

News
SpaceX’s first Starlink launch of the year up next after schedule shuffle
Update: SpaceX’s Starlink-16 mission is now scheduled to launch no earlier than 8:45 am EST (13:45 UTC) on Monday, January 18th.
SpaceX’s first Starlink launch of the year is now up next after a major rideshare mission’s delays forced a schedule shuffle.
Known as Starlink-16 or Starlink V1 L16, the mission will be SpaceX’s 16th launch of operational v1.0 communications satellites and its 17th Starlink launch overall. Originally scheduled to follow SpaceX’s first dedicated Smallsat Program rideshare launch on January 14th, that Transporter-1 mission slipped to no earlier than (NET) January 21st after a rapid-fire series of chaotic events earlier this year.
Scheduled to launch NET 1:23 pm EST (18:23 UTC) on January 17th, Starlink-16 thus became SpaceX’s defacto second launch of the year. Progress towards that working date became visible when, drone ship Just Read The Instructions (JRTI) quickly offloaded its most recent Falcon 9 booster ‘catch’ and departed Port Canaveral for the second time this year on January 13th. Headed some 633 km (~400 mi) northeast, the autonomous rocket landing platform is right on schedule (and set to be in the right place) to support a Starlink launch around January 17th.
Reading between the lines of comments made on January 12th by a 45th Space Wing colonel, the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) expect to support many as 53 launches in 2021, some 42-44 of which can be attributed to SpaceX.
That figure meshes with CEO Elon Musk’s recent note that SpaceX is aiming to complete as many as 48 launches this year, 4-6 of which will likely fly out of the company’s Vandenberg Air Force Base, California facilities. If SpaceX does manage 40+ Florida launches in 2021, it’s safe to say that half – if not more – will be Starlink missions. In other words, SpaceX’s imminent Starlink-16 launch is likely the first of roughly two-dozen planned over the next 12 months, potentially orbiting almost 1500 satellites in a single year.
Perhaps just three days out from Starlink-16’s scheduled launch, which of SpaceX’s five readily-available Falcon 9 boosters is assigned to support the mission. Falcon 9 B1049 is (numerically speaking) the best candidate, having last launched in late November – 54 days prior to January 17th. Falcon 9 B1058 is the next ‘oldest’ in the sense that it’s the second to last most recently launched, giving SpaceX roughly 40 days to turn the booster around for Starlink-16.
Regardless of the booster SpaceX selects, it’s all but guaranteed to result in one of the fastest Falcon 9 turnarounds ever – an increasingly less significant milestone as the company works to aggressively cut the average time between booster launches. Chances are also good that Starlink-16 will sport at least one flight-proven fairing half as SpaceX continues to gain experience recovering and reusing the carbon composite nosecones.
Assuming Starlink-16 features the usual 60 spacecraft, success will mean that SpaceX has officially launched more than 1000 Starlink satellites since dedicated launches began a year and a half ago in May 2019. Altogether, a successful launch would leave SpaceX with roughly 940 functional spacecraft in orbit – half or more of which are currently either raising or phasing their orbits.
News
Shark Tank’s Daymond John: Buy Tesla (TSLA), because it’s going back up
The Shark Tank host’s advice was simple—Buy TSLA stock.

In a recent social media post, FUBU founder and Shark Tank host Daymond John shared some financial advice to his followers. John’s advice was simple—Buy TSLA stock, because it’s going back up.
Shark’s Advice
In his video, John acknowledged that Tesla is a controversial stock due to the hate being put towards CEO Elon Musk. But as per the Shark Tank host, the people who are boycotting Tesla or attacking the company will eventually stop. He also noted that Tesla is practically at half price today compared to its price last December.
“You want some financial advice? Buy TSLA. You get all that political crap. People want to burn cars, hate Elon Musk, I don’t know. But let me tell you something. All those people gonna forget all about that just like they forgot about boycotting Gucci or Balenciaga and all that other stuff, and that stock is gonna go back up. It was at $462 in December. It is now at $250. That is almost 50% off,” John stated.
Robotaxi Potential
Interestingly enough, the Shark Tank host pointed at Tesla’s robotaxi service as one of the reasons why he is bullish on the company. As per John, Tesla is just about ready to roll out an autonomous Uber-like ride-sharing service. And when that happens, TSLA stock will react, negative news on Elon Musk or not.
“You see these Waymo cars all around? There’s a couple of them working their way around. But what Tesla has done over the last is all these patterns of what people have driven. They have now created a lot of these driving pattens, and what are they gonna do? They’re gonna end up releasing autonomous Teslas that are gonna be like Uber, and that stock, no matter what, is going to fly,” John stated.
News
China’s Huayou replaces LG in Indonesia’s $7.7B EV battery project
After 5 years of negotiations, Indonesia drops LG and taps Huayou Cobalt to power its EV battery dreams.

China’s Huayou Cobalt replaced LG Energy Solution in Indonesia’s $7.7 billion electric vehicle (EV) battery project. The shift underscores China’s growing influence in Southeast Asia’s EV supply chain.
Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, confirmed that Huayou would replace LG in the Grand Package, a plan to build a comprehensive EV battery ecosystem. The Grand Package, also called Project Titan, included plans to develop raw material mining, processing, and EV battery production in Indonesia.
“Conceptually, the development of the Grand Package has not changed. The infrastructure and production plan remain in accordance with the initial road map. LG is no longer involved and has been replaced by Huayou,” Bahlil said.
LG Energy Solution signed a memorandum of understanding with Jakarta in December 2020 but exited after prolonged talks.
“Taking into account various factors, including market conditions and investment environment, we have agreed to formally withdraw from the Indonesia GP (Grand Package) project,” LGES stated.
Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani noted that the government removed LG on January 31 due to a “long negotiation process” spanning five years. The Investor Minister also mentioned that Indonesia considered the Chinese company because Huayou’s technological capabilities positioned it as a suitable replacement to advance the project.
“We want all of this to run well, quickly, but the negotiations have been going on for five years. The government decided to replace LG with Huayou since it expressed interest in the Titan project last year,” Rosan noted.
The transition highlights Indonesia’s determination to maintain momentum in its EV battery ambitions, resulting in deepening ties with China. Huayou’s leadership ensures Project Titan adheres to its original timeline, reinforcing Indonesia’s role in the global EV supply chain.
China’s expanding presence in the EV sector could reshape regional dynamics as Indonesia leverages its rich nickel resources to attract investments. The move also signals challenges for non-Chinese firms navigating Indonesia’s complex investment landscape.
News
Starlink India’s license faces delay due to regulatory requirements

SpaceX’s satellite internet venture Starlink has yet to secure an operating license in India. Starlink is facing regulatory delays in India despite ongoing progress.
India’s Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed that the company must meet stringent requirements before launching services in the country.
“The process is ongoing. The minute they meet all conditions — including setting up gateways in India and registering user terminals locally — we are ready to issue the license,” Scindia told local media.
The licensing process involves multiple agencies in India, including the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe). These agencies are evaluating Starlink’s compliance with India’s technical, administrative, and national security standards.
Scindia emphasized Starlink’s need for domestic registration of user terminals and local gateways to address data sovereignty and internal security concerns.
“It’s not only related to DoT but also to internal security — gateways have to be in India, any user terminal has to be registered in India…the minute they check all the boxes, which I also hope will be soon, the license should be given,” he added.
The requirements reflect India’s cautious approach to integrating foreign satellite providers into its telecom ecosystem. The delay comes amid broader industry calls for enhanced connectivity. At Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona, Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal urged regulators to support telecom operators in closing the global connectivity gap for 400 million people, particularly in rural India. He advocated for resource sharing between terrestrial and satellite operators to avoid duplicative investments.
Bharti Airtel and Jio Platforms signed agreements with SpaceX to help expand Starlink services in India. The agreements are contingent on the Indian government approving Starlink’s license.
Starlink’s potential entry into India could bolster rural connectivity, but regulatory hurdles remain a significant barrier. As the company works to meet India’s conditions, its progress is closely watched by telecom operators and regulators alike. The outcome could shape the role of satellite internet in addressing India’s digital divide, aligning with global efforts to expand access through collaborative infrastructure investments.
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