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SpaceX’s Starlink “VisorSat” launch plans revealed by Elon Musk
CEO Elon Musk has revealed more details about SpaceX’s plans to build and launch upgraded “VisorSat” Starlink satellites, part of the company’s work to ensure that the internet constellation can coexist with astronomy.
Back on April 22nd, Musk gave us the best glimpse yet of what he previously described as a sort of deployable sunshade for Starlink satellites. Designed to prevent orbital sunlight from reflecting off of each spacecraft’s shiny surfaces and disrupting ground-based astronomical observations, the SpaceX CEO said that the company’s very next Starlink launch – scheduled no earlier than “early May” – will carry one or several satellites with said sunshade installed, playfully nicknamed “VisorSat”.
Ultimately, Musk explained in significant detail the likely culprit of the spectacular visibility of Starlink satellites from the ground, discussed plans to reduce or wholly remove that flaring, and explicitly stated that SpaceX will do everything in its power to prevent its constellation from impacting science.
On April 22nd, Musk revealed that the sunshade he’d previously discussed would look “a lot like a car sun visor” and would be built out of dark, radio-transparent foam to avoid disrupting each satellite’s antennas while still preventing sunlight from reflecting off of their mirror-like surfaces.
Days later, he revealed a rough render of VisorSat’s design, showing an extremely simple pair of rotating foam ‘visors’ explicitly shaped to block sunlight from Starlink satellite antennas and not much else. Given the use of foam and a deployment mechanism no more complex than four actuating hinges, it’s entirely believable that this solution – if it works – could be cheap and light enough to be almost irrelevant for the overall spacecraft.
If it works, SpaceX’s ad hoc visor would effectively be the best possible solution for brightness, fully solving the issue while having a near-zero impact on the cost or functionality of each internet satellite. Of course, SpaceX will do what it’s known for and flight-test the new VisorSat design before getting ahead of itself, but if those tests are successful, it would be unsurprising if every future Starlink satellite features a visor.
However, in the process of explaining why Starlink satellites can appear so bright, Musk also hinted at one of the reasons that a visor alone cannot fully solve all of the sources of Starlink’s ground astronomy impact. After launch, Starlink satellites must raise and circularize their orbits to reach an operational altitude, a process that has typically taken 2-4 weeks. During that orbit-raising phase, Musk revealed that Starlink satellites must orient themselves in such a way that the entirety of their front and rear faces – including the solar array – is angled perfectly to reflect sunlight back to Earth.
To alleviate that issue, Musk has said that SpaceX will tweak the orientation and operation of satellites during the orbit raising period, but it’s difficult to see a way to consistently prevent bright reflections without big changes. If SpaceX can’t immediately find a way around that “Open Book” orientation, there will likely be anywhere from 60-180+ Starlink satellites raising their orbits on any given day if the company truly plans to operate a constellation of ~4400 satellites, let alone ~12,000 or ~40,000.
Once orbit-raising is complete, Musk believes that visors will effectively make Starlink satellites invisible to the naked eye, but more work will have to be done if SpaceX wants to fully mitigate Starlink’s astronomy impact.
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Tesla Cybercab display highlights interior wizardry in the small two-seater
Photos and videos of the production Cybercab were shared in posts on social media platform X.
The Tesla Cybercab is currently on display at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., and observations of the production vehicle are highlighting some of its notable design details.
Photos and videos of the production Cybercab were shared in posts on social media platform X.
Observers of the Cybercab display unit noted that the two-seat Robotaxi provides unusually generous legroom for a vehicle of its size. Based on the vehicle’s video, the compact two-seater appears to offer more legroom than Tesla’s larger vehicles such as the Model Y, Model X, and Cybertruck.
The Cybercab’s layout allows Tesla to dedicate nearly the entire cabin to passengers. The vehicle is designed without a steering wheel or pedals, which helps maximize interior space.
Footage from the display also highlights the Cybercab’s large center screen, which is positioned prominently in front of the passenger bench. The display appears intended to provide entertainment and ride information while the vehicle operates autonomously.
Images of the vehicle also show an additional camera integrated into the Cybercab’s C-pillar. The extra camera appears to expand the vehicle’s field of view, which would be useful as Tesla works toward fully unsupervised Full Self-Driving.
Tesla engineers have previously explained that the Cybercab was designed to be highly efficient both in manufacturing and in operation. Cybercab Lead Engineer Eric E. stated in 2024 that the Robotaxi would be built with roughly half the number of parts used in a Model 3 sedan.
“Two seats unlocks a lot of opportunity aerodynamically. It also means we cut the part count of Cybercab down by a substantial margin. We’re gonna be delivering a car that has roughly half the parts of Model 3 today,” the Tesla engineer said.
The Tesla engineer also noted that the Cybercab’s cargo area can accommodate multiple golf bags, two carry-on suitcases, and two full-size checked bags. The trunk can also fit certain bicycles and a foldable wheelchair depending on size, which is quite impressive for a small car like the Cybercab.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI wins permit for power plant supporting AI data centers
The development was reported by CNBC, citing confirmation from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
Mississippi regulators have approved a permit allowing Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI to construct a natural gas power plant in Southaven. The facility is expected to support the company’s expanding AI infrastructure tied to its Colossus data center operations near Memphis.
The development was reported by CNBC, citing confirmation from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
According to the report, regulators “voted to approve the permit” of xAI subsidiary MZX Tech LLC to construct a power plant featuring 41 natural gas-burning turbines “after careful consideration of all public comments and community concerns.”
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality stated that the permit followed a regulatory review process that included public comments and community input. Jaricus Whitlock, air division chief for the MDEQ, stated that the project met all applicable environmental standards.
“The proposed PSD permit in front of the board today not only meets all state and federal permitting regulations, but goes above and beyond what is required by law. MDEQ and the EPA agree that not a single person around our facilities will be exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution,” Whitlock stated.
The planned facility will help provide electricity for xAI’s AI computing infrastructure in the Memphis region.
The Southaven project forms part of xAI’s efforts to scale computing capacity for its artificial intelligence systems.
The company currently operates two major data centers in Memphis, known as Colossus 1 and Colossus 2, which provide computing power for xAI’s Grok AI models. xAI is also planning to build another large data center in Southaven called Macrohardrr, which would be located in a warehouse previously used by GXO Logistics.
Large-scale AI training requires substantial computing power and electricity, prompting technology companies to develop dedicated energy infrastructure for their data centers.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell previously stated that xAI plans to develop 1.2 gigawatts of power capacity for its Memphis-area AI supercomputer site as part of the federal government’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge. The commitment was announced during an event with United States President Donald Trump.
“As part of today’s commitment, we will take extensive additional steps to continue to reduce the costs of electricity for our neighbors. xAI will therefore commit to develop 1.2 GW of power as our supercomputer’s primary power source. That will be for every additional data center as well. We will expand what is already the largest global Megapack power installation in the world,” Shotwell said.
“The installation will provide enough backup power to power the city of Memphis, and more than sufficient energy to power the town of Southaven, Mississippi where the data center resides. We will build new substations and invest in electrical infrastructure to provide stability to the area’s grid.”
Elon Musk
Tesla China teases Optimus robot’s human-looking next-gen hands
The image was shared by Tesla AI’s account on Weibo and later reposted by Tesla community members on X.
A new teaser shared by Tesla’s China team appears to show a pair of unusually human-like hands for Optimus.
The image was shared by Tesla AI’s account on Weibo and later reposted by Tesla community members on X.
As could be seen in the teaser image, the new version of Optimus’ hands features proportions and finger structures that look strikingly similar to those of a human hand. Their appearance suggests that they might have dexterity approaching that of a human hand.
If the image reflects a new generation of Optimus’ hands, it could indicate Tesla is continuing to refine one of the most critical components of its humanoid robot.
Hands are widely viewed as one of the most difficult engineering challenges in robotics. For Optimus to perform complex real-world work, from manufacturing tasks to household activities, its hands would need to be the best in the industry.
Elon Musk has repeatedly described Optimus as Tesla’s most important long-term product. In posts on social media platform X, Musk has stated that Optimus could eventually become the first real-world Von Neumann machine.
In theory, a Von Neumann machine is a self-replicating system capable of building copies of itself using available materials. The concept was originally proposed by mathematician John von Neumann in the mid-20th century.
“Optimus will be the first Von Neumann machine, capable of building civilization by itself on any viable planet,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
If Optimus is expected to carry out complex work autonomously in the future, high levels of dexterity will likely be essential. This makes the development of advanced robotic hands a key step towards Musk’s long-term expectations for the product.
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Tesla Cybercab display highlights interior wizardry in the small two-seater
