News
Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon crew capsules on track for back-to-back launches
NASA Commercial Crew partners Boeing and SpaceX are taking big steps towards two unique flight tests of their respective Starliner and Crew Dragon spacecraft, and – if the stars align – could jam-pack next month with spaceflight milestones.
In the last two weeks alone, both companies have checked off major milestones while preparing their human-rated spacecraft for flight, and – with a little luck over the next few weeks – Starliner and Crew Dragon processing could align for back-to-back launches in the last few weeks of 2019.
On Atlas’ shoulders
Starliner’s uncrewed orbital flight test (OFT) is currently scheduled no earlier than (NET) December 17th and Boeing – after years of delays – is finally on the last legs of preparation for the spacecraft’s orbital launch debut (OFT). On November 4th, some 12 months after it was originally planned to occur, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft completed a (mostly) successful pad abort test, demonstrating the ability to whisk astronauts away from a failing rocket or any other pad emergency prior to launch. Aside from a parachute deployment failure caused by insufficient quality assurance checkouts, Starliner performed exactly as expected.
With the Starliner pad abort now complete, the spacecraft’s OFT is front and center. On November 20th, United Launch Alliance (ULA) CEO Tory Bruno announced that the company – chosen by Boeing to launch Starliner – had successfully completed a “Mission Dress Rehearsal”, more or less a virtual simulation of Atlas V launch operations.
According to ULA, the MDR was a joint test conducted by ULA teams in Denver and Cape Canaveral, personnel from NASA and Boeing, and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) 45th Space Wing.
On November 21st, the day after Atlas V’s successful MDR, Boeing officially handed off the OFT Starliner to ULA, who used a small wheeled crawler to transport the spacecraft from Boeing’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) to ULA’s LC-41 launch complex. Finally, shortly after the transporter arrived at LC-41, ULA craned the spacecraft to the top of its Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) and technicians secured Starliner to the rocket’s payload adapter and Centaur upper stage, itself recently stacked atop an Atlas V booster.
The time left ahead of OFT will be used to ensure a successful first flight of both the spacecraft and its uniquely-configured launch vehicle. OFT will be the first time Atlas V launches a payload without a fairing. Combined with the unusual fact that Starliner is significantly wider than the rocket’s Centaur upper stage, a large skirt and other unusual aerodynamic features had to be added to counterbalance dangerous instability that could otherwise crop up in flight.
Of note, the OFT Starliner’s service section (the cylindrical lower half) will not launch with an operational abort system, meaning that the system of four powerful engines are either entirely absent or will be disabled in flight.
Boeing’s Starliner OFT will more or less mirror Crew Dragon’s March 2019 launch debut, nominally launching, reaching orbit, rendezvousing and docking with the ISS, and successfully returning to Earth a week or so later. Although NASA did not originally require its CCP providers to perform uncrewed orbital flight tests prior to their first attempted crewed launches, NASA officials have since made it clear that they are extremely grateful that Boeing and SpaceX proposed them.
Encore!
At the same time as Boeing and ULA are preparing for Starliner’s first orbital launch, SpaceX is in the late stages of preparing Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon for the spacecraft’s In-Flight Abort (IFA), a test that Boeing chose not to perform – NASA required a pad abort but left the rest up to its providers to propose (or not propose). On November 13th, Crew Dragon capsule C205 successfully fired up two Draco maneuvering thrusters and its eight integrated SuperDraco abort engines, verifying that a major design flaw that destroyed capsule C201 has likely been alleviated.
Crew Dragon’s IFA test is scheduled no earlier than December 2019 and will likely fall somewhere in the second half of the month, potentially putting it just days before or after Starliner’s orbital launch debut. All told, the last month of 2019 is likely to be jam-packed with major spaceflight milestones, particularly for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. If all goes as planned during Boeing and SpaceX’s imminent flight tests, both providers believe they could be ready for their first astronaut launches in early 2020.
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Elon Musk
Tesla named by U.S. Gov. in $4.3B battery deal for American-made cells
What began as an open secret in the energy industry was confirmed by the U.S. Department of the Interior on Monday: Tesla is the buyer behind LG Energy Solution’s blockbuster $4.3 billion battery supply agreement.
What began as an open secret in the energy industry is becoming more real after the U.S. Department of the Interior named Tesla as the stakeholder in the LG Energy Solution’s blockbuster $4.3 billion battery supply agreement.
Tesla and LG Energy Solution are expanding their partnership to build a LFP prismatic battery cell manufacturing facility in Lansing, Michigan, launching production in 2027. The announcement, made as part of the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Summit results, ends months of speculation.
“American-made cells will power Tesla’s Megapack 3 energy storage systems produced in Houston, creating a robust domestic battery supply chain.”, notes a press release on the U.S. Department of the Interior website.
Tesla has long utilized China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL), the world’s largest LFP battery maker, as one of its primary suppliers. That relationship made financial sense for years, considering that Chinese LFP cells were cheap, abundant, and reliable. But with escalated tariffs on Chinese imports and an increasingly growing Tesla Energy business that’s particularly reliant on LFP cells for products including its Megapack battery storage units designed for utilities and large-scale commercial projects.
The announcement of a deepened partnership between LG Energy Solution and Tesla has strategic logic for both parties. For Tesla, it secures a tariff-compliant, domestically produced battery supply for its fast-growing energy division. LGES, now producing LFP batteries in Michigan, becomes the only major supplier currently scaling U.S. production, outpacing rivals like Samsung SDI and SK On. LG Energy Solution’s Lansing plant, formerly known as Ultium Cells 3, was previously operated as a joint venture with General Motors. LGES acquired GM’s stake in May 2025 and now fully owns the site, with a production capacity of 50 GWh per year. LG Energy said the contract includes options to extend the supply period by up to seven years and boost volumes based on further consultations.
For the broader industry, the ripple effects are significant. This deal signals that domestic battery manufacturing can be financially viable and not just aspirational. Utilities, energy developers, and rival automakers will take note as American-made LFP supply becomes a competitive reality rather than a distant promise.
For consumers, the benefits will take time but are real. A more resilient, U.S.-based supply chain means fewer price shocks from trade disputes, more stable Megapack availability for the grid storage projects that reduce electricity costs, and long-term downward pressure on energy storage prices as domestic production scales.
Deliveries are set to begin in 2027 and run through mid-2030, and as grid storage demand accelerates, reliable, US-made battery supply is no longer a future ambition. It is becoming a core requirement of the country’s energy strategy.
News
Tesla plans for largest Australian Supercharger yet
The company has a 20-stall site in the city of Goulburn in New South Wales, which is an ideal location for trips between Sydney and Canberra, two major cities.
Tesla is planning to build its largest Supercharger in Australia yet, expanding on the infrastructure the company has built for electric vehicles.
The company has a 20-stall site in the city of Goulburn in New South Wales, which is an ideal location for trips between Sydney and Canberra, two major cities.
However, according to The Driven, a new Australian Supercharger is on the way, and it is going to be the biggest in the country, accounting for more than 25 stalls total. They will likely be V4 Superchargers, Tesla’s fastest piles that enable some serious range for cars that will plug in.
@LudicrousFeed Before I forget, one for tonight. Highway service centre near Mackay with 25+ charging stalls!
Website has a couple of video renders too.https://t.co/WkuklxE7tk pic.twitter.com/BxKQ8bDUZ7— ⚡chuqtas (@chuqtas) March 11, 2026
Tesla is operating 148 active Supercharger sites in Australia, with 80 of those being available to non-Tesla EVs as a part of the company’s initiative to make things accessible for all electric vehicle owners.
The expansion of Tesla Superchargers is welcome for all EV owners, especially as there are so many automakers that have access to the network. It is widely reliable and extremely dependable; it is tough to find a Supercharger location that is completely out of service.
The opening of the stalls will be welcome for the Tesla owners of Australia, especially as the Model Y continues to be a major contributor to the company’s prowess in the market.
Tesla’s sales performance in Australia showed a mixed but challenging picture in 2025, with the company delivering 28,856 new vehicles, marking a significant 24.8% decline from 38,347 units in 2024.
This represented the brand’s largest annual drop on record and the second consecutive year of decline, amid intensifying competition from Chinese EV makers like BYD and shifting buyer preferences toward SUVs. The Tesla Model Y remained a standout performer and Australia’s best-selling electric vehicle, with 22,239 deliveries, up 4.6percent year-over-year, accounting for about 77 percent of Tesla’s total sales.
The mid-year launch of the updated “Juniper” Model Y helped sustain momentum in the popular mid-size SUV segment.
In contrast, the Model 3 sedan struggled sharply, plummeting 61.3 percent to just 6,617 units, as consumers favored SUVs and faced growing options in the sedan category.
Despite the overall dip, Tesla held onto leadership in the EV segment, capturing roughly 28 percent of the BEV market. Australia’s EV market grew robustly, surpassing 156,000 sales and reaching 13 percent market share, up 38.7 percent from 2024, highlighting strong broader adoption even as Tesla faced headwinds.
Early 2026 data suggests a rebound, with EV sales nearly doubling year-over-year in February and the Model Y showing strong gains, positioning Tesla for potential recovery amid ongoing competition.
News
Tesla Model Y L gets new entertainment feature
Beyond audio quality, Immersive Sound X aligns with Tesla’s ecosystem of over-the-air updates, potentially allowing future refinements.
Tesla is including a new entertainment feature in the Model Y L, improving the vehicle even further and making it what appears to be the best configuration of the all-electric crossover globally.
Unfortunately, we in the U.S. do not yet have access to the vehicle, and the plans for it to enter the market remain up in the air, as CEO Elon Musk has said it could appear late this year. However, there is nothing concrete at this time.
Tesla’s latest enhancement to the Model Y L is a new Immersive Sound X feature, exclusive to the Model Y L.
Model YL has new sound system setting. Immersive Sound X. This is NOT on the new Y and 3 pic.twitter.com/7OpJuzyoGf
— Electric Future (@electricfuture5) March 16, 2026
It aims to transform the in-car listening experience into something truly cinematic. First introduced by Tesla China in October 2025, this advanced audio mode is now rolling out to deliveries in Australia and New Zealand, highlighting Tesla’s approach to region-specific premium upgrades.
At its core, Immersive Sound X leverages real-time sound extraction technology to create a customizable 3D soundstage. Using advanced algorithms, it analyzes audio tracks to separate direct sounds, such as vocals or lead instruments, from ambient elements like echoes and reverb.
The system then positions direct sounds front and center while diffusing ambient sounds to the side and rear speakers, simulating an expansive virtual environment. This results in a heightened sense of depth and spatial awareness, making listeners feel as if they’re in a concert hall or studio.
What sets Immersive Sound X apart from the standard Immersive Sound found in other Tesla models is its hardware dependency and enhanced processing. The Model Y L boasts an 18-speaker system with a subwoofer, compared to the 15-speaker setup, plus a subwoofer, in the Model Y Long Range’s previous premium audio configuration.
This upgrade provides more “kick” and precision, enabling finer control over the soundstage. Unlike traditional surround sound, which requires multi-channel mixes like Dolby Atmos, Immersive Sound X works with any stereo source from platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, so every owner will be able to use it.
Tesla Model Y lineup expansion signals an uncomfortable reality for consumers
You can fine-tune the experience via an adjustable immersion slider, scaling the “size” of the virtual space to personal preferences. This caters to a more custom sound.
An Auto mode intelligently adapts based on media type, whether it’s music, podcasts, or videos, ensuring optimal immersion without manual tweaks. This feature is unavailable on standard Model Y variants (with 7 or 15 speakers) or Model 3 trims, underscoring Tesla’s strategy to differentiate higher trims through superior hardware and software integration.
Beyond audio quality, Immersive Sound X aligns with Tesla’s ecosystem of over-the-air updates, potentially allowing future refinements.
For audiophiles and casual listeners alike, it elevates mundane commutes into immersive journeys, proving Tesla’s commitment to blending cutting-edge tech with user-centric design.
Tesla named by U.S. Gov. in $4.3B battery deal for American-made cells
Tesla plans for largest Australian Supercharger yet
