Starlink

SpaceX is targeting Friday night to launch another batch of Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from California. The launches, which occur nearly weekly, continue to captivate Southern Californians despite their frequency.

China successfully landed the first stage of its Long March-10B reusable rocket using a net-based recovery system, marking its first orbital rocket reuse. This achievement positions China alongside SpaceX and Blue Origin in reusable rocket technology, though its payload capacity still lags behind SpaceX's Falcon 9.

Russia and China are collaborating to develop capabilities to disable or destroy Starlink, including malware and jamming devices, as revealed by a joint investigation. The partnership involves exchanging Russian battlefield experience for Chinese technology, with Russian forces using jamming to counter Ukraine's Starlink-aided drone attacks.

SpaceX aims to launch 100,000 Starlink satellites into orbit. The initiative is part of the company's satellite internet project.

Paraguay's regulator Conatel approved new conditions for Starlink, allowing higher power density and new E and W frequency bands. SpaceX claims this increases capacity eightfold and speeds up to 1 Gbps.

Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' space startup, is seeking $10 billion at a $130 billion valuation to compete with SpaceX. The article highlights SpaceX's advantages in launches, funding, and diversification compared to Blue Origin's challenges, drawing parallels to Lyft's position relative to Uber.

SpaceX is on track for record-setting Starlink satellite deployments, launching 29 more satellites last night and 1,589 in the first half of 2026, surpassing its 2025 pace. The company has deployed over 12,400 Starlink satellites since inception, with nearly 11,000 still operational.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 5:25 a.m. and was later spotted flying over the Carolinas with a 'jellyfish cloud' trailing behind. The mission is deploying 29 Starlink satellites.

Russia is employing electronic warfare and disguised logistics, including Starlink-jamming systems and civilian-vehicle fuel shipments, to counter Ukraine's drone strikes. Ukrainian forces report targeting these new jammers as part of Russia's evolving tactics.

Brazil's telecom regulator approved satellite direct-to-cell rules, enabling Starlink to provide phone service to ordinary handsets via satellite. This approval clears the way for Starlink to beam phone signals directly to devices in Brazil.

Russian forces are deploying powerful jamming systems to disrupt Ukraine's mid-strike drone operations, which rely on Starlink satellite internet. Ukraine's use of these drones has transformed the war by enabling precise, long-range attacks.

Over 19,000 DTE customers in metro Detroit remain without power on the fifth day of outages caused by severe weather. Residents report financial and health challenges from generator fuel costs, takeout meals, and heat, while DTE has deployed 4,000 workers and aims to restore power by Tuesday night. DTE CEO Joi Harris acknowledged the $42 credit offered to customers is insufficient.

Wall Street banks are optimistic about SpaceX's future, predicting stock prices above $200 within 12-18 months, but the stock currently trades around $152. Analysts highlight SpaceX's potential in space transportation and Starlink satellites, with J.P. Morgan forecasting $225 by 2027 and Raymond James projecting $800. However, risks like delays in Starship development temper investor confidence.

Wall Street analysts recommend buying SpaceX stock, forecasting prices above $200 in 12-18 months, but the stock currently trades around $152. Analysts highlight SpaceX's potential in space transportation, Starlink satellites, and AI advancements, though risks like Starship development delays are noted. The company's IPO in June 2024 valued it at over $2 trillion, making Elon Musk the first trillionaire, though his net worth has since dropped below $1 trillion.

Vietnam is excavating a graveyard to build a Trump International golf resort with residences along the Red River. A Starbucks coffeehouse opened on Vietnam's tallest mountain near Sapa, and Elon Musk received a Starlink satellite license to expand operations.

Ukrainian midrange drones are disrupting Russian supply lines, targeting logistics to weaken frontline forces and enable counterattacks. These drones, equipped with Starlink satellite communications, have turned Russia's rear logistics into an active battlefield, complicating supply efforts and stalling advances.

Africans are increasingly adopting Starlink, a satellite-based internet service. The article has garnered 26 points and 3 comments on Hacker News.

Elon Musk's companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, have transformed industries and generated significant wealth. His political influence includes involvement in the 2024 Trump win and the DOGE government takeover. A Galaxy Brain episode discusses his rise, ideology, and impact through a conversation with historians and writers.

Ukrainian forces reportedly destroyed a Russian system deployed to jam Starlink. The satellite network, which is notoriously difficult to jam, has become crucial for providing high-speed internet access to Ukraine.

Verizon and AT&T shares are experiencing their worst week in years due to the looming threat of SpaceX's Starlink service. The telecom companies' stocks are declining as concerns about competition from Starlink intensify.

A Colorado man named Steve Siguaw plans to attempt a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world in 2024, aiming to become the oldest person to complete the journey. The 27,000-nautical-mile voyage will include navigating the Five Great Capes and is inspired by French sailor Bernard Moitessier.

The Texas governor’s office requested broadband regulations that would benefit Elon Musk’s Starlink. The state office overseeing rural broadband funding faces allegations of favoritism and offering preferential deals to low earth orbit satellite broadband providers.

Colorado man Steve Siguaw plans to become the first Coloradan and oldest person to sail non-stop around the world, including the Five Great Capes, starting next August. He aims to set a record at age 78, facing challenges like storms and food supplies.

Amazon has enough Leo satellites to launch its satellite broadband service, though its constellation remains significantly smaller than Starlink's.

Amazon has deployed 396 satellites for its Starlink competitor, Amazon Leo, which is now sufficient to provide continuous service in initial latitudes. The company aims for commercial availability by mid-2026, though early service may be limited compared to SpaceX's 2020 launch with nearly 900 satellites.

China's private space industry has grown from nearly nonexistent a decade ago to over 400 commercial space companies, developing reusable rockets, satellite constellations, and asteroid-mining projects. The rise of SpaceX influenced Chinese reforms, leading to private sector innovation, with companies like LandSpace achieving milestones such as the first methane-powered rocket in orbit in 2023.

Starlink, a service of SpaceX, is challenging restrictions imposed by the EU on satellite telephony. Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX, attended the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

A study by the European Southern Observatory warns that 1.7 million planned satellites will have 'devastating consequences' for astronomy by brightening the night sky and disrupting telescopic observations. Researchers recommend limiting satellites to 100,000 to preserve ground-based astronomy, citing threats from projects like SpaceX's Starlink and Reflect Orbital's 50,000-mirror satellites.

Joseph Armeanio watched his Colorado property burn during the Aspen Acres Fire, using Starlink and Ring cameras to monitor the destruction. He emphasized the rapid danger of wildfires and plans to rebuild despite losing buildings and belongings.

Charter's potential partnership with SpaceX could enable Starlink to enter the wireless market, driving up Charter's stock while shares of other telecoms decline.

Rocket Lab is acquiring Iridium to accelerate its expansion and compete with SpaceX’s Starlink. The $8 billion deal is described as a 'shortcut' to enhancing Rocket Lab's capabilities.

Elon Musk announced that SpaceX is redirecting top Starship and Starlink engineers to work on the Grok AI model, aiming to catch up with competitors. The company is also integrating Cursor, an AI coding startup acquired for $60 billion, to enhance Grok's development and plans to release new AI models monthly.

Search-and-rescue crews in Venezuela rescued 33 people from collapsed buildings after twin earthquakes struck the northern coast, with the death toll at 1,430 and nearly 50,000 missing. International teams, including U.S., Colombian, and Mexican rescuers, conducted operations in La Guaira state, while Starlink provided communication support and the Trump administration pledged $150 million in aid.

SpaceX launched 24 Starlink satellites into Earth orbit using the Falcon 9 rocket from California. The mission marks another step in SpaceX's satellite internet constellation deployment.

SpaceX is planning a Starlink mobile service to compete with U.S. carriers. President Gwynne Shotwell mentioned during an IPO roadshow that the company could build its own terrestrial mobile network.

Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines have equipped 150 aircraft with Starlink, offering free Wi-Fi to Atmos Rewards members. The installation is expected to be completed across the remaining mainline fleet by 2027.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett claimed he smuggled tens of thousands of Starlink receptors into Iran to aid anti-government protesters during internet blackouts, but the program was halted by current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The initiative aimed to enable communication during protests, which were violently suppressed by Iranian authorities.

Starlink's rapid growth is transforming SpaceX into an internet and national security powerhouse as competitors challenge its leadership.

A former Israeli prime minister admitted Israel smuggled Starlink internet receivers into Iran to support anti-government protesters, but stated that the current government under Benjamin Netanyahu did not continue the plan. The disclosure was made in a report by Reuters journalists Alexander Cornwell and Steven Scheer.

SpaceX's IPO made Elon Musk a trillionaire, with the company valued at $1.7 trillion. The article highlights SpaceX's core businesses like rockets and Starlink, its acquisition of xAI and X, and its projected $28.5 trillion market potential, while questioning how much of its value stems from Musk's narrative and meme-driven appeal.