News
SpaceX Starlink launches to debut rideshare capabilities next month
According to SpaceX and customer Planet, the company will start offering Starlink rideshare launch opportunities as early as next month, opening up space for other companies, space agencies, and individuals to get their payloads into space.
SpaceX’s decision to co-opt its own Starlink missions as a vehicle for rideshare payloads is perhaps one of the most interesting strategic moves in the smallsat launch ecosystem in awhile. Announced in early-August 2019, SpaceX’s Smallsat Rideshare Program effectively marked the company’s entrance into the burgeoning smallsat launch services industry. Rather than the launch industry proper, the services industry focuses on finding ways to put tiny satellites on rockets that would normally be far too large to serve as a practical solution. By finding multiple customers and wrangling with their different schedules, spacecraft, and requirements, dozens of smallsats can be launched in such a way that it’s actually worth a large launch provider’s focus.
In the past, SpaceX famously worked with Spaceflight to launch the SSO-A mission in December 2018, using all of a Falcon 9 rocket’s performance to place 64 small satellites in orbit. After many, many delays and numerous planned customers still missing the launch, both Spaceflight and SpaceX came away with the conclusion that a fully dedicated smallsat launch at the scale of Falcon 9 was simply not a practical approach to the problem. Instead, spreading the ~120 satellites originally manifested on SSO-A over 3-6 smaller missions would be far more sustainable for all parties involved. With SpaceX’s Starlink rideshare strategy, the company may have done exactly that.
Each weighing about 115 kg (~250 lb) each and standing roughly the same size as a large mini-fridge, Planet has broken the news that three of its SkySat imaging satellites will fly on SpaceX’s ninth dedicated Starlink launch. Known as Starlink-8 in reference to it being the eighth launch of finalized v1.0 satellites, the mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than June, likely 3-4 weeks after SpaceX’s 8th Starlink launch (NET May 17).
After Starlink-8, Planet will include another three SkySats on an unspecified Starlink mission, also scheduled to launch sometime in Q3. Once complete, the earth imaging company’s fleet of high-resolution (~0.5m/px) observation satellites will be 21 strong,
Until SpaceX or its rideshare customers choose to release photos or offer up details, it remains unclear how the company’s Starlink rideshares will work from a technical perspective. Thanks to SpaceX’s extremely unique method of stacking and deploying each batch of 60 Starlink satellites, there will be a combination of challenges and benefits to grapple with. Because of Starlink’s flat, rectangular satellite design, a lot of space inside the Falcon payload fairing they occupy is left empty.
There’s a slight possibility that smaller satellites and their deployers could fit in the triangular gaps left at the bottom of Starlink stacks, but it’s unlikely that Planet’s relatively large (on the scale of smallsats) SkySats would fit in the constrained space. That leaves the large conical section left unused at the top of each Starlink-dedicated payload fairing. Given that SpaceX spins up Falcon 9’s upper stage and releases Starlink satellites like a deck of giant ~260 kg (~570 lb) cards, it’s highly unlikely that rideshare passengers could be deployed after the main Starlink deployment event.
That leaves some kind of solution that mounts rideshare payloads on top of the stack of satellites. The most likely solution would involve somehow attaching a satellite deployment mechanism to the tensioning rods that hold the Starlink stack together and are ejected to release all 60 spacecraft at once. If that solution is possible, Falcon 9 could deploy rideshare payloads, spin up, discard the structural rods and deployers in one go, and eject all 60 Starlink satellites with having to tweak any of the spacecraft or change launch operations much at all. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how SpaceX has solved its unique deployment problem.
Tesla will increase its Full Self-Driving subscription price, meaning it will eventually be more than the current $99 per month price tag it has right now.
Already stating that the ability to purchase the suite outright will be removed, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this week that the Full Self-Driving subscription price would increase when its capabilities improve:
“I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve. The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD).”
This was an expected change, especially as Tesla has been hinting for some time that it is approaching a feature-complete version of Full Self-Driving that will no longer require driver supervision. However, with the increase, some are concerned that they may be priced out.
$99 per month is already a tough ask for some. While Full Self-Driving is definitely worth it just due to the capabilities, not every driver is ready to add potentially 50 percent to their car payment each month to have it.
While Tesla has not revealed any target price for FSD, it does seem that it will go up to at least $150.
I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve.
The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD). https://t.co/YDKhXN3aaG
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2026
Additionally, the ability to purchase the suite outright is also being eliminated on February 14, which gives owners another reason to be slightly concerned about whether they will be able to afford to continue paying for Full Self-Driving in any capacity.
Some owners have requested a tiered program, which would allow people to pay for the capabilities they want at a discounted price.
Unsupervised FSD would be the most expensive, and although the company started removing Autopilot from some vehicles, it seems a Supervised FSD suite would still attract people to pay between $49 and $99 per month, as it is very useful.
Tesla will likely release pricing for the Unsupervised suite when it is available, but price increases could still come to the Supervised version as things improve.
This is not the first time Musk has hinted that the price would change with capability improvements, either. He’s been saying it for some time. In 2020, he even said the value of FSD would “probably be somewhere in excess of $100,000.”
The FSD price will continue to rise as the software gets closer to full self-driving capability with regulatory approval. It that point, the value of FSD is probably somewhere in excess of $100,000.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2020
Tesla has chosen to axe the ability to purchase Full Self-Driving outright from a select group of cars just days after CEO Elon Musk announced the company had plans to eliminate that option in February.
The company is making a clear-cut stand that it will fully transition away from the ability to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, a move that has brought differing opinions throughout the Tesla community.
Earlier this week, the company also announced that it will no longer allow buyers to purchase Full Self-Driving outright when ordering a pre-owned vehicle from inventory. Instead, that will be available for $99 per month, the same price that it costs for everyone else.
The ability to buy the suite for $8,000 for a one-time fee at the time of order has been removed:
NEWS: Tesla no longer allows buyers to purchase FSD outright in the U.S. when ordering a pre-owned vehicle directly from inventory. Tesla now gives you the option to either subscribe for $99/month, or purchase FSD outright after taking delivery (available until February 14th). pic.twitter.com/1xZ0BVG4JB
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 23, 2026
This is a major move because it is the first time Tesla is eliminating the ability to purchase FSD outright for one flat fee to any of its vehicles, at least at the time of purchase.
It is trying to phase out the outright purchase option as much as it can, preparing people for the subscription-based service it will exclusively offer starting on February 14.
In less than a month, it won’t be available on any vehicle, which has truly driven some serious conversation from Tesla owners throughout the community.
There’s a conflict, because many believe that they will now lose the ability to buy FSD and not pay for it monthly, which is an attractive offer. However, others believe, despite paying $8,000 for FSD, that they will have to pay more money on top of that cost to get the unsupervised suite.
Additionally, CEO Elon Musk said that the FSD suite’s subscription price would increase over time as capabilities increase, which is understandable, but is also quite a conflict for those who spent thousands to have what was once promised to them, and now they may have to pay even more money.
News
Tesla Robotaxi has a highly-requested hardware feature not available on typical Model Ys
These camera washers are crucial for keeping the operation going, as they are the sole way Teslas operate autonomously. The cameras act as eyes for the car to drive, recognize speed limit and traffic signs, and travel safely.
Tesla Robotaxi has a highly-requested hardware feature that is not available on typical Model Ys that people like you and me bring home after we buy them. The feature is something that many have been wanting for years, especially after the company adopted a vision-only approach to self-driving.
After Tesla launched driverless Robotaxi rides to the public earlier this week in Austin, people have been traveling to the Lone Star State in an effort to hopefully snag a ride from one of the few vehicles in the fleet that are now no longer required to have Safety Monitors present.
BREAKING: Tesla launches public Robotaxi rides in Austin with no Safety Monitor
Although only a few of those completely driverless rides are available, there have been some new things seen on these cars that are additions from regular Model Ys, including the presence of one new feature: camera washers.
With the Model Y, there has been a front camera washer, but the other exterior “eyes” have been void of any solution for this. For now, owners are required to clean them manually.
In Austin, Tesla is doing things differently. It is now utilizing camera washers on the side repeater and rear bumper cameras, which will keep the cameras clean and keep operation as smooth and as uninterrupted as possible:
🚨 Tesla looks to have installed Camera Washers on the side repeater cameras on Robotaxis in Austin
pic.twitter.com/xemRtDtlRR— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 23, 2026
Rear Camera Washer on Tesla Robotaxi pic.twitter.com/P9hgGStHmV
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 24, 2026
These camera washers are crucial for keeping the operation going, as they are the sole way Teslas operate autonomously. The cameras act as eyes for the car to drive, recognize speed limit and traffic signs, and travel safely.
This is the first time we are seeing them, so it seems as if Safety Monitors might have been responsible for keeping the lenses clean and unobstructed previously.
However, as Tesla transitions to a fully autonomous self-driving suite and Robotaxi expands to more vehicles in the Robotaxi fleet, it needed to find a way to clean the cameras without any manual intervention, at least for a short period, until they can return for interior and exterior washing.
Tesla to increase Full Self-Driving subscription price: here’s when
Tesla starts removing outright Full Self-Driving purchase option at time of order
