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Elon Musk talks Mars, UFOs, Neuralink, Dogecoin, and more in Clubhouse session
Elon Musk recently went on drop-in audio chat service Clubhouse to engage in conversation about a variety of interesting topics. Over the course of the session, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO talked about SpaceX’s Mars goals, aliens and UFOs, Cryptocurrencies, Neuralink, Lidar use, and more.
When asked about SpaceX’s Mars initiative, Musk noted that he is aiming to get to the red planet in about 5.5 years. He did emphasize that going to Mars will not be a trip for the weak-hearted, as he stated that getting to the planet alone would be hard and dangerous. He also mentioned that while it generally takes about six months to get to Mars, SpaceX is looking to bring this timetable down to just about one month in the future.
Amusingly enough, Musk’s conversations about space eventually resulted in talks about aliens and UFOs, which the CEO responded positively to. Musk noted that while there is no single piece of conclusive evidence that aliens do in fact exist today, this does not mean that humans are definitively alone in the universe. The CEO also poked fun at the typically-blurry photos of UFO sightings, when he remarked that some good proof of extraterrestrials should include somewhat clear photos.
“When people say that there are sightings of aliens, I say, ‘Listen man, the resolution of the picture needs to be at least 7/11 ATM good, okay? We can’t have that Loch Ness monster b*llsh*t. It’s like, c’mon, is that like a 500-megapixel camera or what? What are you talking about? Where’d you find that thing? It’s got to be at least like an iPhone 6-level camera,’” Musk joked.
Apart from his discussions on Mars and his jokes about UFO sightings, Musk also shared some information about his companies like Neuralink, which he noted would be needed to at least allow humans to keep pace with a benign AI. He did mention that Neuralink would likely be releasing some new videos showing its progress in about a month or so, which is quite exciting considering the work that’s being done by the startup. The CEO also touched on cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Dogecoin, with Musk joking that since fate loves irony, it would be pretty amusing if DOGE becomes Earth’s currency in the future.
Musk spent some time discussing topics that have already been addressed in the past, such as Tesla’s battery plans and his stance on Lidar. Yet if there is one aspect of the session that stuck out, it was when the CEO shared some insights on why there are few people like him. Musk explained that his path is one that is painful and difficult, and is definitely not for the faint-hearted. “I felt a strong propulsion to do the things I’ve done. There are sections of my life that were long and painful and I’m not sure people would wanna do that… If you need encouraging words, don’t do a start up. Doing a start up is like eating glass and staring into the abyss,” Musk said.
Musk noted that a lot of what he does are actually not fun, though he did mention that he enjoys in-person meetings far more than email communications. “Anything’s better than meal frankly,” Musk said, adding that context switching is a “mind killer.” “It’s hard to switch between Tesla and SpaceX,” he added. Later during the session, Musk noted that he is thinking of probably taking a week off at some point to breathe and relax a little, and perhaps write a book of his experiences in the future.
Elon Musk’s Clubhouse session could be accessed below.
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk handed Grok something no other AI company can get their hands on
Elon Musk says SpaceX will feed engineering data into Grok’s next model, avoiding restricted material.
Elon Musk said Tuesday that SpaceX will feed its internal engineering data into the next major training run for Grok, the AI model now folded into SpaceX following February’s merger. In a post on X, Musk wrote that SpaceX’s “massive corpus of world-class engineering data,” excluding anything restricted under U.S. arms export law, will be added during supplemental training of what he called the “2T run,” a reference to a roughly two trillion parameter model that would nearly double the parameters behind the latest Grok 4.5 that’s rolling out.
SpaceX’s massive corpus of world-class engineering data (excluding material blocked by ITAR) will be added during supplemental training of the 2T run.
This will dramatically improve Grok’s engineering capabilities. https://t.co/BbQEViFByn
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2026
The excluded material that Musk is referring to would fall under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which restricts export of technical data tied to defense and space hardware. That likely rules out propulsion specifics for Merlin and Raptor engines along with guidance and control details for SpaceX’s launch vehicles, but leaves manufacturing knowledge, materials science, and Starlink hardware design on the table.
The announcement extends a pattern that has been building since SpaceX’s Nasdaq debut in June, when the company went public with Grok and xAI’s Colossus supercomputer folded into the pitch to investors.
Days after that listing, SpaceX closed its $60 billion all stock acquisition of coding startup Cursor, giving xAI both enterprise software distribution and a stream of real world developer data to train on. Grok 4.5 launched July 8 running partly on that Cursor training data, with Musk describing it as roughly comparable to Anthropic’s Opus 4.7 but faster and cheaper to run.
Feeding SpaceX’s own engineering data into the next AI model follows the same logic Musk has applied across xAI’s sister companies. Tesla supplies real world driving data and manufacturing expertise, X supplies conversational data, and now SpaceX supplies aerospace engineering data built up since 2002.
Musk did not give a release date for the upcoming AI model, referred to elsewhere as Grok 4.6. He has said the two trillion parameter run is in its final training phase and expected to wrap this week.
Tesla has extended its Bay Area ride-hailing service to include pickups and drop-offs at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The update, shared via the company’s official channels on July 21, allows users in the region to request rides directly to and from one of California’s busiest airports.
The expansion builds on Tesla’s secured limousine permit for SFO operations. Public records show the permit became effective March 20, 2026, and remains active through January 31, 2027. Tesla vehicles operating the service now display authorized limousine permits issued by the City and County of San Francisco.
Our Bay Area rideshare service now goes to SFO ✈️
— Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI) July 21, 2026
Tesla’s ride-hailing program in California relies on Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology. Human safety drivers remain present in compliance with state regulations, distinguishing the service from fully driverless operations.
The Bay Area geofence covers a broad area spanning north of San Francisco to south of San Jose, offering extensive connectivity across the region.
UPDATE: Elon Musk reveals why Tesla didn’t say ‘Robotaxi’ upon California launch
This SFO addition follows earlier progress at other Bay Area airports. Tesla previously expanded service to San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in late 2025. The company had engaged with SFO, SJC, and Oakland International Airport officials as early as September 2025 to secure necessary approvals for passenger transport.
The service provides a new option for travelers seeking electric, app-based transportation integrated with Tesla’s ecosystem. Rides are booked through Tesla’s dedicated ride-hailing application, which handles matching, routing, and payments. Pricing follows standard ride-hailing models, with potential adjustments based on distance, time, and demand.
Tesla’s California ride-hailing program launched in July 2025 with an initial invite-only rollout in the Bay Area. It started alongside operations in Austin, Texas, marking the company’s second major U.S. market.
The Bay Area remains a primary focus in California, with service centered on high-demand corridors connecting residential, commercial, and now major transportation hubs. This latest airport integration represents a practical step in Tesla’s broader mobility ambitions within the state.
Tesla has officially revealed its 2026 Summer Update, which comes with a variety of crazy new features, including Navigation fixes that owners have been wanting for months.
Tesla routinely releases a larger update with the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter updates, where it ships a variety of new features, bug fixes, and other additions to customer cars.
The 2026 Spring Update featured things like “Hey Grok” voice assistance, a redesigned self-driving app, Unreal Engine visual upgrades, and more.
🚨 TESLA’S SUMMER UPDATE FOR 2026 IS HERE:
Featuring:
✅ Self-Driving Stats in Mobile App
✅ Caraoke with Scoring
✅ Automatic Navigation
✅ Preferred Routes
✅ Set Arrival Energy from Mobile App
✅ Send Custom Wraps from Mobile App
✅ Rear Display Lock
✅ Other Improvements
🔌… https://t.co/C9IW3egEhH
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 21, 2026
Tesla’s Summer Release has about ten new features; we’ll show you each and detail them below:
New Grok Voice Commands
“Grok can now make phone calls, search and play music, adjust climate, open the glovebox, and answer questions about your Tesla.”
Self-Driving Stats in Mobile App
“View and share self-driving stats from the mobile app.”
Caraoke With Scoring
“Caraoke now scores your singing while in Park. High scores are saved to your Tesla profile.”
Automatic Navigation
“Automatic Navigation now adapts to your routine.
In addition to Home, Work, and upcoming calendar events, your vehicle can now suggest and route to places you visit regularly – like a school drop-off on the way to work, or the gym on the way home.”
Preferred Routes
“For a more personalized experience, navigation now prioritizes routes that you’ve taken before”
Set Arrival Energy from Mobile App
“Set your desired Arrival Energy from your phone.”
Send Custom Wraps from Mobile App
“Skip the USB drive and upload a custom wrap of your car from the mobile app. Instructions for creating a custom wrap here: https://github.com/teslamotors/custom-wraps.”
Rear Display Lock
“Kids can watch content on the rear screen, but only the front row can control it through the rear screen app.”
Other Improvements
- Find Superchargers by name when searching for a destination
- Add Apple Music songs to queue from search and artist page
- Set your preferred zoom level for the Self-Driving visualization
- Intro animations for new Model 3 and Y
Elon Musk handed Grok something no other AI company can get their hands on
Tesla expands ridesharing service in California to new hotspot
