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SpaceX’s Starlink internet a step closer to customers as “user terminal” hiring ramps up
As SpaceX prepares to kick off an aggressive Starlink launch campaign in the next month or two, the company is also aggressively hiring build teams that will engineer and mass-produce crucial ground-based hardware, ranging from ground stations and mobile applications to the “user terminals” that will go in customer homes.
The proposed Starlink satellite internet constellation will be comprised of up to 12,000 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and is designed to provide low latency high-speed broadband internet service the world over. Company CEO Elon Musk has previously discussed that a major focus of the constellation would be to provide reliable and fast internet service to rural and remote locations where existing service may be far too expensive or unreliable.
Over the last 6-12 months, an array of job listings have advertised well over a hundred new positions related to Starlink, with a recent trend towards prioritization of user terminal production at SpaceX’s Hawthorne, CA headquarters. SpaceX is also looking to expand its software development workforce to mature the software needed for user terminals and create a range of other customer-facing products, including a “Starlink Mobile” app for both Android and iOS devices.
Similar to current satellite TV and internet solutions, SpaceX’s Starlink internet service will require ground-based receivers – “user terminals” – at their location of use. By all appearances, SpaceX may also have plans to integrate a WiFi router directly into the terminal to make the user experience as seamless as possible, but it’s just as likely that SpaceX will simply include ports for users to connect their own routers. Musk has previously stated that the user terminals will use phased arrays antennas that will allow them to stay motionless on the ground while electronically ‘steering’ to ensure the best possible satellite connection.
The user terminals will be the connect-all hardware point that will “sit in (Starlink) customers’ homes” to “bridge the gap between OS software, flight software, antenna software, and modem software.” Presumably, the User Terminals will be far more advanced than current access modems and will also encompass a router that would allow satellite wifi service throughout the area of access. Past statements indicate that SpaceX intends for the terminals to be roughly the size of a small pizza box.
In line with user terminal planning, SpaceX has also begun hiring developers for a Starlink Mobile application. This will enable customers to enjoy “a seamless experience managing their accounts and internet access”, presumably offering something akin to the experience that current Tesla customers have with Tesla’s mobile apps.
The current Tesla app is a comprehensive experience that allows user monitoring and customization of every aspect of their Tesla products inclusing vehicles and Powerwall energy systems. The experience guides the user from set-up to everyday use of their various Tesla products.
From the senior software engineer job listing, it can be assumed that the Starlink Mobile app will be comparable to the Tesla app. The advertised position will “bring to life the mobile portal into Starlink.” It’s very likely that the Starlink Mobile app will allow the user to monitor device connections, download and upload speeds, and other customer-specific experiences such as account access and billing. The app will be built completely in-house and from the ground up to ensure that it is specified and tailored to meet the various requirements of a comprehensive and quality customer experience.
SpaceX is expected to ramp up the development and manufacturing of all Starlink supportive ground systems within the coming weeks and months. The advertised positions are all located in California – the software development and manufacturing of User Terminal Teams based in Hawthorne while the mobile application software engineer position is located in Los Angeles.
According to President and COO Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX aspires to launch 2-4 more missions in 2019 and as many as 24 dedicated Starlink missions in 2020 alone, roughly translating to a Starlink launch ever two weeks. Customer launches would occur in the interim and SpaceX has made it clear that customers will come first, with Starlink missions then filling in the gaps left in SpaceX’s commercial manifest.
SpaceX ultimately believes that it can begin serving customers after as few as 6-8 launches with 60 Starlink satellites apiece, while initial global coverage will require 24 launches. Beyond those milestones, more launches (involving anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000+ additional satellites) would simply add bandwidth and allow SpaceX to expand its customer base and distribute additional capacity based on demand.
SpaceX’s next two Starlink missions are scheduled to launch no earlier than mid-November and December 2019.
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Tesla’s Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles dominated the company’s global usage rankings after just one year, proving the concept is more than just a one-off novelty location that will fade away.
The performance could incite the company to build more locations, something that CEO Elon Musk has hinted at for some time.
Tesla’s Supercharger Diner delivered 21.2 GWh of energy in its first year of operation, the company’s head of Charging, Max de Zegher, revealed on X. Of the top 10 most utilized Supercharger locations in Tesla’s global infrastructure, the Diner in Los Angeles was the most used by drivers, and it wasn’t particularly close:
Tesla Diner opened exactly 1 year ago. Inspiring that futuristic places like this exist.
It’s our highest usage Supercharger in the world: 21.2 GWh delivered in a year, 1.6k sessions/day.
Top 10 Superchargers by energy delivered: https://t.co/9YvJ8lw696 pic.twitter.com/koB3AUJHws
— Max (@MdeZegher) July 21, 2026
On its launch day one year ago, nobody was too sure what the Tesla Diner would be about. It seemed like an interesting concept, and considering it had been in the works for years, it was a highly anticipated launch that many were looking forward to.
Based on its success, we could see additional Diners with Superchargers built throughout the United States, and potentially beyond. Musk has said on several occasions that the company would be willing to bring the Diner idea to more markets.
Tesla makes major change at Supercharger Diner amid epic demand
Of the markets that Musk has mentioned, both Palo Alto and Austin have come to be perceived as ideal selections. However, there are no concrete plans as of now to build new Supercharger Diners anywhere; the location on Santa Monica Boulevard will remain the exclusive spot to pick up Tesla-inspired eats, at least for the time being.
Tesla short sellers won big following the company’s massive fall on Wall Street after it reported subpar Earnings on Wednesday.
Tesla short sellers collected about $4.12 billion in single-day profits on Thursday, according to Bloomberg. Shares fell as much as 15 percent during Thursday’s session. It closed as one of the worst days for Tesla on Wall Street in the past three years.
Investors sold off the stock after Tesla said it would aggressively direct its spending toward AI and its Optimus robot project. The company had record revenues, which were driven by one of the strongest quarters in terms of vehicle deliveries in company history.
However, it missed EPS estimates by reporting just $0.33, a far cry from the $0.53 analysts expected.
S3 Partners reported that about 3 percent of Tesla’s outstanding stock is sold short. Managing Director at S3, Ihor Dusaniwsky, provided the short seller’s potential profit, as well as another figure: shorts have likely had paper gains of $8.92 billion this year, as Tesla shares are down 30 percent in 2026.
Tesla (TSLA) Q2 2026 earnings results: miss on EPS, beat on revenue
Tesla has burned short sellers many times in the past, but the company’s latest Earnings Call was a chance for those skeptics to taste some payback. Although the company gave some very transparent information regarding future projects, the rollout of Robotaxi, Optimus, and Semi, many investors took their profits on Thursday.
Notable short sellers like Michael Burry have been transparent about their skepticism around Tesla shares. Burry just revealed three weeks ago that he had opened up a new short on the stock, stating he shorted Tesla shares at $416.22. “Happy it jumped back to this level,” he said in a blog post.
At the time of publication, Tesla shares were down about 3 percent and the stock was trading at $309.92.
Tesla’s long-standing saga regarding its door handles and a manual release has entered its latest chapter, and as a result, a big change is coming.
On Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) denied Tesla’s petition that was seeking a defect investigation into roughly 180,000 Model 3 vehicles for an issue involving the emergency mechanical door release.
🚨 The NHTSA denied a petition from Tesla that would have thrown out concerns regarding its door handles.
NHTSA said Tesla’s petition did not present evidence of a safety-related defect warranting an investigation. The agency said a rulemaking process would be a better strategy. pic.twitter.com/j6PzUBM1mT
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 24, 2026
NHTSA said that Tesla’s petition did not present evidence of a safety-related defect in the door handles or their emergency releases. Instead, the agency determined that it would rather solve the issue of the lack of labeling or location of emergency mechanical door releases and the federal safety rules that govern them.
Essentially, the NHTSA wants to create and enforce rules that would require automakers to make emergency door latch releases more clearly labeled in a car. Despite a Tesla having manual door releases on all four passenger doors, many people do not know they exist or how they work.
Tesla addresses door handle complaints with simple engineering fix
In recent times, Tesla has faced some criticism involving its door handles, specifically because some occupants have reported that they are unable to exit their vehicles after losing power. The door handles on a Tesla are electronically operated, but in the event that the 12V battery dies, there is a manual release that can be used.
The NHTSA only identified a single complaint involving the mechanical door releases: a 2022 Model 3 owner said the release was concealed and unlabeled after the vehicle lost power after a front-end collision. It has also already started to create a separate rulemaking process to make emergency door-egress systems more obvious.
It should be noted that all Teslas have mechanical emergency door releases, but they are placed in various locations as the vehicles have aged and been redesigned from year to year. Refer to the safety manual for your vehicle if you have any confusion about where the emergency releases are and how they work.
Tesla’s Supercharger Diner probably just secured more locations
Tesla short sellers win big after shares fall after earnings
