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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
Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai
The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.
Tesla China sold 58,599 vehicles wholesale in February, reflecting strong year-over-year growth. The figure includes both domestic deliveries in China and vehicles exported to international markets.
The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.
Tesla’s February wholesale result represents a 91% increase year over year, compared with 30,688 vehicles in February 2025. Month over month, the result was down 15.2% from January, when Tesla China recorded 69,129 wholesale units.
The February total reflects combined sales of the Model 3 and Model Y produced at Gigafactory Shanghai. The facility produces the two vehicles for both domestic sales and exports.
Gigafactory Shanghai continues to serve as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub, supplying vehicles to markets across Asia and Europe. Data compiled by Tesla watchers shows that 18,485 vehicles were sold domestically in China in January 2026, while exports accounted for 50,644 units during the same period.
Tesla has also been extending financing programs in China as it pushes to strengthen domestic demand. The company recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing programs through March 31, marking the second extension of the promotion this year.
The financing initiative was first introduced on January 6 as a strategy aimed at offsetting higher ownership costs ahead of China’s planned 5% NEV purchase tax in 2026. The promotion was originally scheduled to expire at the end of January before being extended to February and then again through the end of the first quarter.
Tesla’s efforts come amid growing competition in China’s EV market. According to data compiled by CNEV Post, Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China reached 625,698 vehicles, representing a 4.78% year-over-year decline. Part of that decline was linked to the Model Y changeover to its updated variant in early 2025, which temporarily reduced deliveries during the transition period.
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Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia
One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier.
Tesla’s upcoming Model Y L has been spotted on transport trucks in Australia. Sightings of the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y variant have been reported on social media platform X by members of the Australian Tesla community.
One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier.
The sighting follows earlier observations by Tesla enthusiasts in Sydney, where a covered vehicle believed to be a Model Y L was spotted at a Supercharger.
The Sydney sighting drew attention after observers noted that the vehicle’s tare weight appeared to match the ADR approval listing for the Model Y L, suggesting it could indeed be the extended wheelbase variant of the electric SUV.
Tesla has previously confirmed that the Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026. The confirmation was reported by techAU following a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.
The Model Y L expands the existing Model Y lineup with seating for six passengers. The vehicle features a longer body compared with the standard Model Y in order to accommodate a spacious second and third row.
Tesla has opted for a 2-2-2 seating configuration instead of a traditional seven-seat layout for the Model Y L. The design includes two individual seats in the middle row to provide easier access to the third row and additional passenger space.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand has also stated that the Model Y L will be covered under the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.
Tesla has not yet announced pricing or official range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk shares timeframe for X Money early public access rollout
X Money is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.
Elon Musk has stated that X Money, the digital payments system being developed for social media platform X, is expected to enter early public access next month.
The update was shared by Musk in a post on X. “𝕏 Money early public access will launch next month,” Musk wrote in his post.
As noted in a Reuters report, X Money is being developed as a digital payment service that’s directly integrated into the X platform.
The system is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.
Musk has previously discussed plans to introduce payments and financial services as part of X’s broader development.
Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has discussed expanding X to include a range of services such as messaging, media, and financial tools.
Elon Musk has shared his goal of transforming X into an “everything app.” During a previous podcast interview with members of the Tesla community, Musk mused about turning X into something similar to China’s WeChat, which allows users to shop, pay, communicate, and perform a variety of other tasks.
“In China, you do everything in WeChat… it’s kickass… Outside of China, there’s nothing like it, people live on one app. My idea would be like how about if we just copy WeChat,” Musk joked at the time.
To prepare for the rollout of X Money, X has partnered with payment company Visa to support the development of payment services for the platform’s users. The move could allow X to tap into the growing demand for digital and in-app financial transactions as the company builds additional services around its existing user base.
Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai
Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia
