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NASA SLS rocket launches Orion spacecraft to the Moon
After years, months, days, hours, and minutes of waiting, NASA’s first Space Launch System (SLS) rocket has successfully lifted off from Kennedy Space Center and sent an Orion spacecraft on its way to the Moon.
Originally projected to launch by late 2016, SLS lifted off for the first time at 1:48 am EST (06:48 UTC) on November 16th, 2022. Once known as Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1), NASA’s SLS debut was renamed “Artemis I” when the Trump administration created the Artemis Program in 2017. By most measures a semi-modernized Apollo Program without a geopolitical race against the Soviet Union, the Artemis Program survived the election of a new president in 2020, and the SLS rocket’s debut has officially become the program’s first major mission to get off the ground.
That SLS rocket has had a very long journey to its first successful launch. Supplied by United Launch Alliance (ULA), the rocket’s small Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) – the stage responsible for orbital burns – was delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in November 2017. Boeing shipped the first Core Stage – SLS’ central liquid rocket booster – to Mississippi for proof testing in January 2020, and CS-1 completed that testing in March 2021 and was delivered to Florida by April 2021.
After almost 12 months of painstaking assembly, the first fully-assembled SLS rocket rolled out to Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B (Pad 39B) and attempted its first on-pad wet dress rehearsal (WDR) test. Seven months, three partially-completed WDRs, and two aborted launch attempts later, everything finally came together on November 16th, 2022.
By all appearances, the first SLS launch went perfectly. Shortly before liftoff, SLS ignited four former Space Shuttle Main Engines, making sure they were performing as expected. Seconds later, the launch computer fully committed and ignited both of SLS’ Shuttle-derived solid rocket boosters (SRBs) – motors than cannot be shut down after they’re lit. Much like the Shuttle did, SLS leapt off the pad after SRB ignition.
Combined, NASA says its RS-25 liquid engines and SRBs produced up to 4000 tons (8.8M lbf/39,200 kN) of thrust at liftoff, making SLS the second most powerful rocket to ever leave the launch pad. Only the Soviet Union’s N1 rocket, which produced up to 4500 tons (9.9M lbf/44,100 kN) of thrust at liftoff, was more powerful. But unlike N1, which failed four times over four launch attempts, the first SLS rocket reached orbit as planned, making it the most powerful rocket ever successfully launched.
About two minutes after liftoff, both SRBs successfully separated from the Core Stage. Eight and a half minutes after liftoff, the Core Stage shut down its four RS-25 engines and deployed the ICPS and Orion spacecraft just below the height of a stable orbit. 51 minutes after liftoff, ICPS ignited its lone RL-10 engine for 22 seconds to insert itself and Orion into a stable Earth orbit. Finally, about an hour and forty minutes after liftoff, ICPS ignited for a lengthy 18-minute trans-lunar injection (TLI) burn, sending Orion on a trajectory that will intercept the Moon on November 21st.
If all goes according to plan, Orion will then use its own European Service Module (ESM) to correct its trajectory and enter a Distant Retrograde Orbit around the Moon on November 25th, where it will remain tens of thousands of kilometers above the lunar surface. Orion will then leave lunar orbit as early as December 1st and reenter Earth’s atmosphere on December 11th before the capsule finally splashes down in the ocean.
Assuming Artemis I goes perfectly, Artemis II – SLS and Orion’s first launch with astronauts aboard – is scheduled no earlier than (NET) 2024. Artemis III, which will team up with a modified version of SpaceX’s Starship launch vehicle to attempt to land astronauts on the Moon for the first time since 1972, is expected to follow NET 2025. However, a reliable source with a prophetic track record estimates that Starship and SLS might not be ready to launch Artemis III until 2028.
The Tesla Model Y became the first-ever car to reach a legendary Norwegian milestone, surpassing 100,000 new registrations after gaining a reputation as one of the most popular vehicles in the country and the world.
As of May 20, Norwegian authorities have registered 100,224 units of the electric SUV, according to data from local outlet Opplysningsrådet for veitrafikken (OFV).
By population, roughly one in every 29 passenger cars on Norwegian roads is now a Model Y, underscoring its rapid rise as a national favorite.
Since the first deliveries in August 2021, the Model Y has transformed from a newcomer to a staple in Norwegian traffic.
Tesla back on top as Norway’s EV market surges to 98% share in February
Geir Inge Stokke, the Managing Director of OFV, described the achievement as “remarkable,” noting that few single models have gained such traction so quickly. “Tesla Model Y has hit the Norwegian market spot on, and the numbers illustrate how fast the EV market has developed here,” Stokke said.
The Model Y’s success reflects Norway’s aggressive push toward electrification. Nearly nine out of ten units, 87.6 percent, to be exact, are privately registered, with the remaining 12.4 percent on company plates. Owners span the country, from major cities to smaller municipalities, proving it is no longer just an urban or niche vehicle but a true “people’s car.
Who is Buying Tesla Model Ys in Norway?
Typical Model Y drivers are men in their early 40s. The average registered user age is 44, with 83 percent male and 17 percent female. Stokke noted that household usage often extends beyond the primary registrant, broadening the vehicle’s real-world appeal.
Geographically, adoption concentrates in urban centers with strong charging infrastructure. Oslo leads with 16,861 registrations (16.82 percent of the national total), followed by Bergen (7,450), Bærum (4,313), and Trondheim (4,240).
The top five municipalities—Oslo, Bergen, Bærum, Trondheim, and Asker—account for 35,463 units, or about 35 percent of all Model Ys. Yet the vehicle’s presence outside big cities highlights its broad acceptance.
Growth Trajectory and Popularity
Tesla built a lot of sales momentum in a short amount of time. In 2021, registrations closed out at 8,267, but more than doubled to more than 17,000 units in 2022 and more than 23,000 units in 2023. 2025 was the company’s strongest year yet, as Tesla managed to record 27,621 registrations.
Through 2026, Tesla already has 7,036 registrations.
Tesla’s Global Success with the Model Y
Tesla has tasted so much success with the Model Y; it has been the best-selling car in the world three times, it has dominated EV sales in numerous countries, and contributed to a mass adoption of electric vehicles across the planet.
As Stokke emphasized, the Model Y’s journey from newcomer to icon mirrors Norway’s broader success story. With robust incentives that push sales, excellent infrastructure, and consumer eagerness to transition to sustainable powertrains, the country continues setting global benchmarks in sustainable mobility.
The Tesla Model Y stands as a shining example of how quickly change can happen when conditions align.
SpaceX has disclosed the full financial details of its groundbreaking agreement with Anthropic, confirming that the AI company will pay $1.25 billion per month for dedicated high-performance computing resources.
The revelation came through SpaceX’s latest securities filing in preparation for its initial public offering, shedding light on one of the largest compute deals in the artificial intelligence sector to date. The prospectus was released last night, as SpaceX is heading toward its IPO.
This arrangement underscores the fierce demand for specialized infrastructure as frontier AI models require unprecedented levels of processing power to train and operate effectively. Industry analysts see the disclosure as a significant milestone, highlighting how top AI labs are locking in massive capacity to stay ahead in a rapidly accelerating field.
For SpaceX, it feels like a massive move that pushes its perception as a company from space exploration to artificial intelligence.
SpaceX is following in Tesla’s footsteps in a way nobody expected
The comprehensive deal grants Anthropic exclusive access to SpaceX’s Colossus clusters, encompassing Colossus I and the substantially expanded Colossus II, which together deliver hundreds of megawatts of power along with more than 200,000 NVIDIA GPUs.
Payments extend through May 2029, totaling nearly $45 billion overall; capacity is scheduled to ramp up during May and June 2026 at an initial discounted rate to facilitate seamless integration. Both companies retain the option to terminate the agreement with ninety days’ notice, so there is definitely some flexibility for both.
This pact not only enhances Anthropic’s ability to scale usage limits for Claude users but also injects substantial recurring revenue into SpaceX, bolstering its expansion into advanced data center operations and future orbital computing initiatives.
Observers describe the collaboration between the two companies as strategically advantageous because it gives Anthropic cutting-edge AI development the opportunity to collaborate with SpaceX’s expertise in rapid, large-scale infrastructure deployment.
This disclosure arrives at a pivotal moment when computing resources have become the primary bottleneck for AI progress.
As leading organizations compete to build more powerful systems, securing reliable, high-density facilities has emerged as a key differentiator.
SpaceX’s sites, such as those in Memphis, offer superior power availability and advanced cooling solutions that set them apart from conventional providers. For Anthropic, the added capacity is expected to deliver tangible improvements, including extended context windows, quicker inference times, and innovative features that appeal to both enterprise clients and individual users.
Looking ahead, the partnership paves the way for ambitious joint projects, including potential space-based AI compute platforms designed to overcome terrestrial limitations on energy and thermal management. Such efforts could redefine sustainable computing at massive scales.
Financially, the deal solidifies SpaceX’s diverse revenue profile ahead of its public market debut, extending beyond traditional aerospace activities. The massive check SpaceX will cash each month opens up the idea that additional
While some experts question the sustainability of these enormous expenditures given ongoing efficiency gains in AI architectures, the commitment reflects a strong belief in sustained demand growth.
The agreement also exemplifies productive synergies across sectors, with aerospace engineering insights optimizing AI hardware performance. As global attention on technology concentration increases, arrangements of this nature may help shape equitable access to critical resources.
Elon Musk
SpaceX just filed for the IPO everyone was waiting for
SpaceX filed its public S-1, revealing $18.7 billion in revenue and billions in losses.
SpaceX publicly filed its S-1 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 20, 2026, making its financial details available to the public for the first time ahead of what could be the largest IPO in history.
An S-1 is the formal document a company must submit to the SEC before going public. It includes audited financials, risk factors, business descriptions, and how the company plans to use the money it raises. Companies are required to file one before selling shares to the public, and it must be published at least 15 days before the investor roadshow begins. SpaceX had already submitted a confidential draft to the SEC in April, which allowed regulators to review the filing privately before it went public.
The S-1 reveals that SpaceX generated $18.7 billion in consolidated revenue in 2025, driven largely by its Starlink satellite internet division, which posted $11.4 billion in revenue, growing nearly 50% year over year. Despite that growth, the company lost about $4.9 billion in 2025 and has burned through more than $37 billion since its founding.
SpaceX just forced Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile to team up for the first time in history
A significant portion of those losses trace back to xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, which was recently merged into SpaceX. SpaceX directed roughly 60% of its capital spending in 2025 to its AI division, totaling around $20 billion, yet that division lost billions and grew revenue by only about 22%.
SpaceX plans to list its Class A common stock on Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX, with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America leading the offering. The dual-class share structure means going public will not meaningfully reduce Musk’s control, as Class B shares he holds carry 10 votes per share compared to one vote for public Class A shares.
The company is targeting a raise of around $75 billion at a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion, which would make it the largest IPO ever. The investor roadshow is reportedly planned for June 5.
Tesla Model Y becomes first-ever car to reach legendary milestone
SpaceX reveals what Anthropic will pay for massive compute deal
