Analysis & Insights
Curated data and analysis on the trends shaping the space economy.
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Clear allStarlink Mobile: Bundling Unit Economics
March 19, 2026
During MWC Barcelona 2026, SpaceX announced the rebranding of its direct-to-cell service as Starlink Mobile, a name it had trademarked months earlier. The service already reaches over 13 million users across 12 countries through mobile network ope...
The Space Data Center Mass Budget Behind 10× Power Density
March 04, 2026
Over the past two weeks, our series has systematically deconstructed the engineering pathways required to validate Elon Musk’s stated objective: achieving a power density of 100 W/kg (100 kW/ton) for orbital compute satellites. After detailing how...
The Thermal Rejection Unlock for SpaceX’s 100 kW/ton Compute Satellites
February 25, 2026
Last week, we showed that solar-specific power is the first unlock on the path from 10-20 kW satcom satellites to 100kW+ orbital compute-class platforms. This week, we shift to the subsystem that quietly becomes the dominant hidden mass term as th...
What End-to-End Connectivity Means for Starlink’s Value
January 28, 2026
Executive Summary• Starlink is evolving from a satellite ISP into an end-to-end consumer connectivity platform, spanning home broadband (Standard Terminal), mobility broadband (Mini), and phone connectivity outside terrestrial coverage (Direct-to-...
Orbital Compute Energy will be cheaper than Earth by 2030
November 26, 2025
In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the mass side of Elon Musk’s orbital compute vision: what satellite architectures are needed to reach 100 GW of compute in high Earth orbit without thousands of Starship launches every year. We showed that yo...
$37B DTC Coverage-Gap TAM by 2030 — Mach33’s Open-Source DTC Demand Model
November 19, 2025
Executive SummaryDirect-to-Cell (DTC) connectivity (linking standard mobile phones directly to satellites) is shifting from concept to commercial reality. With Starlink, AST SpaceMobile, and major mobile carriers pushing rapidly toward operational...
How Much Revenue Can SpaceX and ASTS Really Make From DTC? — The Full Mach33 Premium DTC Model
November 19, 2025
PreviewOur open-sourced TAM model showed the size of the Direct-to-Cell opportunity, but TAM is only half the story. The critical investor question is how much of that demand can be served once real-world constellation physics are applied?This Mac...
Inside Musk’s Plan for 100 GW of Compute in Orbit
November 05, 2025
Executive SummaryMusk’s O’Neillian Turn Elon Musk’s pivot toward orbital-scale computing signals a major shift in focus from communication networks and Mars to large-scale data infrastructure in Earth orbit. By pursuing high-Earth-orbit compute pl...
Orbit Saturation: Still Centuries Away
October 29, 2025
Executive Summary• Orbit saturation remains a distant concern. Even in the most aggressive “bull” satellite proliferation scenario, total orbital objects by 2100 remain below 50% of the Lifson sustainability limit (2.9 million), while the base and...
T-Mobile + Starlink DTC: From Texts to Data - But How Capable?
October 01, 2025
Executive Summary• FCC waiver unlocks viability: A +10 dB power boost approved in March 2025 lifts Starlink DTC performance from ~4 Mbps to mid-teens Mbps under sparse conditions, transforming weak, intermittent links into more consistent connecti...