News
SpaceX kicks off $750M investment round as BFR and Starlink infrastructure needs grow
Reuters reports that SpaceX has moved forward with an effort to raise capital through a leveraged loan and is now circulating a debt investment opportunity 50% greater than originally reported by Bloomberg.
With the maximum capital raise now capped at $750M with Bank of America in place of Goldman Sachs as the loan guarantor, SpaceX could rapidly find itself flush with funds that will be instrumental in the completion of major infrastructure expansion projects for its Starlink satellite constellation and next-gen BFR rocket and spaceship.
SpaceX is out with price talk on its $750m loan and it's in the L+400-425 range. w/ @KristenHaunss – https://t.co/WCFlWpEhjS
— Jonathan Schwarzberg (@theschwarzberg) November 7, 2018
Particularly noteworthy is the fact that SpaceX – according to sources that spoke with Reuters – is playing their financial cards very close to the chest, presumably suggesting that interested investors are being faced with extreme secrecy over the company’s finances, assuming they are being allowed much access at all. Given how gilded and relatively exciting SpaceX is, investors may be more than willing to shrug off the inherent high-risk, high-reward nature of commercial spaceflight and swallow an unusual burden of secrecy and opaque corporate insight.
Assuming that SpaceX is able to successfully secure enough investors to raise the full $750M, this offering could mark a turning point in the way SpaceX approaches major capital expenditures, particularly at a point in time where the company is likely to imminently require massive amounts of cash to prevent major schedule delays for both Starlink and BFR. With more than two years and a full 35 successful launches separating SpaceX from their last catastrophic failure, the company’s financial outlook – at least from an external perspective – is healthier than its ever been, and the manner with which Falcon 9 has rapidly devoured a majority of the global commercial launch industry is extremely promising.
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- An unofficial analysis of SpaceX’s first ~1600 Starlink satellites. (Mark Handley)
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- One of the first two prototype Starlink satellites separates from Falcon 9’s upper stage, February 2018. (SpaceX)
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- A closeup of BFS’ nose section, featuring impressively varied tile-sizes, joining methods, and extremely precise curves on the interface between canard wings and the hull. (SpaceX)
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- SpaceX’s BFR mandrel, a tool used to form the rocket’s largest composite structures. (SpaceX)
Further, SpaceX hopes to lower the average cost of rocket launches by at least one or two magnitudes with the introduction and optimization of the next-gen BFR rocket, while its prospective Starlink satellite constellation has the potential to disrupt an unbelievably vast and stagnant global communications market. In order to even begin to make either or both aspirations real, SpaceX will need to construct wholly new production, test, and launch facilities capable of manufacturing an unprecedented number of satellites (between ~4400 and ~12000) and supporting what would be the largest and most advanced commercial rocket ever built.
Altogether, these many towering challenges will demand major investments in infrastructure with no real guarantee of returns. If the market will bear it (and it seems to be more than willing), leveraged loans – essentially debt equity backed by large banks or institutions – is one of the best possible ways to raise large amounts of money for risky prospects, particularly for a company as successful and glamorous as SpaceX. With any luck, investors will be luxuriously rewarded for going out on a relative limb.
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Tesla is making two big upgrades to the Model 3, coding shows
According to coding found in the European and Chinese configurators, Tesla is planning to make two big upgrades: Black Headliner offerings and a new 16-inch QHD display, similar to that on the Model Y Performance.
Tesla is making two big upgrades to the Model 3, one of which is widely requested by owners and fans, and another that it has already started to make on some trim levels of other models within the lineup.
The changes appear to be taking effect in the European and Chinese markets, but these are expected to come to the United States based on what Tesla has done with the Model Y.
According to coding found in the European and Chinese configurators, Tesla is planning to make two big upgrades: Black Headliner offerings and a new 16-inch QHD display, similar to that on the Model Y Performance.
These changes in the coding were spotted by X user BERKANT, who shared the findings on the social media platform this morning:
🚨 Model 3 changes spotted in Tesla backend
• New interior code: IN3PB (Interior 3 Premium Black)
• Linked to Alcantara-style black headliner
• Mapped to 2026 Model 3 Performance and Premium VINs• EPC now shows: “Display_16_QHD”
• Multiple 2026 builds marked with… pic.twitter.com/OkDM5EdbTu— BERKANT (@Tesla_NL_TR) February 23, 2026
It appears these new upgrades will roll out with the Model 3 Performance and Tesla’s Premium trim levels of the all-electric sedan.
The changes are welcome. Tesla fans have been requesting that its Model 3 and Model Y offerings receive a black headliner, as even with the black interior options, the headliner is grey.
Tesla recently upgraded Model Y vehicles to this black headliner option, even in the United States, so it seems as if the Model 3 will get the same treatment as it appears to be getting in the Eastern hemisphere.
Tesla has been basically accentuating the Model 3 and Model Y with small upgrades that owners have been wanting, and it has been a focal point of the company’s future plans as it phases out other vehicles like the Model S and Model X.
Additionally, Tesla offered an excellent 0.99% APR last week on the Model 3, hoping to push more units out the door to support a strong Q1 delivery figure at the beginning of April.
Elon Musk
SpaceX secures FAA approval for 44 annual Starship launches in Florida
The FAA’s environmental review covers up to 44 launches annually, along with 44 Super Heavy booster landings and 44 upper-stage landings.
SpaceX has received environmental approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct up to 44 Starship-Super Heavy launches per year from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A in Florida.
The decision allows the company to proceed with plans tied to its next-generation launch system and future satellite deployments.
The FAA’s environmental review covers up to 44 launches annually, along with 44 Super Heavy booster landings and 44 upper-stage landings. The approval concludes the agency’s public comment period and outlines required mitigation measures related to noise, emissions, wildlife, and airspace management.
Construction of Starship infrastructure at Launch Complex 39A is nearing completion. The site, previously used for Apollo and space shuttle missions, is transitioning to support Starship operations, as noted in a Florida Today report.
If fully deployed across Kennedy Space Center and nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Starship activity on the Space Coast could exceed 120 launches annually, excluding tests. Separately, the U.S. Air Force has authorized repurposing Space Launch Complex 37 for potential additional Starship activity, pending further FAA airspace analysis.
The approval supports SpaceX’s long-term strategy, which includes deploying a large constellation of satellites intended to power space-based artificial intelligence data infrastructure. The company has previously indicated that expanded Starship capacity will be central to that effort.
The FAA review identified likely impacts from increased noise, nitrogen oxide emissions, and temporary airspace closures. Commercial flights may experience periodic delays during launch windows. The agency, however, determined these effects would be intermittent and manageable through scheduling, public notification, and worker safety protocols.
Wildlife protections are required under the approval, Florida Today noted. These include lighting controls to protect sea turtles, seasonal monitoring of scrub jays and beach mice, and restrictions on offshore landings to avoid coral reefs and right whale critical habitat. Recovery vessels must also carry trained observers to prevent collisions with protected marine species.
Elon Musk
Texas township wants The Boring Company to build it a Loop system
The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge.”
The Woodlands Township, Texas, has formally entered The Boring Company’s tunneling sweepstakes.
The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” which offers up to one mile of tunnel construction at no cost to a selected community.
The Woodlands’ proposal, dubbed “The Current,” features two parallel 12-foot-diameter tunnels beneath the Town Center corridor near The Waterway. Teslas would shuttle passengers between Waterway Square, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Town Green Park and nearby hotels during concerts and large-scale events, as noted in a Chron report.
Township officials framed the tunnel as a solution for the township’s traffic congestion issues. The Pavilion alone hosts more than 60 shows each year and can accommodate crowds of up to 16,500, often straining Lake Robbins Drive and surrounding intersections.
“We know we have traffic impacts and pedestrian movement challenges, especially in the Town Center area,” Chris Nunes, chief operating officer of The Woodlands Township, stated during the meeting.
“The Current” mirrors the Loop system operating beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Tesla vehicles transport passengers through underground tunnels between venues and resorts.
The Boring Company issued its request for proposals (RFP) in mid-January, inviting cities and districts to pitch local uses for its tunneling technology. The Woodlands must submit its application by Feb. 23, though no timeline has been provided for when a winning community will be announced.
Nunes confirmed that the board has authorized a submission for “The Current’s” proposal, though he emphasized that the project is still in its preliminary stages.
“The Woodlands Township Board of Directors has authorized staff to submit an application to The Boring Company, which has issued an RFP for communities interested in leveraging their technology to address community challenges,” he said in a statement.
“The Board believes that an underground tunnel would provide a safe and efficient means to transport people to and from various high-use community amenities in our Town Center.”
Tesla is making two big upgrades to the Model 3, coding shows
SpaceX secures FAA approval for 44 annual Starship launches in Florida
