SpaceX is getting very close to building the first serious base on the Moon
Starship changes the entire equation
It is designed to deliver up to 100 tonnes directly to the lunar surface - enough to transport habitats, rovers, power systems, construction equipment and everything needed to begin building a permanent outpost
Then the other pieces come together
Tesla Optimus robots could eventually unload cargo, assemble structures, move equipment and perform dangerous construction work before large human crews arrive
Building a base mostly with humans is a serious limitation
Humans need life support, pressurized habitats, spacesuits, oxygen, food and protection just to survive and work on the lunar surface
But with Tesla Optimus, that equation changes entirely
Tesla’s experience with solar energy, batteries, autonomous vehicles and large-scale manufacturing can support the power and transportation systems required on the Moon
SpaceX provides transportation
Tesla provides energy, autonomy and robotics
Starship provides the scale
Suddenly building a serious base on the Moon becomes dramatically easier
And once that infrastructure is ready, humans can stay for much longer periods and eventually even routine private lunar missions and tourism become possible
Once the first permanent lunar outpost is established, its usefulness will compound rapidly.....supporting science, resource development, communications and deeper missions into space
The Moon could become humanity’s first true outpost beyond Earth
SpaceX is taking Starship offshore.
The company is backing offshore platforms for Starship launches and catches potentially enabling higher launch cadence, safer debris zones, and more flexible trajectories.
Starship operations could be getting a whole lot bigger.
SpaceX’s Starlink deployment pace is getting ridiculously high
24 Starlink satellites were successfully deployed yesterday
And now two more Starlink missions are already lined up immediately behind it:
• 29 satellites from Florida on August 10
• 24 satellites from California on August 11
If both fly as planned, SpaceX will have launched 77 Starlink satellites across just three missions in a little over 3 days
One batch reaches orbit, and before you even have time to process it, another Falcon 9 is already preparing to launch from the opposite side of the country
This is what makes Starlink so difficult to compete with
The constellation is being expanded continuously
SpaceX’s AI capital expenditures were close to $16bn in the quarter, more than double the group’s total revenue. Investors have balked at the spending bill
SpaceX’s $250 billion swing in market value this past week put Elon Musk back in grind mode, having to execute on highflying promises, writes the WSJ’s @timkhiggins