

News
SpaceX’s next Starlink satellite launch slips closer to Crew Dragon astronaut debut
SpaceX’s next Starlink satellite launch has slipped about a week and a half into mid-May, placing it just nine days (or less) prior to the company’s inaugural NASA astronaut mission.
Known as Crew Dragon’s second Demonstration Mission (Demo-2), SpaceX’s first astronaut launch is officially scheduled no earlier than May 27th and is with little doubt the most important mission in the company’s history. Simultaneously, however, SpaceX is working to rapidly launch thousands of Starlink satellites in a bid to deliver high-quality internet service to tens – or even hundreds – of millions of people. The company has already launched an incredibly 420 operational Starlink satellites but that’s just a drop in the bucket compared to the ~4400, ~12,000, or even ~40,000+ the company will ultimately need to match its ambitions.
Along those lines, SpaceX’s eight Starlink launch (the seventh flight of v1.0 satellites) is now scheduled to lift off no earlier than (NET) 3:09 am EDT (07:09 UTC) on May 18th – a delay of 11 days from a previous May 7th target. The cause of that delay is unclear and will likely remain so but it does mean that 60 new Starlink satellites could head to orbit just nine days before Crew Dragon attempts to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time ever.
The fact that SpaceX is still pursuing a Starlink launch a little over a week before the most important mission in the company’s history is not exactly surprising given that it’s performed several launches just days apart over the years. Still, given how much of a priority Demo-2 must be for both SpaceX and NASA, the closeness of Starlink-7 heavily implies that SpaceX has a more or less separate team capable of independently performing a Starlink launch.
SpaceX certainly has two orbital Florida launch pads at Kennedy Space Center (Pad 39A) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS; LC-40). At least for now, SpaceX only has one drone ship – needed to recover boosters after both Starlink-7 and Demo-2 – but that could change in the near future. Now, with Starlink-7’s May 18th launch date firming up, it’s also safe to say that SpaceX has a workforce large enough to near-simultaneously support major a NASA astronaut mission and an uncrewed satellite launch.
Beyond its adjacency to Crew Dragon’s astronaut launch debut, Starlink-7 is also expected to feature a significant hardware milestone, (hopefully) marking the second time a Falcon 9 booster successfully completes five orbital-class launches and landings. Next Spaceflight recently confirmed that Falcon 9 booster B1049 has been assigned to support Starlink-7 approximately four and a half months after it completed its last (fourth) launch, Starlink-2.
Lost during its fifth launch after suffering an in-flight engine failure caused by an improper refurbishment procedure, Falcon 9 booster B1048 is currently the first and only SpaceX rocket to successfully complete five orbital-class launches. After the loss of B1048, B1049 became SpaceX’s new ‘life-leader’ for Falcon reusability. That refers to the fact that – if successfully recovered – B1049’s condition will help inform all future recovery and refurbishment efforts, while also ensuring that the booster will be the first to attempt all future nth reuse milestones.
If B1049 survives Starlink-7 and safely returns to shore, that future will (at least partially) be assured. For now, we’ll have to wait a little less than two weeks to find out if it does.
News
Tesla Model Y has become the most common vehicle in Norway
The Tesla Model Y passed more than 70,000 registrations recently.

The Tesla Model Y has become the most common car on Norwegian roads. This is a remarkable achievement for the all-electric crossover, which has also commanded the top spot in Norway’s vehicle sales rankings for several years running.
Model Y Domination
As per vehicle registration figures tracked by the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Council (OFV), there were 68,378 Model Ys with Norwegian license plates at the end of March/beginning of April 2025. In recent weeks, the Model Y passed more than 70,000 registrations, as per a report from Elbil24.
With the Model Y now becoming the most common car in Norway, the Toyota Rav4 now stands in second place, followed by the Nissan Leaf, the Volkswagen Golf, and the Toyota Yaris. The Model Y also topped the country’s vehicle registration rankings for the last three years, and it set a record for selling the most vehicles in a year in 2023, breaking the Volkswagen Beetle’s record that has stood since 1969.
Possibly More Momentum
It is undeniable that the Tesla Model Y has helped Norway push its electric vehicle transition. As of date, electric vehicles now account for 28% of the Norwegian car fleet, a notable portion of which is comprised of the all-electric crossover.
While the Model Y’s achievements in Norway have been impressive, the vehicle could expand its reach into the country even more this year. Tesla, after all, has been aggressively pushing the new Model Y to consumers, with the company offering a zero percent interest promotion for the vehicle. These efforts, as well as the new Model Y’s improved features, should make the vehicle even more compelling to Norwegian car buyers this year.
Elon Musk
Tesla Board Chair slams Wall Street Journal over alleged CEO search report
Denholm’s comments were posted by Tesla on its official account on social media platform X.

Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm has issued a stern correction to The Wall Street Journal after the publication posted a report alleging that the electric vehicle maker’s Board of Directors opened a search for a new CEO to replace Elon Musk.
Denholm’s comments were posted by Tesla on its official account on social media platform X.
The WSJ’s Allegations
Citing people reportedly familiar with the discussions, the WSJ alleged that Tesla Board members reached out to several executive search firms to work on a formal process for finding Elon Musk’s successor. The publication also alleged that tensions had been mounting at Tesla due to the company’s dropping sales and profits, as well as the time Musk has been spending with DOGE.
The publication also alleged that Elon Musk had met with the Tesla Board about the matter, and that members told the CEO that he needed to spend more time on Tesla. Musk was reportedly instructed to state his intentions publicly as well. The CEO did not push back against the Board, the WSJ claimed.
Elon Musk did announce that he is stepping back from his day-to-day role at the Department of Government Efficiency during the Tesla Q1 2025 earnings call. Musk’s announcement was embraced by Tesla investors and analysts, many of whom felt that the CEO’s renewed focus on the EV maker could push the company to greater heights.
Tesla and Musk’s Response
In response to The Wall Street Journal’s report, Tesla’s official account on X shared a comment from its Board Chair. In her comment, Denham noted that the WSJ‘s report was “absolutely false.” She also highlighted that Tesla had communicated this fact to the publication before the report was published, but the Journal ran the story anyway.
“Earlier today, there was a media report erroneously claiming that the Tesla Board had contacted recruitment firms to initiate a CEO search at the company. This is absolutely false (and this was communicated to the media before the report was published). The CEO of Tesla is Elon Musk and the Board is highly confident in his ability to continue executing on the exciting growth plan ahead,” Denholm stated.
Elon Musk himself commented on the matter, stating that the publication showed an “extremely bad breach of ethics” since the report did not even include the Tesla Board of Directors’ denial of the allegations. “It is an EXTREMELY BAD BREACH OF ETHICS that the WSJ would publish a DELIBERATELY FALSE ARTICLE and fail to include an unequivocal denial beforehand by the Tesla board of directors!” Musk wrote in a post on X.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is now a remote DOGE worker: White House Chief of Staff
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is no longer working from the West Wing.

In a conversation with the New York Post, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles stated that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is no longer working from the West Wing.
As per the Chief of Staff, Musk is still working for DOGE—as a remote worker, at least.
Remote Musk
In her conversation with the publication, Wiles stated that she still talks with Musk. And while the CEO is now working remotely, his contributions still have the same net effect.
“Instead of meeting with him in person, I’m talking to him on the phone, but it’s the same net effect,” Wiles stated, adding that “it really doesn’t matter much” that the CEO “hasn’t been here physically.” She also noted that Musk’s team will not be leaving.
“He’s not out of it altogether. He’s just not physically present as much as he was. The people that are doing this work are here doing good things and paying attention to the details. He’ll be stepping back a little, but he’s certainly not abandoning it. And his people are definitely not,” Wiles stated.
Back to Tesla
Musk has been a frequent presence in the White House during the Trump administration’s first 100 days in office. But during the Q1 2025 Tesla earnings call, Musk stated that he would be spending substantially less time with DOGE and substantially more time with Tesla. Musk did emphasize, however, that DOGE’s work is extremely valuable and critical.
“I think I’ll continue to spend a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the President would like me to do so and as long as it is useful. But starting next month, I’ll be allocating probably more of my time to Tesla and now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done,” Musk stated.
-
News1 week ago
Tesla’s Hollywood Diner is finally getting close to opening
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Tesla doubles down on Robotaxi launch date, putting a big bet on its timeline
-
News6 days ago
Tesla is trying to make a statement with its Q2 delivery numbers
-
Investor's Corner1 week ago
LIVE BLOG: Tesla (TSLA) Q1 2025 Company Update and earnings call
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Tesla reportedly suspended Cybercab and Semi parts order amid tariff war: Reuters
-
SpaceX2 weeks ago
SpaceX pitches subscription model for Trump’s Golden Dome
-
News4 days ago
NY Democrats are taking aim at Tesla direct sales licenses in New York
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Tesla Full Self-Driving gets full unhinged review from Joe Rogan