SpaceX called out Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator Mike Whitaker for making “several incorrect” and “deeply concerning” statements in front of Congress yesterday relating to licensing challenges the aerospace company has had with the agency.
SpaceX and the FAA have had a strange relationship, which has been highlighted as of late. Several communications from SpaceX have detailed opinions regarding a lack of urgency for licensing its upcoming Starship missions and fines that were handed out to the company last week.
The fines were related to alleged violations that occurred during launches in 2023.
SpaceX hits back at FAA in scathing new letter, claiming fines were retaliation
FAA administrator Whitaker appeared in front of Congress yesterday, specifically the aviation subcommittee of the House Transportation Committee, to be asked about several of the issues at hand.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, a Republican from California, asked Whitaker about the over $633,000 in fines related to two Summer 2023 launches.
Whitaker responded:
“I think safety is in the public interest and that’s our primary focus. It’s the only tool we have to get compliance on safety matters.”
Whitaker went on to claim that SpaceX launched without a permit from the FAA, a claim the company fiercely rebutted yesterday:
“That is false–SpaceX was fully licensed to launch the Falcon missions for which the FAA has, incorrectly, alleged non-compliances. FAA has not alleged SpaceX was not ‘permitted’ or not ‘licensed’ to launch these missions. SpaceX receives FAA licensing for all missions subject to the Commercial Space Launch Act.”
On a separate note, Starship has been ready to launch since August, but the FAA told the company that the earliest estimated approval would be sometime in November.
This would be Starship’s fifth test flight, but SpaceX has already started preparing the sixth flight in hopes that it can quickly launch the two, perhaps in a short time frame.
It doesn’t seem far-fetched, especially considering the delays to the fifth test flight.
Whitaker said regarding the Starship delay:
“[It] had to do with SpaceX filing an application and not disclosing they were in violation of Texas and federal law on some matters, and that’s a requirement to get a permit.”
He also defended the two-month delay:
“I think the two-month delay is necessary to comply with the launch requirements and I think that’s an important part of the safety culture.”
Whitaker also said there were delays in the sonic boom analysis after returning the Super Heavy booster. He claims SpaceX “failed to provide an updated sonic boom analysis.” SpaceX replied:
“SpaceX recently provided FAA data showing a slightly larger sonic boom area. Despite the slightly larger area, there is no new environmental impact. Nevertheless, FAA entered a new environmental consultation with Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which could result in a two-month delay. This is a paperwork exercise that could be swiftly addressed between agencies as a minor paperwork update.”
The full letter is available below:
FAA Administrator Whitaker made several incorrect statements today regarding SpaceX. In fact, every statement he made was incorrect.
It is deeply concerning that the Administrator does not appear to have accurate information immediately available to him with respect to SpaceX… pic.twitter.com/OrtMUvnCNI
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 24, 2024
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News
Tesla Cybertruck gets Full Self-Driving v14 release date, sort of

Tesla Cybertruck owners are wondering when they will get access to the company’s Full Self-Driving version 14.1 that rolled out to other owners today for the first time.
Cybertruck owners typically receive Full Self-Driving updates slightly later than other drivers, as the process for the all-electric pickup is different. It is a larger vehicle that requires some additional attention from Tesla before FSD versions are rolled out, so they will be slightly delayed. CEO Elon Musk said the all-wheel steering technically requires a bit more attention before rollout as well.
The all-wheel steering of Cybertruck requires a bit more Autopilot training
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 7, 2025
After some owners got access to the v14.1 Full Self-Driving suite this morning, Cybertruck owners sought out a potential timeframe for when they would be able to experience things for themselves.
Tesla owners show off improvements with new Full Self-Driving v14 rollout
They were able to get an answer from Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s Head of AI, who said:
“We got you. Coming soon.”
We got you. Coming soon.
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) October 7, 2025
The release of FSD v14.1 for Cybertruck will not be tempered, either. Elluswamy then confirmed that Tesla would be rolling out the full-featured FSD v14 for the pickup, meaning it would be able to reverse and park itself, among other features.
Elluswamy said it would be capable of these features, which were void in other FSD releases for Cybertruck in the past.
Tesla’s rollout of FSD v14.1 brings several extremely notable changes and improvements to the suite, including more refined operation in parking garages, a new ability to choose parking preferences upon arriving at your destination, a new driving mode called “Sloth,” which is even more reserved than “Chill,” and general operational improvements.
Those who were lucky enough to receive the suite have already started showing off the improvements, and they definitely seem to be a step up from what v13’s more recent versions were capable of.
CEO Elon Musk called v14 “sentient” a few weeks back, and it seems that it is moving toward that. However, he did state that additional releases with more capabilities would be available in the coming weeks, but many owners are still waiting for this first version.
News
Tesla launches two new affordable models with ‘Standard’ Model 3, Y offerings
It is the first time Tesla has revealed any details about what it planned to launch in terms of its new, lower-cost vehicles, which are mainly aimed at countering the loss of the $7,500 EV tax credit.

Tesla has officially launched its affordable models with the new Model 3 and Model Y ‘Standard’ versions hitting the company’s Online Design Studio on Tuesday.
It is the first time Tesla has revealed any details about what it planned to launch in terms of its new, lower-cost vehicles, which are mainly aimed at countering the loss of the $7,500 EV tax credit.
Here’s what Tesla went with for its release of the new affordable models.
Tesla Model Y ‘Standard’
The Model Y Standard is a stripped-down version of the all-electric crossover and starts at $39,990.
- Credit: Tesla
- Credit: Tesla
- Credit: Tesla
- Credit: Tesla
Deliveries are slated for November and December, the company says if you plan to order one, and it comes with a few major changes to improve efficiency and bring down cost for owners.
- New athletically tuned exterior and new alloy wheels to improve aerodynamics
- 15.4″ touchscreen in the front, the same as the other trims
- Available in three colors: Stealth Grey (free), White ($1,oo0 extra), Diamond Black ($1,500 extra)
- Textile and vegan leather interior
- Range sits at 321 miles
- New front fascia
- Covered glass roof (textile on inside)
- Windows are not acoustically laminated for a quieter cabin
- Manual mirrors and seats
- Smaller frunk
- No rear infotainment screen
- No basic Autopilot
- 69 kWh battery
- New 19″ Aperture wheels
- 0-60 MPH in 6.8 seconds
- 7 speaker stereo, down from 15 speakers in premium models
🚨 BREAKING: Tesla has launched the new Model Y ‘Standard’ for $39,990
Here’s what’s new: 🧵 pic.twitter.com/ILxbEsEniX
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 7, 2025
Tesla Model 3 ‘Standard’
The Model 3 Standard was a surprise offering from Tesla, as many had only anticipated the company to refine and offer a more affordable version of the Model Y.
Coming in at $36,990, it features many of the same changes Tesla made with the Model Y “Standard,” all ways to improve price and make it less flashy than the more premium offerings.
Deliveries are also slated for November for this vehicle, and it features relatively the same stripped-down offerings as the Model Y Standard.
- Available in three colors: Stealth Grey (free), White ($1,oo0 extra), Diamond Black ($1,500 extra)
- Textile and vegan leather interior
- Range sits at 321 miles
- Covered glass roof (textile on inside)
- Manual mirrors and seats
- No rear infotainment screen
- No basic Autopilot
- 69 kWh battery
- New 19″ Aperture wheels
- 0-60 MPH in 6.8 seconds
- 7 speaker stereo, down from 15 speakers in premium models
@teslarati 🚨 Tesla’s Affordable Models are here! Let’s talk about them! #tesla #fyp #viral #teslaev #elonmusk ♬ Natural Emotions – Muspace Lofi
Elon Musk
Tesla owners show off improvements with new Full Self-Driving v14 rollout
Some of the big things that Tesla faced head-on with the development and release of v14 were navigating in parking garages and handling parking after arriving at a destination.

Tesla owners with access to the company’s Full Self-Driving new version, v14, which rolled out on Tuesday morning, are showcasing some of the very impressive improvements that have arrived.
CEO Elon Musk called v14 “sentient” a few weeks ahead of its rollout, claiming the newest iteration of the company’s Full Self-Driving platform would be the most accurate to date.
Tesla FSD (Supervised) V14.1 with Robotaxi-style dropoffs is here
It was obvious this narrative had Tesla owners keeping their expectations high, as there were very evidently things that needed to be improved upon that were present in v13. I wrote about several improvements I was hoping to see, and based on the release notes for v14, Tesla did have these things in the works already.
Some of the big things that Tesla faced head-on with the development and release of v14 were navigating in parking garages and handling parking after arriving at a destination.
Tesla said it was working to increase the capabilities of Summon within parking garages, as many owners believe that is where it would be the most beneficial.
While that does not appear to be part of this initial v14 rollout, it does seem Tesla is focused on improving the suite’s ability to navigate through these garages, including stopping for a ticket to enter the facility, finding a spot, and parking in an appropriate space.
It was evident this was a huge improvement based on one example from an owner who received v14:
FSD v14 navigates parking garages really well. Here’s a full clip of it leaving a parking spot, going through the garage, waiting for me to put the ticket in, and exiting.
Almost feels like it can read the signs above to go find the exit, with a complex garage here.@Tesla_AI pic.twitter.com/fv9j6LNcp6
— Zack (@BLKMDL3) October 7, 2025
If you look closely, you will even see the car shift slightly to the right when it arrives at the ticketing station, making it easier for the driver to hand over their ticket and payment. It then moves back out to the right when leaving to return to the center of the lane. It’s very intuitive.
Additionally, it appears to be more accurate when parking, thanks to improvements that enable owners to select the type of parking upon arrival at a destination.
In the v14.1 release notes, Tesla said that it has added “Arrival Options for you to select where FSD should park: in a Parking Lot, on the Street, in a Driveway, in a Parking Garage, or at the Curbside.”
One owner chose to navigate home and chose a garage to park in. Full Self-Driving performed it without any issues:
Not only can FSD 14.1 pull into my gravel driveway (no version before has done this) it can pull into the garage. pic.twitter.com/pweI5JKWHD
— Dirty Tesla (@DirtyTesLa) October 7, 2025
These are just two evident improvements so far, and there are likely many more on the way. The changes and fixes will be tracked by anyone with access to FSD v14 in the coming weeks.
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