SpaceX
SpaceX’s BFR Mars rocket and spaceship rendered in extraordinary fan artwork
Part of a newly-formed group known as Gravitation Innovation, artist and spaceflight fan David Romax published an extraordinary series of concept artwork focused solely on SpaceX’s massive next-generation Mars rocket, known as the Big F—— Rocket (BFR). Generously published with the intent of providing SpaceX fans with a number of digital wallpapers, Romax’s work acts as an amazing companion to SpaceX’s own small collection of BFR renderings, perhaps even surpassing the company’s concept art in some cases.
David was inspired to create a series of BFR-themed wallpapers by a friend who had urged him to put his skills as a 3D modeler and artist to work for SpaceX (or at least the large community of fans built around the rocket company) by producing unofficial renders of its rockets – produce he most certainly did, and the results of his efforts are easily some of the best examples of unofficial artwork ever created by SpaceX enthusiasts.
Effectively unreleased, an updated Mars colonization video shown in 2018 replaces 2016’s ITS with the newer BFR design. (SpaceX)
Due to an understandable lack of technical detail available in the concept imagery SpaceX has thus far published for BFR and the earlier Interplanetary Transport System (ITS), Romax had to rely on aesthetic and technical intuition almost constantly over the process of producing his own artist impressions of BFR. In a number of cases, a matte painting style was used to ensure extraordinary realism by integrating real aspects of SpaceX’s current launch facilities and signatures of its active Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles and its Crew and Cargo Dragon spacecraft, reaching a level of believable detail that effortlessly surpasses similar media created by SpaceX.
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- David Romax’s artwork has blown away a number of SpaceX (and general spaceflight) fans since he shared them earlier this week. (David Romax/Gravitation Innovation)
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- .While SpaceX’s own visualizations are gorgeous and thrilling in their own rights, Romax’s interpretation adds an unparalleled level of shock and awe. (SpaceX)
Of course, a comparative lack of extreme detail is really not any fault of SpaceX: given the preliminary nature of the designs of both BFR and ITS at the time they were publicly revealed (September 2016 and 2017), adding details that extended beyond the actual scope of current design work (thus treading into the realm of speculation) would be fundamentally counterproductive for a company more recently keen on showing off results over parading what can be described as ‘paper rockets’. In both the ITS and BFR reveals, CEO Elon Musk’s presentations were repeatedly (and pointedly) punctuated with truly surprising reveals of real, physical progress with mature rocket R&D programs and extensive prototype testing.
Regardless, the level of detail Romax so elegantly and seamlessly integrated into SpaceX’s preliminary Mars rocket booster and crew and cargo spaceship designs is shockingly convincing and adds a level of depth and drama that is unique in fan renderings of SpaceX’s vehicles. It certainly helps that today, nearly a year after BFR was first unveiled, SpaceX’s hardware development for BFR is far more mature. Currently, those tangible efforts range from thousands of seconds of hot-fire testing of the rocket’s Raptor propulsion system to tangible work beginning on the flight version of that advanced engine, as well as a huge temporary tent housing preliminary BFR production tooling while construction is just beginning at a different Port of Los Angeles-located plot of land intended to support the first dedicated BFR factory within 12-18 months. One step further, SpaceX’s highly reusable upgrade to Falcon 9 and Heavy, known as Block 5, has already debuted and will soon put SpaceX’s experience with rocket reuse to the test.
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- SpaceX’s BFR. (Gravitation Innovation/David Romax)
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- The cargo version of the BFS (Big F- Spaceship) rendered by David Romax, including a number of educated guesses at what it might look like and how it might function. At the request of a friend, artist David Romax put together a truly jaw-dropping collection of concept art featuring SpaceX’s BFR rocket and its Cargo and Crew spaceships. (Gravitation Innovation/David Romax)
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- BFR prepares for launch as the sun sets over the upgraded LC-39A, built off a concept of the future modifications included in SpaceX’s 2016 and 2017 video updates. At the request of a friend, artist David Romax put together a truly jaw-dropping collection of concept art featuring SpaceX’s BFR rocket and its Cargo and Crew spaceships. (Gravitation Innovation/David Romax)
All thanks to David Romax and Gravitation Innovation for the amazing artwork and the unflinching dedication to the future of spaceflight. Download the wallpapers in full-resolution here.
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SpaceX employees, including its CEO Elon Musk, shaded American Airlines on social media this past weekend due to the company’s reported talks with Amazon’s Starlink rival, Leo.
Starlink has been adopted by several airlines, including United Airlines, Qatar Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, WestJet, Air France, airBaltic, and others. It has gained notoriety as an extremely solid, dependable, and reliable option for airline travel, as traditional options frequently cause users to lose connection to the internet.
Many airlines have made the switch, while others continue to mull the options available to them. American Airlines is one of them.
A report from Bloomberg indicates the airline is thinking of going with a Starlink rival owned by Amazon, called Leo. It was previously referred to as Project Kuiper.
American CEO Robert Isom said (via Bloomberg):
“While there’s Starlink, there are other low-Earth-orbit satellite opportunities that we can look at. We’re making sure that American is going to have what our customers need.”
Isom also said American has been in touch with Amazon about installing Leo on its aircraft, but he would not reveal the status of any discussions with the company.
The report caught the attention of Michael Nicolls, the Vice President of Starlink Engineering at SpaceX, who said:
“Only fly on airlines with good connectivity… and only one source of good connectivity at the moment…”
CEO Elon Musk replied to Nicolls by stating that American Airlines risks losing “a lot of customers if their connectivity solution fails.”
American Airlines will lose a lot of customers if their connectivity solution fails
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 14, 2025
There are over 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit currently, offering internet coverage in over 150 countries and territories globally. SpaceX expands its array of satellites nearly every week with launches from California and Florida, aiming to offer internet access to everyone across the globe.
Currently, the company is focusing on expanding into new markets, such as Africa and Asia.
News
Tesla hints at Starlink integration with recent patent
“By employing polymer blends, some examples enable RF transmission from all the modules to satellites and other communication devices both inside and outside the vehicle.”
Tesla hinted at a potential Starlink internet terminal integration within its vehicles in a recent patent, which describes a vehicle roof assembly with integrated radio frequency (RF) transparency.
The patent, which is Pub. No U.S. 2025/0368267 describes a new vehicle roof that is made of RF-transparent polymer materials, allowing and “facilitating clear communication with external devices and satellites.”
Tesla believes that a new vehicle roof design, comprised of different materials than the standard metallic or glass elements used in cars today, would allow the company to integrate modern vehicular technologies, “particularly those requiring radio frequency transmission and reception.
Tesla has recently filed a US patent application on integrating RF transparent materials into the roof structure.
“facilitating clear communication with external devices and satellites”
Tesla fleet is getting @Starlink connectivity integration soon. LFG @Tesla @elonmusk… pic.twitter.com/bLa8YtPLd1
— Chansoo Byeon (@Chansoo) December 9, 2025
Instead of glass or metallic materials, Tesla says vehicles may benefit from high-strength polymer blends, such as Polycarbonate, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, or Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate.
These materials still provide ideal strength metrics for crashworthiness, stiffness for noise, vibration, and harshness control, and are compliant with head impact regulations.
They would also enable better performance with modern technologies, like internet terminals, which need an uninterrupted signal to satellites for maximum reception. Tesla writes in the patent:
“By employing polymer blends, some examples enable RF transmission from all the modules to satellites and other communication devices both inside and outside the vehicle.”
One of the challenges Tesla seems to be aware of with this type of roof design is the fact that it will still have to enable safety and keep that at the forefront of the design. As you can see in the illustration above, Tesla plans to use four layers to increase safety and rigidity, while also combating noise and vibration.
It notes in the patent that disclosed examples still meet the safety requirements outlined in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
Starlink integrated directly into Tesla vehicles would be a considerable advantage for owners. It would come with a handful of distinct advantages.
Initially, the inclusion of Starlink would completely eliminate cellular dead zones, something that is an issue, especially in rural areas. Starlink would provide connectivity in these remote regions and would ensure uninterrupted service during road trips and off-grid adventures.
It could also be a critical addition for Robotaxi, as it is crucial to have solid and reliable connectivity for remote monitoring and fleet management.
Starlink’s growing constellation, thanks to SpaceX’s routine and frequent launch schedule, will provide secure, stable, and reliable internet connectivity for Tesla vehicles.
Although many owners have already mounted Starlink Mini dishes under their glass roofs for a similar experience, it may be integrated directly into Teslas in the coming years, either as an upgrade or a standard feature.
Investor's Corner
SpaceX IPO is coming, CEO Elon Musk confirms
However, it appears Musk is ready for SpaceX to go public, as Ars Technica Senior Space Editor Eric Berger wrote an op-ed that indicated he thought SpaceX would go public soon. Musk replied, basically confirming it.
Elon Musk confirmed through a post on X that a SpaceX initial public offering (IPO) is on the way after hinting at it several times earlier this year.
It also comes one day after Bloomberg reported that SpaceX was aiming for a valuation of $1.5 trillion, adding that it wanted to raise $30 billion.
Musk has been transparent for most of the year that he wanted to try to figure out a way to get Tesla shareholders to invest in SpaceX, giving them access to the stock.
He has also recognized the issues of having a public stock, like litigation exposure, quarterly reporting pressures, and other inconveniences.
However, it appears Musk is ready for SpaceX to go public, as Ars Technica Senior Space Editor Eric Berger wrote an op-ed that indicated he thought SpaceX would go public soon.
Musk replied, basically confirming it:
As usual, Eric is accurate
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2025
Berger believes the IPO would help support the need for $30 billion or more in capital needed to fund AI integration projects, such as space-based data centers and lunar satellite factories. Musk confirmed recently that SpaceX “will be doing” data centers in orbit.
AI appears to be a “key part” of SpaceX getting to Musk, Berger also wrote. When writing about whether or not Optimus is a viable project and product for the company, he says that none of that matters. Musk thinks it is, and that’s all that matters.
It seems like Musk has certainly mulled something this big for a very long time, and the idea of taking SpaceX public is not just likely; it is necessary for the company to get to Mars.
The details of when SpaceX will finally hit that public status are not known. Many of the reports that came out over the past few days indicate it would happen in 2026, so sooner rather than later.
But there are a lot of things on Musk’s plate early next year, especially with Cybercab production, the potential launch of Unsupervised Full Self-Driving, and the Roadster unveiling, all planned for Q1.
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