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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.
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Tesla Full Self-Driving shows stunning maneuver in Europe to silence skeptics
In a striking demonstration of autonomous driving prowess, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system recently showcased its capabilities on the narrow rural roads of the Netherlands. Captured in two in-car videos, the system encountered scenarios that would challenge even the most experienced human drivers.
Tesla Full Self-Driving, fresh on the heels of its approval for operation on European roads for the first time, showed off a stunning maneuver that will certainly silence any skeptics on the continent.
Fresh off its approval in the Netherlands, Full Self-Driving is working toward a significant expansion into more parts of Europe.
In a striking demonstration of autonomous driving prowess, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system recently showcased its capabilities on the narrow rural roads of the Netherlands. Captured in two in-car videos, the system encountered scenarios that would challenge even the most experienced human drivers.
In the first clip, a wide tractor occupied more than half the lane on a tight two-way road. Rather than braking abruptly or forcing a collision risk, FSD smoothly edged the vehicle onto the adjacent bike path—using the extra space with precision—before seamlessly returning to the lane once clear.
The second clip was equally demanding: while overtaking a group of cyclists, an oncoming car approached at speed.
FSD maintained a safe, minimal buffer to the cyclists while timing the pass perfectly, avoiding any swerve or hesitation that could unsettle passengers or other road users.
People wonder if FSD is safe on narrow European roads. Well have a look what it did when a tractor took up more than half of the road or when overtaking bicycles with fast oncoming traffic. pic.twitter.com/z37Csa09sP
— Chanan Bos (@ChananBos) April 14, 2026
This maneuver highlights FSD’s advanced spatial reasoning and predictive planning. On roads often under three meters wide, with no room for error, the system calculated available clearance in real time, incorporated shoulder and path geometry, and executed a controlled deviation without compromising safety.
It treated the bike path as a legitimate extension of navigable space, something many drivers might hesitate to do, while respecting Dutch road norms and cyclist priority.
Such feats align closely with a growing library of impressive FSD maneuvers documented on camera worldwide.
In urban Amsterdam, for instance, FSD has navigated the world’s densest cyclist environments, weaving through hundreds of unpredictable bike movements on canal-side streets with tram tracks and pedestrians.
One uncut drive showed it yielding smoothly at crossings, overtaking where needed, and even handling a near-perfect auto-park in a tight residential spot, demonstrating the same low-speed precision seen in the rural clips.
Teslas using FSD have tackled turbo roundabouts in the Netherlands, complex multi-lane circles notorious for geometry challenges, merging confidently while yielding to traffic. Similar clips depict smooth handling of construction zones, emergency vehicle pull-overs, and gated parking barriers, where the car stops precisely, waits for clearance, and proceeds without driver input.
Collectively, these examples illustrate FSD’s evolution toward handling the unpredictable.
The rural Netherlands maneuvers aren’t isolated. Instead, they reflect a pattern of spatial awareness, cyclist deference, and traffic anticipation seen from city streets to highways.
As FSD continues refining through real-world data, videos like this one are certainly building a compelling case for its readiness on Europe’s varied roads.
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Tesla utilizes its ‘Rave Cave’ for new awesome safety feature
Part of the massive interior overhaul of both the Model 3 “Highland” and Model Y “Juniper” was the addition of interior accent lighting to help bring out the mood of the vehicle, increase the customization of the interior, and to create a unique listening experience.
Tesla is utilizing its ‘Rave Cave’ for an awesome new safety feature that will arrive with the upcoming Spring Update for 2026.
Part of the massive interior overhaul of both the Model 3 “Highland” and Model Y “Juniper” was the addition of interior accent lighting to help bring out the mood of the vehicle, increase the customization of the interior, and to create a unique listening experience.
Tesla added a Sync Lights feature that will strobe the accent strips with the beat of the music.
It is one of the most unique and one of the coolest non-functional features of a Tesla, as it does not improve the driving of the vehicle, but makes it a cool and personal addition to the interior.
However, Tesla is going to take it one step further, as the Rave Cave lights will now be used for blind spot recognition. This feature will be added as the Spring 2026 Update starts to roll out.
A lot of CRAZY new features coming with Tesla’s 2026 Spring Update, including a new FSD app!
– Self-Driving App (AI4 hardware): New app in App Launcher > Self-Driving for one-tap FSD subscriptions, activation guides, and ongoing stats.
– “Hey Grok”: Voice-activated Grok with… https://t.co/ljeYPlq9Qt— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) April 13, 2026
Tesla writes:
“Accent lights now turn red when an object is in your blind spot and your turn signal is engaged, or when an approaching object is detected while parked.”
This neat new safety feature will now increase the likelihood of a driver, who is operating their Tesla manually, of seeing the blind spot warnings that are currently available on the A pillar and on the center touchscreen.
These new alerts will now warn drivers of cross traffic as they back out of a parking space with little to no visibility of what is coming. It is a great new addition that will only increase the safety of the vehicles, while also utilizing something that is already installed in these specific Model 3 and Model Y units.
The Model 3 and Model Y were the central focus of the Spring 2026 Update, especially considering the fact that the Model S and Model X are basically gone, with only a few hundred units left. Additionally, Tesla included new Immersive Sound and Car Visualization for the Model 3 and Model Y specifically in this new update.
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Tesla parked 50+ Cybercabs outside its Texas Factory with some crash tested
Dozens of Tesla Cybercabs have been spotted at Giga Texas crash testing facility ahead of launch.
Drone footage captured by longtime Giga Texas observer Joe Tegtmeyer shows over 50 units of Tesla Cybercab at the Austin factory campus, including several units clustered by Tesla’s on-site crash testing facility.
The outbound lot at Gigafactory Texas sits just outside the factory exit and serves as the primary staging area where finished vehicles are held before being loaded onto transport carriers or dispatched for validation testing. On any given day, the lot holds a mix of Model Y and Cybertruck units alongside the growing Tesla Cybercab fleet, as can be seen in the drone footage captured by Joe Tegtmeyer.
Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas on April 13, 2026 [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)
Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)
Tesla Cybercab crash test units spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)
Tesla Full Self-Driving shows stunning maneuver in Europe to silence skeptics
Tesla utilizes its ‘Rave Cave’ for new awesome safety feature
