š SpaceX: Elon Musk reveals a major Starlink coverage update
Musk Reads #258
Starlink enters its next phase; Tesla settles; and Neuralink raises $200 million. Itās the free edition of Musk Reads #258 ā subscribe now to receive two more emails later this week!Ā
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Musk quote of the week
āInstalling Starship booster engines for first orbital flight.ā ā Elon Musk tweeted Sunday night from Starbase, coming one step closer to reaching a world-changing goal.Ā
SpaceX: Starlink prepares for the next chapterĀ
Get excited, Starlink fans: Thereās a new update from the company that has been frustrating users everywhere with its inconsistent beta coverage. Starlink will begin launching its second shell in August ā meaning more satellites in orbit and broader coverage for Starlink kit owners.Ā
Currently, Starlinkās first shell sits at around 1,500 satellites, just a shallow scoop of the 12,000 satellite total the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allotted Starlink. (A number that is also three times the amount of satellites currently floating above Earth.) Although 12,000 satellites would be able to deliver high-speed internet to even the most remote, isolated parts of the world ā as Starlinkās existing satellites have already started doing ā they also contribute to our growing space trash issue, clogging up the cosmos and changing the shape of low-Earth orbit. But for customers who have little choice but to rely on Starlink to get connected to the rest of the world, it could be hard to care about that.Ā
Regardless, SpaceX is going forward with expanding coverage, with Elon Musk most recently claiming that everyone except North and South Pole users (apologies to Santa) will have coverage by August. And just this weekend, news broke that Starlink obtained a license to provide āblanket coverageā to Great Britain. Finally, Love Island live streams for everyone.Ā
Tesla: A humble payoutĀ
Tesla has been receiving a lot of buzz over its batteries lately, and for plaintiffs receiving a $1.5 million settlement from Tesla, thatās a good thing. The settlement will cap an ongoing lawsuit alleging that Tesla ātemporarily reduced maximum battery voltage in 1,743 Model S sedans,ā limiting users in how high their battery could be charged. In response to the quickly spreading news that each Tesla owner involved in the suit would receive $625, Elon Musk admitted on Twitter that, in this case, Tesla was āwrong.ā
In other Tesla news, a Megapack, Teslaās ādensest battery system,ā as per its website, caught on fire this weekend in Australia. There were no injuries and, as of writing, the reason for the fire has not been publicly disclosed. The new mystery joins the tragic Tesla battery fire that made headlines this spring in unaddressed Tesla battery issues.
More happily, Teslaās Autopilot allegedly detected its driver as unconscious and helped him safely stop to receive medical attention last week. Teslaās Autopilot also sometimes thinks the Burger King sign is a traffic light.Ā
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In other Musk newsā¦
Elon Musk's Neuralink raises over $200 million from Google Ventures, others
Elon Musk: āI don't want to be CEO of anythingā
T-minus the internet
A ranked list of everything Musk-related and online, handpicked weekly with bionic precision.Ā Ā
10.Ā YouTuber AI Addict has been regularly uploading videos of Teslaās Full Self-Driving updates, which Musk says will be released biweekly. Watch now.
9. The United Kingdom will put regulations on Starlink. Read more.
8. While Starlink works on upgrading its satellites, itās telling subscribers in an email that new satellites will be equipped with āspace lasersā enabling the āthe fastest data transfer options.ā Okay!
7. Tesla drivers at The Boring Companyās only operational Loop, the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop, receive a script on how to talk about Elon Musk and his company. Musk is āinspiring/motivating/etc.ā
6. Neuralinkās fundraiser went well, but its competitor, Synchron, which wants to help paralyzed patients use computers through thought, will beat it to beginning FDA trials. Read more.
5.Ā Still, Neuralink is looking towards the future, posting a number of open job positions on its official Twitter. Read more.
4. Rockets are becoming the latest rich person must-have, with the families behind Volkswagen most recently entering the race to develop citizen space travel. Where would we be without an Audi in space?
3.Ā Texas hotels are filled with SpaceX employees preparing for the companyās first orbital launch. Read more.
2. NASA has denied Blue Originās appeal to the Moon landing contract the government agency awarded SpaceX. Sorry, Bezos.
1. And a piece of Musk history: Time asked Elon Musk 10 fan questions in July of 2010, covering his thoughts on when humanity will become āspacefaring,ā his timetable for the worldās conversion to all-electric cars, and his āLibertarian views.ā Do aliens like Ron Paul?
The ultra-fine print
This has been Musk Reads #258, the weekly rundown of essential reading about futurist and entrepreneur Elon Musk. Iām Ashley Bardhan, assistant to Musk Reads. Iāll be taking over the Monday newsletter for the summer.Ā
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Hello Ashley, this is my first comment on this site and apologize if I am not following the correct protocol. I am a great admirer of Elon Musk and his endeavors but in my opinion there is a huge weakness in one aspect of his rocket starship development.
The manner with the way the protective reentry tiles are been applied to the starship is in my way archaic and cumbersome to the extent that it almost mirrors the shuttle predicament.
Surely there must a better method and automated way of doing this simply by spraying the protective layer with a number of coats all controlled by computer technology and various spraying components giving the correct type of element, curing methodology and necessary protective thickness.
After seeing what this company does with steel components, engines and computer controls surely there has to be a better, quicker and automated process involved?
Roberto
Nice to see some good news about Star Link, but most importantly, when can we expect to see a distribution of units to non-beta customers.