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(Update: delayed) SpaceX fires up Falcon 9 for second Starlink launch this month
Update: SpaceX has delayed Falcon 9’s Starlink-20 to no earlier than (NET) 3:13 am EST (08:13 UTC) on Thursday, March 11th to allow “additional time for pre-launch checks.”
SpaceX is on track to launch its second Starlink mission this month after successfully completing an increasingly rare Falcon 9 static fire test at the launch pad.
B1058, the flight-proven Falcon 9 booster assigned to the mission, famously became the first privately-developed rocket to launch astronauts back in May 2020 and has completed another four commercial launches in the nine months since. Likely motivated by an abundance of caution after a Falcon 9 booster lost an engine mid-flight and subsequently failed its landing attempt last month, SpaceX chose to perform a static fire test prior to Falcon 9 B1058’s sixth launch, loading the rocket with liquid kerosene and oxygen and briefly igniting all nine of its engines.
Completed without apparent issue and putting on an exceptional show in the process, that static fire has allowed SpaceX to clear the Falcon 9 rocket and 20th batch of Starlink v1.0 satellites (Starlink-20) for a launch attempt at 9:58 pm EST (UTC-5) on Tuesday, March 9th.
Finally out from under the looming spectre of Starlink-17, possibly the most repeatedly delayed launch in SpaceX history, the company is clearly eager to get back to work and make up for a (relatively) slow two-launch February. According to CEO Elon Musk, SpaceX is chasing an ambitious target of 48 launches in 2021, requiring an average of four launches per month.
A bit less than ten weeks into the new year, SpaceX has completed six launches – nothing to scoff at but still a third short of the nine launches the company would need to have averaged. To still hit that 48-flight target by the end of the year, SpaceX will now need to launch at least once per week for the next 42 weeks.
On the plus side, SpaceX’s 48-launch target firmly puts the company in the “shoot for the Moon, land among the stars” range. Even if it has a few rough months, “falling short” could still equate to an annual launch cadence in the high 30s to low 40s – still an extraordinarily feat and major improvement over SpaceX’s already impressive 26-launch record.
Not long after Falcon 9 B1058’s March 9th Starlink-20 mission, SpaceX has already scheduled a third Starlink launch – Starlink-21 – no earlier than (NET) March 13th, and at least two additional batches of spacecraft are ready to launch in the second half of the month pending launch pad and rocket availability.
Tune in below around 9:40 pm EST (02:40 UTC) to catch the seventh orbital SpaceX launch of the year live.
Elon Musk
SpaceX is exploring a “Starlink Phone” for direct-to-device internet services: report
The update was reportedly shared to Reuters by people familiar with the matter.
SpaceX is reportedly exploring new products tied to Starlink, including a potential Starlink-branded phone.
The update was reportedly shared to Reuters by people familiar with the matter.
A possible Starlink Phone
As per Reuters’ sources, SpaceX has reportedly discussed building a mobile device designed to connect directly to the Starlink satellite constellation. Details about the potential device and its possible release are still unclear, however.
SpaceX has dabbled with mobile solutions in the past. The company has partnered with T-Mobile to provide Starlink connectivity to existing smartphones. And last year, SpaceX initiated a $19.6 billion purchase of satellite spectrum from EchoStar.
Elon Musk did acknowledge the idea of a potential mobile device recently on X, writing that a Starlink phone is “not out of the question at some point.” Unlike conventional smartphones, however, Musk described a device that is “optimized purely for running max performance/watt neural nets.”
Starlink and SpaceX’s revenue
Starlink has become SpaceX’s dominant commercial business. Reuters’ sources claimed that the private space company generated roughly $15–$16 billion in revenue last year, with about $8 billion in profit. Starlink is estimated to have accounted for 50% to 80% of SpaceX’s total revenue last year.
SpaceX now operates more than 9,500 Starlink satellites and serves over 9 million users worldwide. About 650 satellites are already dedicated to SpaceX’s direct-to-device initiative, which aims to eventually provide full cellular coverage globally.
Future expansion of Starlink’s mobile capabilities depends heavily on Starship, which is designed to launch larger batches of upgraded Starlink satellites. Musk has stated that each Starship launch carrying Starlink satellites could increase network capacity by “more than 20 times.”
Elon Musk
FCC accepts SpaceX filing for 1 million orbital data center plan
The move formally places SpaceX’s “Orbital Data Center” concept into the FCC’s review process.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has accepted SpaceX’s filing for a new non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system of up to one million spacecraft and has opened the proposal for public comment.
The move formally places SpaceX’s “Orbital Data Center” concept into the FCC’s review process, marking the first regulatory step for the ambitious space-based computing network.
FCC opens SpaceX’s proposal for comment
In a public notice, the FCC’s Space Bureau stated that it is accepting SpaceX’s application to deploy a new non-geostationary satellite system known as the “SpaceX Orbital Data Center system.” As per the filing, the system would consist of “up to one million satellites” operating at altitudes between 500 and 2,000 kilometers, using optical inter-satellite links for data transmission.
The FCC notice described the proposal as a long-term effort. SpaceX wrote that the system would represent the “first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization – one that can harness the Sun’s full power.” The satellites would rely heavily on high-bandwidth optical links and conduct telemetry, tracking, and command operations, with traffic routed through space-based laser networks before being sent to authorized ground stations.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr highlighted the filing in a post on X, noting that the Commission is now seeking public comment on SpaceX’s proposal. Interested parties have until early March to submit comments.
What SpaceX is proposing to build
As per the FCC’s release, SpaceX’s orbital data center system would operate alongside its existing and planned Starlink constellations. The FCC notice noted that the proposed satellites may connect not only with others in the new system, but also with satellites in SpaceX’s first- and second-generation Starlink networks.
The filing also outlined several waiver requests, including exemptions from certain NGSO milestone and surety bond requirements, as well as flexibility in how orbital planes and communication beams are disclosed, as noted in a Benzinga report. SpaceX noted that these waivers are necessary to support the scale and architecture of the proposed system.
As noted in coverage of the filing, the proposal does not represent an immediate deployment plan, but rather a framework for future space-based computing infrastructure. SpaceX has discussed the idea of moving energy-intensive computing, such as AI workloads, into orbit, where continuous solar power and large physical scale could reduce constraints faced on Earth.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Boring Company signs deal to begin Dubai Loop project
The project marks the Boring Company’s first tunneling project outside the United States.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company has signed a definitive agreement with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to begin implementing the Dubai Loop.
The project marks the Boring Company’s first tunneling project outside the United States.
The Boring Company signs Dubai Loop agreement
The Boring Company signed a partnership agreement with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit 2026 to start the implementation of the Dubai Loop, as per the tunneling startup in a blog post.
The agreement was signed on behalf of Dubai RTA by Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, and on behalf of The Boring Company by James Fitzgerald, the startup’s global vice president of business development. Senior officials from both organizations were present at the signing ceremony.
The Dubai Loop project is intended to improve passenger mobility in high-density urban areas through underground vehicle tunnels designed for faster construction and lower surface disruption than conventional transport systems.
Pilot route and project scope outlined
The first phase of the Dubai Loop will consist of a 4-mile (6.4 km) pilot route with four stations linking the Dubai International Financial Centre and Dubai Mall. The pilot phase is expected to pave the way for a full network extending up to 14 miles (22.5 km) with 19 stations connecting the Dubai World Trade Centre, the financial district, and Business Bay.
The tunnels will have a diameter of 12 feet (3.6 meters) and will be dedicated to vehicle transport. Construction will rely on tunneling methods designed to reduce costs and minimize disruption to existing infrastructure.
The pilot phase is estimated to cost about $154 million, with delivery expected roughly one year after design work and preparatory activities are completed. The full Dubai Loop network is projected to cost approximately $545 million and would take around three years to implement.
Capacity targets and next steps
Mattar Al Tayer shared his excitement about the project, stating that the Loop system will be a qualitative addition to the city’s transportation system. “The project represents a qualitative addition to Dubai’s transport ecosystem, as it enhances integration between different mobility modes and provides flexible and efficient first- and last-mile solutions.
“Studies have demonstrated the project’s efficiency in terms of capacity and operating costs, with the pilot route expected to serve around 13,000 passengers per day, while the full route is projected to have a total capacity of approximately 30,000 passengers per day,” he said.
Steve Davis, president of The Boring Company, highlighted that the partnership aims to deliver safe and efficient tunneling solutions aligned with Dubai’s long-term mobility strategy.
“We are proud to partner with the Roads and Transport Authority, one of the world’s leading entities in adopting innovative solutions in the transport sector. Through this partnership, we look forward to delivering advanced, safe, and highly efficient tunnelling solutions that support Dubai’s vision for sustainable and future mobility,” Davis stated.
SpaceX is exploring a “Starlink Phone” for direct-to-device internet services: report
FCC accepts SpaceX filing for 1 million orbital data center plan
