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PHOTOS: Northern Lights provide stellar U.S. views as Starlink put under pressure by solar storm

A view from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory of two X class flares on May 14th (Credit NASA/SDO)

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Last weekend, Earth was directly hit by a major Solar storm, and millions were treated to a view of the Northern and Southern lights for the first time.

The storm triggered the Northern Lights to descend much further south than normal, providing brilliant moving lights in the skies usually reserved for those in the far northern and southern hemispheres.

Despite its raw beauty, the storms were a major cause of concern among satellite operators, including SpaceX, which, as of this writing, has 5,999 Starlink satellites orbiting around Earth.

Elon Musk posted, acknowledging that it would be a major test for their constellation, which had previously lost satellites due to Solar storm activity.

The Vice President of Starlink Engineering, Michael Nicolls, posted that all of their Starlink satellites, including those recently launched, survived the storm. The satellites that were recently launched were at a much greater risk as atmospheric drag increases and could cause an unintentional de-orbit.

Here are some of our favorite pictures we spotted over on X.

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A beautiful view of the Aurora Borealis from Nick Stewart who was in South Dakota.

As noted earlier, the Northern Lights were visibly much further South, including South Florida. The red hue of the lights seen from Florida is due to the Aurora being at a much higher altitude than the greens and blues seen further North.

One of the last major storms, known as the Carrington Event, occurred in 1859 with Aurora being visible as far South as Cuba. That storm ignited telegraph lines at the time, causing major outages. While this storm wasn’t as strong, there is always a risk to our current infrastructure, and luckily, it seems no satellite operators suffered any major damage or losses, and ground power stations suffered no blackouts.

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The Sunspot that caused the Coronal Mass Ejections has now rotated away from Earth, but it doesn’t mean we are out of the line of fire, as a new one could pop up at any time and send another one our way. This storm provided a great test for satellite operators who now have valuable data to help sturdy their satellites against future Solar storms.

Check out some other awesome photos of the Northern Lights:

Were you able to witness this possibly once-in-a-lifetime event? If so, where were you able to witness the Aurora from?

Questions or comments? Shoot me an email at rangle@teslarati.com, or Tweet me @RDAnglePhoto.

Launch journalist, specializing in launch photography. Based on the Space Coast, a short drive from Cape Canaveral and the SpaceX launch pads.

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Elon Musk gets brash response from Ryanair CEO, who thanks him for booking increase

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ARLINGTON, Va., May 9, 2023 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Ryanair announced Europe’s leading low-cost airline has selected the largest 737 MAX model to power its future growth with an order for up to 300 airplanes. The purchase agreement is the biggest in Ryanair’s history and includes a firm order for 150 737-10 jets and options for 150 more. Image credit: Boeing

Elon Musk got a brash response from Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, who said in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that the Tesla frontman’s criticism of the airline not equipping Starlink has increased bookings for the next few months.

The two have had a continuing feud over the past several weeks after Musk criticized the airline for not using Starlink for its flights, which would enable fast, free, and reliable Wi-Fi on its aircraft.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk trolls budget airline after it refuses Starlink on its planes

Musk said earlier this week that he was entertaining the idea of purchasing Ryanair and putting someone named Ryan in charge, which would oust O’Leary from his position.

However, the barbs continued today, as O’Leary held a press conference, aiming to dispel any beliefs about Starlink and its use case for Ryanair flights, which are typically short in length.

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O’Leary said in the press conference today:

“The Starlink people believe that 90% of our passengers would happily pay for wifi access. Our experience tells us less than 10% would pay; He (Elon) called me a retar*ed twat. He would have to join the back of a very, very long queue of people that already think I’m a retar*ed twat, including my four teenage children.”

He then went on to say that, due to Musk’s publicity, bookings for Ryanair flights have increased over the past few days, up 2 to 3 percent:

“But we do want to thank him for the wonderful boost in publicity. Our bookings are up 2-3% in the last few days. So thank you to Mr. Musk, but he’s wrong on the fuel drag. Non-European citizens cannot own a majority of European airlines, but if he wants to invest in Ryanair, we think it would be a very good investment.”

O’Leary didn’t end there, as he called Musk’s social media platform X a “cesspit,” and said he has no concern over becoming a member of it. However, Ryanair has been very active on X for several years, gaining notoriety for being comical and lighthearted.

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The public spat between the two has definitely benefited Ryanair, and many are calling for it to end, especially those who support Musk, as they see it as a distraction.

Nevertheless, it is likely going to end with no real movement either way, and is more than likely just a bit of hilarity between the two parties that will end in the coming days.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk outlines expectations for Cybercab production

“…initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve. The speed of production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are. For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk outlined expectations for Cybercab production as the vehicle is officially set to start rolling off manufacturing lines at the company’s Giga Texas factory in less than 100 days.

Cybercab is specifically designed and catered to Tesla’s self-driving platform and Robotaxi ride-hailing service. The company has been pushing hard to meet its self-set expectations for rolling out an effective self-driving suite, and with the Cybercab coming in under 100 days, it now needs to push for Unsupervised Self-Driving in the same time frame.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms Robotaxi is set to go unsupervised

This is especially pertinent because the Cybercab is expected to be built without a steering wheel or pedals, and although some executives have said they would build the car with those things if it were necessary.

However, Musk has maintained that the Cybercab will not have either of those things: it will have two seats and a screen, and that’s it.

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With production scheduled for less than 100 days, Musk broke down what people should expect from the initial manufacturing phases, being cautiously optimistic about what the early stages will likely entail:

“…initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve. The speed of production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are. For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast.”

Musk knows better than most about the challenges of ramping up production of vehicles. With the Model 3, Musk routinely refers to it as “production hell.” The Cybertruck, because of its polarizing design and stainless steel exterior, also presented challenges to Tesla.

The Cybercab definitely presents an easier production process for Tesla, and the company plans to build millions of units per year.

Musk said back in October 2024:

“We’re aiming for at least 2 million units a year of Cybercab. That will be in more than one factory, but I think it’s at least 2 million units a year, maybe 4 million ultimately.”

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When April comes, we will find out exactly how things will move forward with Cybercab production.

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Tesla reveals awesome Model 3 and Model Y incentive, but it’s ending soon

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Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East/X

Tesla has revealed an awesome Model 3 and Model Y incentive to help consumers make the jump to one of its affordable mass-market vehicles, but it’s ending soon.

Tesla is offering one free upgrade on eligible inventory of the Model 3 and Model Y until February 2.

This would help buyers receive the most expensive paid option on the vehicle at no additional cost, meaning white interior or a more premium paint option will be free of charge if you take delivery on or before February 2.

Tesla states on its website for the offer:

“Only for limited inventory while supplies last. Price displayed on inventory listings already deducts the cost of the free option.”

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This latest incentive is just another advantage Tesla has by selling its vehicles directly and not using some sort of dealership model that relies on approvals from higher-ups. It is important to note that these programs are offered to help stimulate demand and push vehicles into customers’ hands.

It is not the only incentive Tesla is currently offering, either. In fact, there is a much larger incentive program that Tesla is working on, and it has to do with Full Self-Driving transfers, which could result in even more sales for the company through Q1.

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Tesla is ending its FSD Transfer program on March 31, as it plans to transition to a Subscription-only basis with the self-driving suite for anyone who has not already purchased it outright.

This could help drive some on-the-fence buyers to new vehicles, but it remains to be seen. Given the timing of the program’s demise, it appears Tesla is hoping to use it to add additional sales and bolster a strong Q1 2026.

Interior and exterior paint colors can add up to $2,000 if you choose the most premium Ultra Red body color, or an additional $1,000 for the Black and White interior option. The discount, while small, could help get someone their preferred design configuration, instead of settling for something that is not quite what they want.

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