Category: SpaceX

What a way to kick off the year! On February 13, 2026, at precisely 5:15 a.m. Eastern Time, SpaceX etched another milestone into the annals of spaceflight history. A Falcon 9 rocket thundered off Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, propelling the Crew Dragon Freedom toward the International Space Station (ISS). But this wasn’t just any crew rotation—it doubled as the debut of Landing Zone 40 (LZ-40), SpaceX’s shiny new booster touchdown pad right next to the launch site.

In the annals of space exploration, few moments capture the imagination quite like the Falcon Heavy’s maiden flight on February 6, 2018. Strapped atop this behemoth rocket wasn’t a satellite or scientific payload, but Elon Musk’s cherry-red Tesla Roadster, complete with a mannequin named Starman at the wheel, blasting David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” into the void. Critics called it a stunt; visionaries saw it as a declaration of intent. Fast-forward seven years to 2026, and that “stunt” has aged like fine wine, symbolizing the audacious risk-taking that propelled SpaceX and Tesla from precarious upstarts to trillion-dollar titans reshaping industries.

As a tech and space industry veteran who’s tracked Elon Musk’s empire-building for over a decade, I can confidently say this week’s bombshell – SpaceX’s acquisition of xAI – isn’t just the largest M&A deal in history at $1.25 trillion; it’s a textbook example of surgical corporate strategy. Valuing SpaceX at $1 trillion and xAI at $250 billion, the deal consolidates Musk’s AI ambitions under his rocket powerhouse without the messy entanglements of debt, lawsuits, or taxes. But how? Enter the triangular merger – a structure so clever it feels like Musk pulled it from a sci-fi playbook. In this deep dive, we’ll unpack the mechanics, the wins, the risks, and what it means for SpaceX’s looming IPO and the future of orbital AI.

In the ever-buzzing world of Elon Musk’s tech empire, rumors of a “Starlink phone” have been swirling like satellites in low Earth orbit. Just yesterday, Reuters dropped a bombshell report suggesting SpaceX was gearing up to launch a direct-to-satellite mobile device to supercharge revenue ahead of a potential IPO. But true to form, Musk wasted no time shutting it down—twice—on X, declaring, “We are not developing a phone” and accusing Reuters of “lying relentlessly.” As a space tech blogger who’s tracked SpaceX’s meteoric rise for over a decade, this latest drama underscores a bigger picture: SpaceX is laser-focused on its core missions amid massive expansions like the recent xAI merger. Let’s dive deep into what really happened, why it matters, and what it means for the future of connectivity.

In the ever-evolving world of space technology, SpaceX continues to push boundaries beyond rockets and reusable spacecraft. The latest buzz from Reuters reveals that Elon Musk’s powerhouse is seriously considering a Starlink-branded phone – a dedicated mobile device designed to connect directly to the Starlink satellite constellation, bypassing traditional cell towers entirely. ❶ ❷ This isn’t just idle speculation; it’s a strategic pivot that could redefine global connectivity, especially as Starlink already dominates SpaceX’s revenue stream. As a space tech blogger who’s tracked Musk’s ventures for over a decade, I see this as the natural evolution of Starlink’s direct-to-device (D2D) ambitions – blending satellite internet with AI prowess in a handheld form factor.

Imagine a sky filled not just with stars, but with a million tiny supercomputers orbiting Earth, guzzling endless solar power to crunch AI workloads that would cripple terrestrial data centers. That’s the audacious vision SpaceX just lodged with the FCC – and on February 4, 2026, the agency accepted it for review, kicking off a public comment period that could reshape computing, space policy, and humanity’s cosmic ambitions.