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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk talks Starship space telescopes, artificial gravity
In his latest batch of tweets, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says that the company is already thinking about the many potential ways its next-generation Starship launch vehicle could be used in space.
Already, ideas publicly touted by the SpaceX CEO range from using Cargo Starships to clean up space debris with its mouth-like payload bay to a stripped-down, expendable variant of the rocket to rapidly send massive spacecraft throughout the solar system. Now, Musk says that SpaceX has also considered tethering Starships together in space to create a form of artificial gravity for passengers on multi-month journeys between planets, as well as the possibility of turning entire Starships into all-in-one orbital observatories a magnitude more powerful than Hubble.
Apparently invoked during discussions with astrophysicist and Nobel laureate Saul Perlmutter, at least parts of the physics community are already considering the possibilities offered by using Starship as a sort of foundation or spacecraft bus that could carry and operate vast scientific payloads. While Starship has already been officially floated several times as a serious contender for launch services for major future missions, this concept would instead see Starship function as the spacecraft itself.
As of 2021, Starship has yet to reach space or orbit once, but SpaceX isn’t far from that milestone. Eventually, perhaps just a few years from now, Starship will have successfully launched to and operated in orbit dozens or even hundreds of times and become a mature and reliable spacecraft.
At that point, it wouldn’t be out of the question to entrust Starships themselves to serve as long-lasting scientific spacecraft, exploiting a ‘bus’ that could offer abundant power, propulsion, thermal management, navigation, and communications capabilities to any ‘hosted’ payloads. That includes extensively modifying Starships on the ground to create vast space observatories, among numerous other possibilities.
Given Starship’s low production cost, 9-meter (~30 ft) diameter, and nominal ability to deliver at least 100 metric tons (~220,000 lb) of payload to low Earth orbit (LEO), it’s not inconceivable that ships could be outfitted with massive telescopes and scientific instruments. Perhaps more importantly, drastically reduced payload constraints (more than an order of magnitude relative to the Hubble or James Webb telescopes) could allow major innovation in spacecraft/instrument design, radically lowering costs while still improving reliability, redundancy, and performance.
Meanwhile, Musk says that SpaceX has also considered tethering crewed Starships together and spinning them around the center of that tether to create artificial gravity for crewmembers on months-long journeys between Earth, Mars, and other planets. Among fan communities, the tethered gravity concept has been circulating ever since SpaceX first announced Starship in 2016. Loosely researched by NASA and other institutions for decades, no real experimental efforts – save for a single halting test during a 1960s Gemini mission – have ever been pursued.
For Starship, orbital refueling could easily allow SpaceX to cut crewed Earth-Mars transit time to 100 days or less – subjecting astronauts to significantly less time in microgravity than those that crew the International Space Station (ISS). The value proposition of artificial gravity on 3-month cruises is likely substantially less clear-cut given the far-reaching complexity and modifications required to make such a system functional and make Starships compatible.
Regardless, Musk rather cryptically says that SpaceX has considered the concept, though he didn’t elaborate on whether the company ultimately decided to drop the subject or pursue it further.
Elon Musk
SpaceX is exploring a “Starlink Phone” for direct-to-device internet services: report
The update was reportedly shared to Reuters by people familiar with the matter.
SpaceX is reportedly exploring new products tied to Starlink, including a potential Starlink-branded phone.
The update was reportedly shared to Reuters by people familiar with the matter.
A possible Starlink Phone
As per Reuters’ sources, SpaceX has reportedly discussed building a mobile device designed to connect directly to the Starlink satellite constellation. Details about the potential device and its possible release are still unclear, however.
SpaceX has dabbled with mobile solutions in the past. The company has partnered with T-Mobile to provide Starlink connectivity to existing smartphones. And last year, SpaceX initiated a $19.6 billion purchase of satellite spectrum from EchoStar.
Elon Musk did acknowledge the idea of a potential mobile device recently on X, writing that a Starlink phone is “not out of the question at some point.” Unlike conventional smartphones, however, Musk described a device that is “optimized purely for running max performance/watt neural nets.”
Starlink and SpaceX’s revenue
Starlink has become SpaceX’s dominant commercial business. Reuters’ sources claimed that the private space company generated roughly $15–$16 billion in revenue last year, with about $8 billion in profit. Starlink is estimated to have accounted for 50% to 80% of SpaceX’s total revenue last year.
SpaceX now operates more than 9,500 Starlink satellites and serves over 9 million users worldwide. About 650 satellites are already dedicated to SpaceX’s direct-to-device initiative, which aims to eventually provide full cellular coverage globally.
Future expansion of Starlink’s mobile capabilities depends heavily on Starship, which is designed to launch larger batches of upgraded Starlink satellites. Musk has stated that each Starship launch carrying Starlink satellites could increase network capacity by “more than 20 times.”
Elon Musk
FCC accepts SpaceX filing for 1 million orbital data center plan
The move formally places SpaceX’s “Orbital Data Center” concept into the FCC’s review process.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has accepted SpaceX’s filing for a new non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system of up to one million spacecraft and has opened the proposal for public comment.
The move formally places SpaceX’s “Orbital Data Center” concept into the FCC’s review process, marking the first regulatory step for the ambitious space-based computing network.
FCC opens SpaceX’s proposal for comment
In a public notice, the FCC’s Space Bureau stated that it is accepting SpaceX’s application to deploy a new non-geostationary satellite system known as the “SpaceX Orbital Data Center system.” As per the filing, the system would consist of “up to one million satellites” operating at altitudes between 500 and 2,000 kilometers, using optical inter-satellite links for data transmission.
The FCC notice described the proposal as a long-term effort. SpaceX wrote that the system would represent the “first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization – one that can harness the Sun’s full power.” The satellites would rely heavily on high-bandwidth optical links and conduct telemetry, tracking, and command operations, with traffic routed through space-based laser networks before being sent to authorized ground stations.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr highlighted the filing in a post on X, noting that the Commission is now seeking public comment on SpaceX’s proposal. Interested parties have until early March to submit comments.
What SpaceX is proposing to build
As per the FCC’s release, SpaceX’s orbital data center system would operate alongside its existing and planned Starlink constellations. The FCC notice noted that the proposed satellites may connect not only with others in the new system, but also with satellites in SpaceX’s first- and second-generation Starlink networks.
The filing also outlined several waiver requests, including exemptions from certain NGSO milestone and surety bond requirements, as well as flexibility in how orbital planes and communication beams are disclosed, as noted in a Benzinga report. SpaceX noted that these waivers are necessary to support the scale and architecture of the proposed system.
As noted in coverage of the filing, the proposal does not represent an immediate deployment plan, but rather a framework for future space-based computing infrastructure. SpaceX has discussed the idea of moving energy-intensive computing, such as AI workloads, into orbit, where continuous solar power and large physical scale could reduce constraints faced on Earth.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Boring Company signs deal to begin Dubai Loop project
The project marks the Boring Company’s first tunneling project outside the United States.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company has signed a definitive agreement with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to begin implementing the Dubai Loop.
The project marks the Boring Company’s first tunneling project outside the United States.
The Boring Company signs Dubai Loop agreement
The Boring Company signed a partnership agreement with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit 2026 to start the implementation of the Dubai Loop, as per the tunneling startup in a blog post.
The agreement was signed on behalf of Dubai RTA by Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, and on behalf of The Boring Company by James Fitzgerald, the startup’s global vice president of business development. Senior officials from both organizations were present at the signing ceremony.
The Dubai Loop project is intended to improve passenger mobility in high-density urban areas through underground vehicle tunnels designed for faster construction and lower surface disruption than conventional transport systems.
Pilot route and project scope outlined
The first phase of the Dubai Loop will consist of a 4-mile (6.4 km) pilot route with four stations linking the Dubai International Financial Centre and Dubai Mall. The pilot phase is expected to pave the way for a full network extending up to 14 miles (22.5 km) with 19 stations connecting the Dubai World Trade Centre, the financial district, and Business Bay.
The tunnels will have a diameter of 12 feet (3.6 meters) and will be dedicated to vehicle transport. Construction will rely on tunneling methods designed to reduce costs and minimize disruption to existing infrastructure.
The pilot phase is estimated to cost about $154 million, with delivery expected roughly one year after design work and preparatory activities are completed. The full Dubai Loop network is projected to cost approximately $545 million and would take around three years to implement.
Capacity targets and next steps
Mattar Al Tayer shared his excitement about the project, stating that the Loop system will be a qualitative addition to the city’s transportation system. “The project represents a qualitative addition to Dubai’s transport ecosystem, as it enhances integration between different mobility modes and provides flexible and efficient first- and last-mile solutions.
“Studies have demonstrated the project’s efficiency in terms of capacity and operating costs, with the pilot route expected to serve around 13,000 passengers per day, while the full route is projected to have a total capacity of approximately 30,000 passengers per day,” he said.
Steve Davis, president of The Boring Company, highlighted that the partnership aims to deliver safe and efficient tunneling solutions aligned with Dubai’s long-term mobility strategy.
“We are proud to partner with the Roads and Transport Authority, one of the world’s leading entities in adopting innovative solutions in the transport sector. Through this partnership, we look forward to delivering advanced, safe, and highly efficient tunnelling solutions that support Dubai’s vision for sustainable and future mobility,” Davis stated.
SpaceX is exploring a “Starlink Phone” for direct-to-device internet services: report
FCC accepts SpaceX filing for 1 million orbital data center plan
