to strengthen domestic demand. The company recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing programs through March 31, marking the second extension of the promotion this year.

The financing initiative was first introduced on January 6 as a strategy aimed at offsetting higher ownership costs ahead of China’s planned 5% NEV purchase tax in 2026. The promotion was originally scheduled to expire at the end of January before being extended to February and then again through the end of the first quarter.

Tesla’s efforts come amid growing competition in China’s EV market. According to data compiled by CNEV Post, Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China reached 625,698 vehicles, representing a 4.78% year-over-year decline. Part of that decline was linked to the Model Y changeover to its updated variant in early 2025, which temporarily reduced deliveries during the transition period.

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Elon Musk shares timeframe for X Money early public access rollout

X Money is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.

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Credit: UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Elon Musk has stated that X Money, the digital payments system being developed for social media platform X, is expected to enter early public access next month. 

The update was shared by Musk in a post on X. “𝕏 Money early public access will launch next month,” Musk wrote in his post.

As noted in a Reuters report, X Money is being developed as a digital payment service that’s directly integrated into the X platform. 

The system is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.

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Musk has previously discussed plans to introduce payments and financial services as part of X’s broader development.

Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has discussed expanding X to include a range of services such as messaging, media, and financial tools.

Elon Musk has shared his goal of transforming X into an “everything app.” During a previous podcast interview with members of the Tesla community, Musk mused about turning X into something similar to China’s WeChat, which allows users to shop, pay, communicate, and perform a variety of other tasks.

“In China, you do everything in WeChat… it’s kickass… Outside of China, there’s nothing like it, people live on one app. My idea would be like how about if we just copy WeChat,” Musk joked at the time.

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To prepare for the rollout of X Money, X has partnered with payment company Visa to support the development of payment services for the platform’s users. The move could allow X to tap into the growing demand for digital and in-app financial transactions as the company builds additional services around its existing user base.

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NASA watchdog says Starship development delays could affect Artemis timeline

The report noted that several technical milestones still need to be completed before Starship can serve as a crewed lunar lander.

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Credit: SpaceX

A NASA watchdog report stated that continued development work on SpaceX’s Starship could affect the timeline for the agency’s planned Artemis moon missions. The report noted that several technical milestones still need to be completed before the spacecraft can serve as a crewed lunar lander.

The findings were detailed in a report from NASA’s Office of Inspector General, as noted in a report from Reuters.

NASA selected SpaceX’s Starship in 2021 to serve as the Human Landing System (HLS) for its Artemis lunar program. The vehicle is intended to transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back as part of future Artemis missions.

According to the watchdog report, Starship’s development has experienced roughly two years of schedule delays compared to earlier expectations. Still, NASA is targeting 2028 for the first crewed lunar landing using the Starship lander.

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One of the most significant technical milestones for Starship’s lunar missions is in-space refueling.

To support a crewed lunar landing, multiple Starship launches will be required to deliver propellant to orbit. Tanker versions of Starship will transfer fuel to a storage depot spacecraft, which will then refuel the lunar lander.

The report noted that this approach could require more than 10 Starship launches to fully refuel the spacecraft needed for a single lunar landing mission.

NASA officials indicated that demonstrating cryogenic propellant transfer in orbit remains one of the most important technical steps before Starship can be certified for lunar missions.

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SpaceX has conducted 11 Starship test flights since 2023 as the company continues developing the fully reusable launch system. A 12th test flight, this time featuring Starship V3, is expected to be held in early April. 

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