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Ariane V goes out in style, retires after 27 years of service

Ariane V launches for final time (Credit European Space Agency)

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Launching at 7 p.m. local time (22:00 UTC), the final Ariane V lifted off on its 117th mission since its debut in June of 1996.

The final launch carried two satellites to Geostationary Transfer Orbit, Syracuse 4B and Heinrich Hertz. Both satellites were successfully deployed ~30 and ~34 minutes after launch respectively.

Syracuse 4B  is a French military communications satellite and will provide “uninterrupted communications capability at all times” according to the CNES. The satellite was built by Airbus and is entirely electric.

Heinrich Hertz is a testbed for new communications technologies and was built by OHB System. The satellite will explore ways testing this new technology can help increase future broadband speeds for mobile users.

This final mission adds to the legacy of Ariane V — 27 years, 117 launches is quite an accomplishment. Throughout its history, the Ariane V suffered a failure or partial failure 5 times, while unfortunate, does not even come close to outweighing its major accomplishments.

Most recently, Ariane V launched the European Space Agency’s JUICE mission to explore the moons of Jupiter. One of its more notable launches, however, was the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, one of the most important science missions to date.

The Ariane V also launched the first spacecraft to ever orbit a Comet, Rosetta, and the first ever probe, Philae, to land on the surface, which ultimately landed a bit sideways, but still provided important data and out-of-this-world views from the surface.

With the final launch now completed, this now leaves Europe without its own launch vehicle. The replacement for Ariane V, the Ariane 6, is delayed until at least mid-2024 with more work needing to be done. The Vega C is facing problems after a launch failure in December 2022 and is still delayed after a recent solid rocket motor test ended with an anomaly.

With the lack of available launch vehicles, missions meant for a European rocket have been switched over to launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9, most recently having launched the Euclid space telescope mission. They will also launch the HERA mission, originally slated to launch on a Vega C rocket. There could be more missions headed to SpaceX if the Ariane 6 and Vega C face further delays.

Questions or comments? Shoot me an email at rangle@teslarati.com, or Tweet me @RDAnglePhoto.

Launch journalist, specializing in launch photography. Based on the Space Coast, a short drive from Cape Canaveral and the SpaceX launch pads.

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Elon Musk

SpaceX reportedly discussing merger with xAI ahead of blockbuster IPO

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Credit: SpaceX/X

In a groundbreaking new report from Reuters, SpaceX is reportedly discussing merger possibilities with xAI ahead of the space exploration company’s plans to IPO later this year, in what would be a blockbuster move.

The outlet said it would combine rockets and Starlink satellites, as well as the X social media platform and AI project Grok under one roof. The report cites “a person briefed on the matter and two recent company filings seen by Reuters.”

Musk, nor SpaceX or xAI, have commented on the report, so, as of now, it is unconfirmed.

With that being said, the proposed merger would bring shares of xAI in exchange for shares of SpaceX. Both companies were registered in Nevada to expedite the transaction, according to the report.

Tesla announces massive investment into xAI

On January 21, both entities were registered in Nevada. The report continues:

“One of them, a limited liability company, lists SpaceX ​and Bret Johnsen, the company’s chief financial officer, as managing members, while the other lists Johnsen as the company’s only officer, the filings show.”

The source also stated that some xAI executives could be given the option to receive cash in lieu of SpaceX stock. No agreement has been reached, nothing has been signed, and the timing and structure, as well as other important details, have not been finalized.

SpaceX is valued at $800 billion and is the most valuable privately held company, while xAI is valued at $230 billion as of November. SpaceX could be going public later this year, as Musk has said as recently as December that the company would offer its stock publicly.

SpaceX IPO is coming, CEO Elon Musk confirms

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The plans could help move along plans for large-scale data centers in space, something Musk has discussed on several occasions over the past few months.

At the World Economic Forum last week, Musk said:

“It’s a no-brainer for building solar-powered AI data centers in space, because as I mentioned, it’s also very cold in space. The net effect is that the lowest cost place to put AI will be space and that will be true within two to three years, three at the latest.”

He also said on X that “the most important thing in the next 3-4 years is data centers in space.”

If the report is true and the two companies end up coming together, it would not be the first time Musk’s companies have ended up coming together. He used Tesla stock to purchase SolarCity back in 2016. Last year, X became part of xAI in a share swap.

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Elon Musk

Tesla hits major milestone with Full Self-Driving subscriptions

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Credit: Ashok Elluswamy/X

Tesla has announced it has hit a major milestone with Full Self-Driving subscriptions, shortly after it said it would exclusively offer the suite without the option to purchase it outright.

Tesla announced on Wednesday during its Q4 Earnings Call for 2025 that it had officially eclipsed the one million subscription mark for its Full Self-Driving suite. This represented a 38 percent increase year-over-year.

This is up from the roughly 800,000 active subscriptions it reported last year. The company has seen significant increases in FSD adoption over the past few years, as in 2021, it reported just 400,000. In 2022, it was up to 500,000 and, one year later, it had eclipsed 600,000.

In mid-January, CEO Elon Musk announced that the company would transition away from giving the option to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, opting for the subscription program exclusively.

Musk said on X:

“Tesla will stop selling FSD after Feb 14. FSD will only be available as a monthly subscription thereafter.”

The move intends to streamline the Full Self-Driving purchase option, and gives Tesla more control over its revenue, and closes off the ability to buy it outright for a bargain when Musk has said its value could be close to $100,000 when it reaches full autonomy.

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It also caters to Musk’s newest compensation package. One tranche requires Tesla to achieve 10 million active FSD subscriptions, and now that it has reached one million, it is already seeing some growth.

The strategy that Tesla will use to achieve this lofty goal is still under wraps. The most ideal solution would be to offer a less expensive version of the suite, which is not likely considering the company is increasing its capabilities, and it is becoming more robust.

Tesla is shifting FSD to a subscription-only model, confirms Elon Musk

Currently, Tesla’s FSD subscription price is $99 per month, but Musk said this price will increase, which seems counterintuitive to its goal of increasing the take rate. With that being said, it will be interesting to see what Tesla does to navigate growth while offering a robust FSD suite.

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Tesla confirms Robotaxi expansion plans with new cities and aggressive timeline

Tesla plans to launch in Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas. It lists the Bay Area as “Safety Driver,” and Austin as “Ramping Unsupervised.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla confirmed its intentions to expand the Robotaxi program in the United States with an aggressive timeline that aims to send the ride-hailing service to several large cities very soon.

The Robotaxi program is currently active in Austin, Texas, and the California Bay Area, but Tesla has received some approvals for testing in other areas of the U.S., although it has not launched in those areas quite yet.

However, the time is coming.

During Tesla’s Q4 Earnings Call last night, the company confirmed that it plans to expand the Robotaxi program aggressively, hoping to launch in seven new cities in the first half of the year.

Tesla plans to launch in Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas. It lists the Bay Area as “Safety Driver,” and Austin as “Ramping Unsupervised.”

These details were released in the Earnings Shareholder Deck, which is published shortly before the Earnings Call:

Late last year, Tesla revealed it had planned to launch Robotaxi in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, and Houston, but Tampa and Orlando were just added to the plans, signaling an even more aggressive expansion than originally planned.

Tesla feels extremely confident in its Robotaxi program, and that has been reiterated many times.

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Although skeptics still remain hesitant to believe the prowess Tesla has seemingly proven in its development of an autonomous driving suite, the company has been operating a successful program in Austin and the Bay Area for months.

In fact, it announced it achieved nearly 700,000 paid Robotaxi miles since launching Robotaxi last June.

With the expansion, Tesla will be able to penetrate more of the ride-sharing market, disrupting the human-operated platforms like Uber and Lyft, which are usually more expensive and are dependent on availability.

Tesla launched driverless rides in Austin last week, but they’ve been few and far between, as the company is certainly easing into the program with a very cautiously optimistic attitude, aiming to prioritize safety.

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