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Although each satellite is just a few square meters, they may be able to serve internet to thousands of people simultaneously. (SpaceX) Although each satellite is just a few square meters, they may be able to serve internet to thousands of people simultaneously. (SpaceX)

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SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet was tested by the US Air Force and the results are in

A render of several Starlink satellites in orbit. SpaceX hopes to launch nearly 1500 of the spacecraft in 2020. (SpaceX)

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SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell recently provided information about the company’s Starlink satellite internet constellation after a panel at the International Aeronautical Congress in Washington D.C. Shotwell spoke of a partnership with the U.S. military and just how far she believes Starlink is ahead of rival mega-constellation efforts.

While competitors are still developing very early prototypes and worrying about launch options, SpaceX has already launched 60 Starlink ‘v0.9’ satellite prototypes, 50 of which continue to successfully operate in low Earth orbit approximately half a year after launch. As part of a $29M contract awarded in late-2018, SpaceX is also working directly with the U.S. Air Force to test military applications of commercial space-based internet.

As previously reported by Teslarati, SpaceX was awarded a $29 million contract in December 2018 to collaborate with the U.S. Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Office. Together, the organizations are testing potential military applications of Starlink satellite internet, as well as prospective constellations from other companies like Telesat.

From LEO to aircraft

The MC-12 is operated by the US military in a range of roles, including work as an avionics testbed. (USAF – Tiffany Trojca)

The technical viability and utility of beaming high speed, low-latency broadband internet directly into the cockpits of military aircraft is being tested under a program called Global Lightning. SpaceX has engaged the initiative and was awarded $29M to pursue development and testing, far more than any other contract recipient. In October 2019, SpaceX and the USAF began publicly discussing the latest results of that effort to test Starlink’s capabilities in the realm of in-flight connectivity. As reported by SpaceNews, SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell revealed that Starlink had successfully demonstrated a data link to the cockpit of a military aircraft with a bandwidth of 610 megabits per second (Mbps), equivalent to a gigabyte every ~13 seconds.

Following a previous speaking engagement on Oct. 15th at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference, Shotwell and U.S. Army officials provided further insight regarding military applications of Starlink. Army officials spoke about the possibility of using Starlink satellite internet and other prospective constellations to support the military’s rapidly growing demand for high-speed communications.

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During the panel with U.S. Army officials, Shotwell stated that “SpaceX is new to this forum and this service,” when addressing the possibilities that SpaceX could provide for the U.S. military. While working with the military is not a new concept to SpaceX, serving as a satellite communications provider would be unlike anything the company has yet attempted.

Up next, the USAF has plans to install Starlink terminals and test connectivity with an AC-130 gunship and a KC-135 tanker aircraft.

Falcon 9 to support frequent Starlink launches – customers and rocket reusability benefit

While Shotwell acknowledged the potential of a partnership with the US. military, she also noted that Starlink is first and foremost a commercial business meant to enhance the internet experience globally and nominally provide connectivity to anyone that wants it. She further noted that Starlink would remain an “additive to [SpaceX’s] business,” implying that it will not supersede SpaceX’s current launch service business.

Intriguingly, this is utterly counter to forecasts SpaceX has provided investors over the last several years, in which Starlink – if successful – would almost certainly come to produce one or two magnitudes more income than launch services ever could. Shotwell – speaking to a variety of US military (and Air Force) officials – may have wanted to avoid sending the message that SpaceX’s launch services business – crucial to the US military – might soon be absolutely dwarfed by Starlink revenue.

A general overview of Starlink’s bus, launch stack, and solar array. (SpaceX)

Previously hinted at by CEO Elon Musk, SpaceX hopes that revenue from Starlink will enable the company to independently fund the development and mass-production of its next-generation Starship launch vehicle, eventually enabling a permanent, large-scale human presence on Mars.

Currently, SpaceX’s Starlink plans involve several distinct phases, beginning with ~1500 satellites around 500km, another ~2900 around 1000 km, and an additional ~7500 in the 300-400 km range. Finally, SpaceX recently revealed even longer-term plans for Starlink that could involve launching up to 42,000 satellites, all in the name of expanding network coverage and bandwidth – pending, of course, consumer demand. To accomplish that feat, SpaceX will have to push rocket reusability to the absolute limits, beginning with Falcon 9 boosters and fairings and ultimately moving to Starship. According to Shotwell, “(SpaceX’s) intent is to use Starlink to push the capability of those boosters and see how many missions they can do.”

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SpaceX completed its first Starlink launch on May 23rd, flying B1049 for the third time. SpaceX's next Starlink launch will very likely mark the first time a booster has flown four orbital-class missions. (SpaceX)
SpaceX’s first Starlink v0.9 mission suffered two false-starts but was soon followed by a successful launch debut in May 2019. (SpaceX)

SpaceX’s next Starlink mission – also the company’s next mission and first launch in more than three months – will simultaneously attempt two new rocket reusability firsts, marking the first time that SpaceX has reused a Falcon payload fairing and the first time a single Falcon 9 booster has launched four times. Starlink-1 is scheduled to lift off no earlier than 9:55 am ET (14:55 UTC), November 11th.

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Tesla Full Self-Driving shows stunning maneuver in Europe to silence skeptics

In a striking demonstration of autonomous driving prowess, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system recently showcased its capabilities on the narrow rural roads of the Netherlands. Captured in two in-car videos, the system encountered scenarios that would challenge even the most experienced human drivers.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Full Self-Driving, fresh on the heels of its approval for operation on European roads for the first time, showed off a stunning maneuver that will certainly silence any skeptics on the continent.

Fresh off its approval in the Netherlands, Full Self-Driving is working toward a significant expansion into more parts of Europe.

In a striking demonstration of autonomous driving prowess, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system recently showcased its capabilities on the narrow rural roads of the Netherlands. Captured in two in-car videos, the system encountered scenarios that would challenge even the most experienced human drivers.

In the first clip, a wide tractor occupied more than half the lane on a tight two-way road. Rather than braking abruptly or forcing a collision risk, FSD smoothly edged the vehicle onto the adjacent bike path—using the extra space with precision—before seamlessly returning to the lane once clear.

The second clip was equally demanding: while overtaking a group of cyclists, an oncoming car approached at speed.

FSD maintained a safe, minimal buffer to the cyclists while timing the pass perfectly, avoiding any swerve or hesitation that could unsettle passengers or other road users.

This maneuver highlights FSD’s advanced spatial reasoning and predictive planning. On roads often under three meters wide, with no room for error, the system calculated available clearance in real time, incorporated shoulder and path geometry, and executed a controlled deviation without compromising safety.

It treated the bike path as a legitimate extension of navigable space, something many drivers might hesitate to do, while respecting Dutch road norms and cyclist priority.

Such feats align closely with a growing library of impressive FSD maneuvers documented on camera worldwide.

In urban Amsterdam, for instance, FSD has navigated the world’s densest cyclist environments, weaving through hundreds of unpredictable bike movements on canal-side streets with tram tracks and pedestrians.

One uncut drive showed it yielding smoothly at crossings, overtaking where needed, and even handling a near-perfect auto-park in a tight residential spot, demonstrating the same low-speed precision seen in the rural clips.

Teslas using FSD have tackled turbo roundabouts in the Netherlands, complex multi-lane circles notorious for geometry challenges, merging confidently while yielding to traffic. Similar clips depict smooth handling of construction zones, emergency vehicle pull-overs, and gated parking barriers, where the car stops precisely, waits for clearance, and proceeds without driver input.

Collectively, these examples illustrate FSD’s evolution toward handling the unpredictable.

The rural Netherlands maneuvers aren’t isolated. Instead, they reflect a pattern of spatial awareness, cyclist deference, and traffic anticipation seen from city streets to highways.

As FSD continues refining through real-world data, videos like this one are certainly building a compelling case for its readiness on Europe’s varied roads.

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Tesla utilizes its ‘Rave Cave’ for new awesome safety feature

Part of the massive interior overhaul of both the Model 3 “Highland” and Model Y “Juniper” was the addition of interior accent lighting to help bring out the mood of the vehicle, increase the customization of the interior, and to create a unique listening experience.

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Credit: Tesla | X

Tesla is utilizing its ‘Rave Cave’ for an awesome new safety feature that will arrive with the upcoming Spring Update for 2026.

Part of the massive interior overhaul of both the Model 3 “Highland” and Model Y “Juniper” was the addition of interior accent lighting to help bring out the mood of the vehicle, increase the customization of the interior, and to create a unique listening experience.

Tesla added a Sync Lights feature that will strobe the accent strips with the beat of the music.

It is one of the most unique and one of the coolest non-functional features of a Tesla, as it does not improve the driving of the vehicle, but makes it a cool and personal addition to the interior.

However, Tesla is going to take it one step further, as the Rave Cave lights will now be used for blind spot recognition. This feature will be added as the Spring 2026 Update starts to roll out.

Tesla writes:

“Accent lights now turn red when an object is in your blind spot and your turn signal is engaged, or when an approaching object is detected while parked.”

This neat new safety feature will now increase the likelihood of a driver, who is operating their Tesla manually, of seeing the blind spot warnings that are currently available on the A pillar and on the center touchscreen.

These new alerts will now warn drivers of cross traffic as they back out of a parking space with little to no visibility of what is coming. It is a great new addition that will only increase the safety of the vehicles, while also utilizing something that is already installed in these specific Model 3 and Model Y units.

The Model 3 and Model Y were the central focus of the Spring 2026 Update, especially considering the fact that the Model S and Model X are basically gone, with only a few hundred units left. Additionally, Tesla included new Immersive Sound and Car Visualization for the Model 3 and Model Y specifically in this new update.

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Tesla parked 50+ Cybercabs outside its Texas Factory with some crash tested

Dozens of Tesla Cybercabs have been spotted at Giga Texas crash testing facility ahead of launch.

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Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)
Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas on April 13, 2026 [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Drone footage captured by longtime Giga Texas observer Joe Tegtmeyer shows over 50 units of Tesla Cybercab at the Austin factory campus, including several units clustered by Tesla’s on-site crash testing facility.

The outbound lot at Gigafactory Texas sits just outside the factory exit and serves as the primary staging area where finished vehicles are held before being loaded onto transport carriers or dispatched for validation testing. On any given day, the lot holds a mix of Model Y and Cybertruck units alongside the growing Tesla Cybercab fleet, as can be seen in the drone footage captured by Joe Tegtmeyer.

Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas on April 13, 2026 [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Roughly 50 Cybercab units are visible across the campus, parked in tight organized rows. Most of the units visible still carry steering wheels and pedals, temporary additions Tesla included to satisfy current safety regulations while the vehicles accumulate real-world data ahead of full regulatory approval for a steering wheel-free design.

Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Tesla operates dedicated Crash Labs at both its Giga Texas and Fremont facilities that are purpose-built for controlled structural crash tests. Historically, automakers begin intensive crash testing roughly one to two months before volume production kicks off. The Cybertruck followed almost exactly that pattern. The Cybercab appears to be on the same track facility that we first saw back in October 2025.

Tesla Cybercab crash test units spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Tesla Cybercab crash test units spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

The first production Cybercab rolled off the Giga Texas line on February 17, 2026. Volume production is now targeted for April. Musk previously wrote on X that “the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast,” and separately stated Tesla is targeting at least 2 million Cybercab units per year. Commercial robotaxi service in Austin is targeted for late 2026.

 

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