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Here’s Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster ready for its Mars-bound voyage
Earlier this month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy will have a payload on its maiden launch that will be none other than his very own Cherry Red Tesla Roadster. Musk fans were convinced that the SpaceX CEO’s tweet was a mere joke, but as it turns out, however, the serial tech entrepreneur was dead serious about sending his prized Roadster on a Mars-bound voyage.
In fact, we might have just gotten the first picture of Musk’s actual Tesla Roadster 1.0 on what appears to be Falcon Heavy’s payload attach fitting. While the authenticity of the image could not be confirmed as of writing, the PAF, together with the way the Roadster was positioned in the photograph, seems to indicate that the leaked picture might indeed be real. The way the Roadster is mounted in the payload attach fitting, after all, optimizes overall weight distribution.
Updated: Elon Musk shares official photos of his Cherry Red Tesla Roadster

A section of SpaceX Falcon 9’s Payload User’s Guide outlines specifications for the payload attach fitting [Source: SpaceX]
As of writing, very little is known about Falcon Heavy’s maiden launch. So far, Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX is attempting to hit its goal of launching the world’s most powerful rocket sometime January 2018. Apart from this, details of the upcoming mission have not been publicly released.
In a lot of ways, the image of Musk’s Roadster being prepared for its upcoming space flight invites a lot of speculation. For one, it seems like Musk is planning on keeping the car on its pedestal until the payload reaches orbit and detaches from Falcon Heavy’s second stage. This would keep the vehicle in place as it begins its long journey through space.
Thus, from what could be inferred in the image, it seems like Musk’s plan is to send his Tesla Roadster into space, have it float in deep space, and hopefully, watch it enter Mars orbit.
Musk has provided some other interesting tidbits of information about the car’s upcoming journey. In a series of responses to his initial announcement about his Roadster’s journey into space, Musk stated that the vehicle would carry some amusing items from Earth, among them a copy of Douglas Adams’ “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” a towel, and a sign that says “Don’t Panic.” The CEO also stated that a track of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” would play in the Roadster 1.0 during its journey.
As for why SpaceX is sending Tesla’s first electric car into space on Falcon Heavy’s maiden mission, the rationale seems to have been revealed by the CEO as well. Responding to a Twitter user who asked why the space firm selected such a unique payload for SpaceX’s largest rocket, Musk simply stated that he loves the entire idea.
I love the thought of a car drifting apparently endlessly through space and perhaps being discovered by an alien race millions of years in the future
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 2, 2017
Again, Musk’s statement almost sounds like a jest; but if there’s anything that Tesla and SpaceX enthusiasts can agree on, it is the fact that when Elon Musk jokingly announces something, there is a good chance that he is actually serious.
News
Ford is charging for a basic EV feature on the Mustang Mach-E
When ordering a new Ford Mustang Mach-E, you’ll now be hit with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.
Ford is charging an additional fee for a basic EV feature on its Mustang Mach-E, its most popular electric vehicle offering.
Ford has shuttered its initial Model e program, but is venturing into a more controlled and refined effort, and it is abandoning the F-150 Lightning in favor of a new pickup that is currently under design, but appears to have some favorable features.
However, ordering a new Mustang Mach-E now comes with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.
The frunk is the front trunk, and due to the lack of a large engine in the front of an electric vehicle, OEMs are able to offer additional storage space under the hood. There’s one problem, though, and that is that companies appear to be recognizing that they can remove it for free while offering the function for a fee.
Ford is now charging $495 on the Mustang Mach-E frunk (front trunk). What are your thoughts on that? pic.twitter.com/EOzZe3z9ZQ
— Alan of TesCalendar 📆⚡️ (@TesCalendar1) February 24, 2026
Ford is charging $495 for the frunk.
Interestingly, the frunk size varies by vehicle, but the Mustang Mach-E features a 4.7 to 4.8 cubic-foot-sized frunk, which measures approximately 9 inches deep, 26 inches wide, and 14 inches high.
When the vehicle was first released, Ford marketed the frunk as the ultimate tailgating feature, showing it off as a perfect place to store and serve cold shrimp cocktail.
Ford Mach-E frunk is perfect for chowders and chicken wings, and we’re not even joking
It appears the decision to charge for what is a simple advantage of an EV is not going over well, as even Ford loyal customers say the frunk is a “basic expectation” of an EV. Without it, it seems as if fans feel the company is nickel-and-diming its customers.
It will be pretty interesting to see the Mach-E without a frunk, and while it should not be enough to turn people away from potentially buying the vehicle, it seems the decision to add an additional charge to include one will definitely annoy some customers.
News
Tesla to improve one of its best features, coding shows
According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.
Tesla is looking to upgrade its Matrix Headlights, a unique and high-tech feature that is available on several of its vehicles. The headlights aim to maximize visibility for Tesla drivers while being considerate of oncoming traffic.
The Matrix Headlights Tesla offers utilize dimming of individual light pixels to ensure that visibility stays high for those behind the wheel, while also being considerate of other cars by decreasing the brightness in areas where other cars are traveling.
Here’s what they look like in action:
- Credit: u/ObjectiveScratch | Reddit
- Credit: u/ObjectiveScratch | Reddit
As you can see, the Matrix headlight system intentionally dims the area where oncoming cars would be impacted by high beams. This keeps visibility at a maximum for everyone on the road, including those who could be hit with bright lights in their eyes.
There are still a handful of complaints from owners, however, but Tesla appears to be looking to resolve these with the coming updates in a Software Version that is currently labeled 2026.2.xxx. The coding was spotted by X user BERKANT:
🚨 Tesla is quietly upgrading Matrix headlights.
Software https://t.co/pXEklQiXSq reveals a hidden feature:
matrix_two_stage_reflection_dip
This is a major step beyond current adaptive high beams.
What it means:
• The car detects highly reflective objects
Road signs,… pic.twitter.com/m5UpQJFA2n— BERKANT (@Tesla_NL_TR) February 24, 2026
According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.
Finally, the new system will prevent the high beams from glaring back at the driver. The system is made to dim when it recognizes oncoming cars, but not necessarily objects that could produce glaring issues back at the driver.
Tesla’s revolutionary Matrix headlights are coming to the U.S.
This upgrade is software-focused, so there will not need to be any physical changes or upgrades made to Tesla vehicles that utilize the Matrix headlights currently.
Elon Musk
xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
Elon Musk’s xAI has signed an agreement with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to allow Grok to be used in classified military systems.
Previously, Anthropic’s Claude had been the only AI system approved for the most sensitive military work, but a dispute over usage safeguards has reportedly prompted the Pentagon to broaden its options, as noted in a report from Axios.
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
The publication reported that xAI agreed to the Pentagon’s requirement that its technology be usable for “all lawful purposes,” a standard Anthropic has reportedly resisted due to alleged ethical restrictions tied to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons use.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in what sources expect to be a tense meeting, with the publication hinting that the Pentagon could designate Anthropic a “supply chain risk” if the company does not lift its safeguards.
Axios stated that replacing Claude fully might be technically challenging even if xAI or other alternative AI systems take its place. That being said, other AI systems are already in use by the DoD.
Grok already operates in the Pentagon’s unclassified systems alongside Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Google is reportedly close to an agreement that will result in Gemini being used for classified use, while OpenAI’s progress toward classified deployment is described as slower but still feasible.
The publication noted that the Pentagon continues talks with several AI companies as it prepares for potential changes in classified AI sourcing.









