Alameda-based startup Longshot Space Technology, led by CEO Mike Grace and CTO Nato Saichek, is developing a multi-stage gun system that accelerates projectiles toward orbit instead of using rockets. The company has raised roughly $20 million from venture investors and is currently testing a 70-foot, six-inch-diameter gun that has fired projectiles at speeds up to Mach 4. Longshot plans to present its technology at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.
Satlyt, a startup founded by former Google and SpaceX engineer Rama Afullo, has raised an $8 million seed round and is launching its satellite-based AI software on a SpaceX rocket this Thursday. The same launch carries the first prototype for Google's Project Suncatcher, its own orbital data center initiative. Satlyt doesn't build its own satellites; instead it makes software that lets AI models run across other companies' spacecraft, using fewer ground-based flight controllers.
SpaceX Super Intelligence (formerly X/xAI) has launched a single plan called 'The X Subscription' that combines X Premium perks, Grok AI chat and agent tools, and the Cursor coding assistant. The bundle comes in five tiers—free, Plus at $8, Premium at $30, Super at $100, and Ultra at $200 per month—with higher tiers unlocking greater AI usage and access to the newest Grok models.
Director Alex Gibney's nearly four-hour documentary 'Musk' debuts in theaters this Friday after Elon Musk declined to be interviewed. Gibney instead built an AI simulation of Musk from his public statements, while interviewing dozens of associates including Musk's father Errol, first wife Justine Musk, ex-girlfriend Ashley St. Claire, and journalists Kara Swisher and Katie Drummond.
SpaceX has agreed to appear before the New York City Council's tech committee on Friday as part of an investigation into AI safety risks, after initially skipping an Oct. 5 hearing attended by Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Meta. Council Speaker Julie Menin had issued a subpoena to Elon Musk and SpaceX's AI unit, and warned the company she would seek judicial enforcement before SpaceX agreed to comply two days later.
xAI's Grok chatbot remains available at no cost through its web and mobile apps, covering basic chat, voice interaction, and limited web and X search. However, usage caps restrict heavy use, and the most advanced models plus image and video generation tools are reserved for paid subscribers.
SpaceX announced it has agreed to acquire Grain Management's nationwide 800 MHz low-band spectrum portfolio for roughly $8 billion, giving it up to 14 megahertz of paired airwaves. Elon Musk said the acquisition is the final piece needed for SpaceX to offer complete phone coverage across America, though the deal still requires FCC approval. Separately this week, the FCC authorized SpaceX to launch 15,000 additional satellites.
Major indexes hit fresh records before a sharp tech selloff on Thursday, with the S&P 500 still finishing the week up 1.2% and the Nasdaq up 0.6% after Friday's rebound. Separately, SpaceX reportedly seeks to raise $40 billion to expand its Nvidia-powered AI compute business and announced a deal to acquire a nationwide wireless spectrum portfolio for Starlink.
Elon Musk escalated public criticism of Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, sarcastically calling him India's "prime minister" and accusing him of monopolistic practices that prevent Starlink from competing in the country. The remarks follow Musk's earlier claims that unnamed "oligarchs" were obstructing Starlink's entry, which India's Ministry of Communications denied, calling its satellite regulatory framework "fair and non-discriminatory." Despite a distribution deal with Reliance Jio and securing some regulatory clearances, Starlink still awaits final approval and is undergoing a government security assessment along with two other satellite operators.
SpaceX agreed to purchase up to 14 megahertz of nationwide low-band spectrum in the 800 MHz range from Grain Management, which had acquired the licenses from T-Mobile as part of a Sprint merger condition. The deal adds to SpaceX's earlier $17 billion purchase of 65 MHz of mid-band spectrum from EchoStar, approved by the FCC in May 2026. SpaceX also recently won approval to launch 15,000 satellites for an upgraded Starlink Mobile service.
SpaceX announced an agreement to acquire a nationwide spectrum portfolio from Grain Management, covering up to 14 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band, to expand Starlink into mobile service. Verizon shares fell about 7%, heading for their worst day since 2002, while T-Mobile dropped 12% and AT&T fell roughly 10%; SpaceX stock rose about 1%. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the deal is part of over $100 billion in spectrum expected to enter the market over the next two years.
SpaceX said the FCC has approved deployment of 15,000 next-generation Starlink Mobile satellites optimized for 2 GHz spectrum, offering over 100 times the bandwidth of the current fleet. The company also applied for a nationwide low-band spectrum license intended to improve signal penetration through walls and buildings, though that approval is still pending.
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