

News
SpaceX Starlink satellite internet tested in the field in Antarctica
SpaceX’s Starlink internet continues to find success in Antarctica, Earth’s icy southernmost continent and has spread beyond McMurdo Station.
The company first reported that Starlink reached Antarctica as part of a National Science Foundation experiment in September 2022. The milestone also marked the satellite internet network’s arrival on all seven continents.
The update that's rolling out to the fleet makes full use of the front and rear steering travel to minimize turning circle. In this case a reduction of 1.6 feet just over the air— Wes (@wmorrill3) April 16, 2024
A series of lasers
Just ~5% of the almost 3400 working Starlink satellites currently in orbit make coverage of Antarctica (and the Arctic) possible. SpaceX currently has 181 polar-orbiting satellites in operational orbits, likely providing a decent amount of coverage in polar regions. But that’s only a third of the 520 polar satellites SpaceX’s Starlink Gen1 constellation will have once complete, meaning that coverage is likely intermittent for the time being.
Those polar satellites must also use optical interlinks (lasers) to connect Antarctic users to ground stations hundreds or thousands of miles away, as the vast and sparsely populated continent has no Starlink ground stations. Instead, users are connected to the internet via space lasers that route their communications to and from ground stations in South America, Australia, New Zealand, and other nearby locales.
Studying the oldest ice on Earth
The general purpose of the Center for Oldest Ice Exploration (COLDEX) field experiment Starlink is aiding is to find the oldest ice on Earth. That old ice allows scientists to peer back tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of years back into Earth’s past. Most importantly for the modern era, that ice can contain shockingly detailed information about the history of Earth’s climate.
Researchers like Dr. Neff collect ice cores by drilling miles into Antarctic ice sheets. Once removed, packaged, and carefully shipped by plane to labs around the world, the data extracted from those ice cores can tell researchers how the Earth has responded in the past to major and minor changes in climate. Knowing how it has responded and behaved before has helped scientists around the world determine with near certainty that human greenhouse gas emissions are causing average global temperatures to increase at a relatively rapid pace. Further studies, like those being done now, may help specify what kind of changes we can expect as climates warm; allowing cities, countries, and humanity as a whole to prepare for the worst while (hopefully) trying to prevent those outcomes.
COLDEX began testing Starlink in the field in early December 2022. It’s not entirely clear if that testing is still ongoing, but Dr. Peter Neff appears to be optimistic either way. In a January 21st tweet, the assistant professor and field research director said that he was excited “to see how [Starlink] & other modes of high-speed connectivity can advance [science] communication [and]…alter how we do science on the ice.”
Finding a balance
The National Science Foundation has been a part of both Antarctic Starlink experiments, thus far, and finds itself in a unique position. Through funding and other means, the government agency is aiding efforts to test the limits of the SpaceX network and discover how it can benefit science (and improve life) in some of the harshest environments on Earth. Simultaneously, NSF holds a sort of supervisory role over other aspects of SpaceX’s Starlink constellation.
For the most part, that relationship is on an even keel and SpaceX has been highly forthcoming and happy to cooperate. Even without any explicit legal requirement, SpaceX has made wide-reaching changes to its satellites and continues to experiment with ways to reduce their brightness to ground observers and limit their impact on astronomy. Nonetheless, the FCC’s decision to tie SpaceX’s next-generation Starlink Gen2 constellation license with its cooperation with the NSF has given the latter agency a bit more regulatory power than it had before.
That arguably makes the involvement of the NSF (or NSF-funded researchers) in testing Starlink’s ability to benefit science even more important. Knowing firsthand how impactful the ability to access high-bandwidth internet can be in the field and at remote camps, the NSF should be better suited to make the kind of cost-benefit analyses required to determine how much of an impact (on the night sky and astronomy) is acceptable relative to the benefits Starlink can provide.
Elon Musk
First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more
Tesla is using a Robotaxi section of its normal smartphone application to enable access to driverless vehicles roaming around Austin.

Tesla has officially launched the Robotaxi platform to a limited number of people, giving them the ability to ask for a ride from a driverless Model Y in Austin, Texas. But how do you hail a ride?
Through the Tesla Robotaxi app, which officially launched on June 22 as the company initiated the first rides for non-employees, people can request rides from driverless cars that are traveling around Austin. Teslarati gained access to the app as we are members of the Early Access Rider program.
There are only a very limited number of vehicles operating within the fleet currently, as Tesla has said the number is between 10 and 20 vehicles.
Tesla is using a Robotaxi section of its iOS smartphone app for the launch, confirming what the company said prior to the program’s maiden voyage: there would not be a separate app for the Robotaxi.
First Look at the Robotaxi App
The Tesla Robotaxi app, similar to the official Tesla App, features a simple interface that should be familiar to anyone who has used a ride-sharing app in the past. Downloading the app brings users to a sign-in page, which features a Tesla Model Y Robotaxi as a header image. Users can then log in or create an account to access the service.

A Clean, Simple UI
Upon logging in, users are presented with a clean user interface that allows them to select a destination and pickup point. Upon booking, users are provided with a real-time update on when their Robotaxi will arrive. Users could also select some settings for their upcoming ride, such as their preferred temperature in the cabin.
Smart Suggestions
If there is one evident thing about Tesla’s Robotaxi App, it is the fact that it is smart and designed to make driverless ride sharing services feel as normal as possible. While waiting for their ride, customers are presented with a number of tips that should help them understand their robotaxi better.
These include tips on how to use the Model Y’s door handles, as well as information about the vehicle’s light signals. The app also includes smart suggestions on destinations that riders can visit using their Robotaxi. These include cafes, restaurants, parks, shopping centers, and other pertinent locations.
Cybercab Theme
Another thing that is evident with the Robotaxi App is its Cybercab-inspired color theme. This is evident from the login page, which already features the golden hues of the dedicated two-seater autonomous car. The golden Cybercab color theme is used to great effect inside the app itself as well.
No Tips, at Least for Now
As observed by Tesla owner-enthusiast @BLKMDL3, Tesla is not accepting anything more than the service’s flat $4.20 rate per ride for now. If customers wish to leave a tip for the service, they would be presented with a page featuring Tesla’s hedgehog mascot saying “Just Kidding.”
Tips will likely be an option in the future, but for this stage of the Robotaxi rollout, it appears that the service really will follow a flat rate system.
News
Watch Tesla’s first driverless public Robotaxi rides in Texas
Tesla’s first driverless Robotaxi rides for non-employees are starting with the first drives beginning today.

Tesla has finally launched its Robotaxi platform to members of the public for the first time in Austin, Texas.
The Tesla Robotaxi platform is a driverless ride-hailing service that will enable people to use their cars for passive income as they will ride around, find riders, and drive them to their destinations in exchange for money. For right now, Tesla is using company vehicles, the Model Y specifically, and has opened up rides to a small number of people who are a part of the Early Access Program.
Teslarati is a member of the Early Access Program, as we were invited to Austin for the launch. We have gained access to Tesla’s new Robotaxi app, which lies within the main Tesla iOS app, and we are able to use the Robotaxi fleet during the Early Access Program.
The first rides are already occurring as Tesla launched the platform at around noon local time in Austin on Sunday:
EXCLUSIVE: First Tesla Robotaxi Rides Ever! https://t.co/13ldQtIn07— Herbert Ong (@herbertong) June 22, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: First Tesla Robotaxi Rides Ever! https://t.co/FrQ69b2QKO— Ale𝕏andra Merz 🇺🇲 (@TeslaBoomerMama) June 22, 2025
The video shows that Tesla’s initial Robotaxi rides are being quite cautious. Currently, the Robotaxis can only travel within a geofenced portion of Austin. This area will eventually be expanded.
For the time being, Tesla is keeping a safety rider in the vehicles with occupants, but they do not take up the driver’s seat. Instead, they are sitting in the passenger’s seat. This is simply a safety precaution that Tesla is using to keep Early Access riders safe, although there are ways riders can alert Tesla of any issues.
In the initial communication Tesla sent to members of the Early Access Rider program, the company said the Cabin Camera would be deactivated for the duration of their rides, but can be used if the rider needs support. Additionally, the in-cabin microphone will be deactivated, but can also be used to get in contact with support if there are any issues during the ride.
We have seen a variety of different Robotaxis rolling around Austin for the past several weeks. The company has been testing the vehicles in a very limited way for the time being, and it only has between 15 and 20 Robotaxis in the city for the launch. This number will slowly grow over time.
Elon Musk
Tesla to launch in India in July with vehicles already arriving: report
Tesla is finally making serious moves toward launching in India, with showrooms opening in July, a report claims.

Tesla is finally bringing its business to India, a new report indicates, as the company is already shipping vehicles from China to the market where it has attempted to launch business for several years.
We first heard of Tesla planning to launch in India about a decade ago when CEO Elon Musk and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in California at the Fremont Factory in 2015.
Over the years, the two have hinted that the automaker would eventually land in India, but issues with import duties have delayed Tesla’s attempts.
Now, there seems to be some serious movement in Tesla’s plans, as it has reportedly shipped the first batch of vehicles from China to India, according to Bloomberg. The outlet says these are Model Y Rear-Wheel-Drive configurations.
Tesla is also planning for other parts of the launch, like preparing for Supercharging, aftermarket parts and merchandise purchasing for vehicle owners and fans, and spare parts from various regions, including the United States, China, and the Netherlands.
The company and the Indian government must have come to some sort of agreement that was catalyzed by Musk and Modi’s meeting in February in the U.S.
It is a long time coming, and it now gives Tesla access to an incredibly vast market in India, where a very small percentage of 2024’s total automotive sales were comprised of electric vehicles.
Another interesting tidbit about the launch is that the vehicles will be coming from Gigafactory Shanghai and not Gigafactory Berlin as previously thought. Reports from other publications, like Reuters, indicated the German production facility was building vehicles for India early last year.
India has a very strict policy that favors domestic manufacturing, which is why the import duties were so high for foreign automakers looking to bring their product into the market. These duties were reduced from 110 percent to just 15 percent, as long as companies aim to invest in India and meet certain investment and sales targets.
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