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NASA officially says goodbye to Mars Opportunity rover lost in massive dust storm
After 15 years roving around our neighboring red planet, NASA announced the end of its Opportunity rover mission on Mars today during a live conference held at 2 pm EST. The rover’s team of scientists spent last night sending a set of commands intended to be the last attempt at waking Opportunity, and this afternoon’s announcement confirmed the final fate of the mission. A planet-wide dust storm in summer of 2018 shut the Martian rover down due to its solar panels being blocked from debris, and the long duration spent without power apparently led to a series of failures which prevented a recovery. The last communication NASA received from Opportunity was on June 10, 2018.
#OppyPhoneHome Update
Tonight, we’ll make our last planned attempts to contact Opportunity. The solar-powered rover last communicated on June 10, 2018, as a planet-wide dust storm swept across Mars.
Want to show the team some love? Send a postcard: https://t.co/eO2SClFcYm pic.twitter.com/trDjRNf65E
— NASA Mars (@NASAMars) February 12, 2019
Over the last few months, while scientists continued to revive Opportunity, hopes were fairly high that communication would be reestablished. The rover’s batteries were in good health prior to the dust storm, and the surface temperature was relatively warm when the storm began. Also, its programming was designed with “fault modes” allowing actions to be taken automatically to maintain the rover’s health. The team at NASA had attempted to talk to Opportunity several times per week once the storm began to clear using the Deep Space Network, an international array of giant radio antennas supporting interplanetary spacecraft missions, and over 600 attempts were made without any response received. The announcement was broadcast live via NASA’s website.
Emotions were high during NASA’s mission end announcement. Associate NASA Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen began the event’s commentary: “I stand here, surrounded by the team…it’s an emotional time,” he began. “Science is a team sport, and that’s what we’re celebrating today.” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine noted that while Opportunity stopped communicating around the same time be began his service with the administration, he was still in awe at the achievements the rover and its team were able to achieve throughout their mission. “When this little rover landed, the objective was to have it move 1100 yards and survive for 90 days,” he exclaimed before reiterating the unexpected 15 years the mission eventually lasted. Michael Watkins, Director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory commented on the mission’s broader contribution to society: “Spirit and Opportunity energized the public about the spirit of Mars exploration.”
John Callas, project manager of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project, provided some insight about what could have caused Opportunity to shut down for good. Earlier in Opportunity’s mission days, a heater on its robotic arm failed to turn off, draining the rover’s energy in the process. To overcome this issue, the team at NASA designed a deep sleep mode which shut down nearly everything on Opportunity, including the heater. Callas surmised that the dust storm which ended the rover’s mission may have disrupted its sleep cycle, reinstating the power draining issue and preventing recovery. He also described the quality of Opportunity’s batteries and the seasonal reliability of the Martian winds to clean its solar panels as part of the reasons it lasted as long as it did. Finally, Callas had his own farewell comments to add. “Even though it’s a machine, saying goodbye, it’s very hard and very poignant,” he remarked.
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- NASAs Mars Curiosity Rover takes a selfie in the middle of a massive storm. [Credit: Seán Doran/Flickr]
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- InSight, a NASA mission to put another spacecraft on Mars, is the first mission dedicated to investigating the deep interior of Mars. The findings will advance understanding of how all rocky planets, including Earth, formed and evolved. Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA’s Opportunity rover (nicknamed “Oppy”) launched on July 7, 2003, aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Its primary mission was to search for and characterize rocks and soil while looking for indications of water activity in the Martian past. One of the better-known discoveries made by the rover was the discovery of hematite on the surface, a mineral which typically forms in water. Also found were strips of gypsum in rocks around a crater, indicating that water most likely flowed through the area at one point. The storm which finally ended the rover’s mission was intense and massive, its size is roughly the area of North America and Russia combined with Opportunity in the center.
A month prior to Opportunity’s launch, its twin rover Spirit headed for Mars with a similar mission. Both rovers lasted years longer than their 90-day expected life span, but unfortunately, Spirit’s mission ended before Opportunity’s when it became lodged in soft soil at a site called “Troy”. NASA ended its rescue effort of Spirit in May 2011. Another NASA rover named Curiosity is still crawling the planet, however. Its plutonium-nuclear power source helped it avoid the same fate that came over its predecessor, even sending back a storm-riding selfie during the event that claimed Opportunity.
NASA’s most recent mission to Mars was its InSight lander, a geological science mission sent to study the core of the planet and atmosphere. After arriving at the red planet in late November 2018 with twin CubeSat mission MarCo, it successfully landed without incident and sent a dusty photo back for Earthling enjoyment and arrival confirmation. In the months since it’s treated NASA and the public alike with selfies and the sound of Martian wind. Its instruments have recently been placed on the surface, so new planet data is expected soon.
Up next for the fourth rock from the Sun will be Mars 2020, an advanced rover dedicated to high-priority science missions including the search for habitable conditions and microbes in the ancient past. NASA plans to launch this rover in July 2020.
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Tesla makes latest move to remove Model S and Model X from its lineup
Tesla’s latest decisive step toward phasing out its flagship sedan and SUV was quietly removing the Model S and Model X from its U.S. referral program earlier this week.
Tesla has made its latest move that indicates the Model S and Model X are being removed from the company’s lineup, an action that was confirmed by the company earlier this quarter, that the two flagship vehicles would no longer be produced.
Tesla has ultimately started phasing out the Model S and Model X in several ways, as it recently indicated it had sold out of a paint color for the two vehicles.
Now, the company is making even more moves that show its plans for the two vehicles are being eliminated slowly but surely.
Tesla’s latest decisive step toward phasing out its flagship sedan and SUV was quietly removing the Model S and Model X from its U.S. referral program earlier this week.
The change eliminates the $1,000 referral discount previously available to new buyers of these vehicles. Existing Tesla owners purchasing a new Model S or Model X will now only receive a halved loyalty discount of $500, down from $1,000.
The updates extend beyond the two flagship vehicles. New Cybertruck buyers using a referral code on Premium AWD or Cyberbeast configurations will no longer get $1,000 off. Instead, both referrer and buyer receive three months of Full Self-Driving (Supervised).
The loyalty discount for Cybertruck purchases, excluding the new Dual Motor AWD trim level, has also been cut to $500.
NEWS: Tesla has removed the Model S and Model X from the referral program.
New owners also no longer get a $1,000 referral discount on a new Cybertruck Premium AWD or Cyberbeast. Instead, you now get 3 months of FSD (Supervised).
Additionally, Tesla has reduced the loyalty… pic.twitter.com/IgIY8Hi2WJ
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) March 6, 2026
These adjustments apply only in the United States, and reflect Tesla’s broader strategy to optimize margins while boosting adoption of its autonomous driving software.
The timing is no coincidence. Tesla confirmed earlier this year that Model S and Model X production will end in the second quarter of 2026, roughly June, as the company reallocates factory capacity toward its Optimus humanoid robot and next-generation vehicles.
With annual sales of the low-volume flagships already declining (just 53,900 units in 2025), incentives are no longer needed to drive demand. Production is winding down, and Tesla expects strong remaining interest without subsidies.
Industry observers see this as the clearest sign yet of an “end-of-life” phase for the vehicles that once defined Tesla’s luxury segment. Community reactions on X range from nostalgia, “Rest in power S and X”, to frustration among long-time owners who feel perks are eroding just as the models approach discontinuation.
Some buyers are rushing orders to lock in final discounts before they vanish entirely.
Doug DeMuro names Tesla Model S the Most Important Car of the last 30 years
For Tesla, the move prioritizes efficiency: fewer discounts on outgoing models, a stronger push for FSD subscriptions, and a focus on high-margin Cybertruck trims amid surging orders.
Loyalists still have a narrow window to purchase a refreshed Plaid or Long Range model with remaining incentives, but the message is clear: Tesla’s lineup is evolving, and the era of the original flagships is drawing to a close.
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Tesla Australia confirms six-seat Model Y L launch in 2026
Compared with the standard five-seat Model Y, the Model Y L features a longer body and extended wheelbase to accommodate an additional row of seating.
Tesla has confirmed that the larger six-seat Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026.
The confirmation was shared by techAU through a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.
The Model Y L expands the Model Y lineup by offering additional seating capacity for customers seeking a larger electric SUV. Compared with the standard five-seat Model Y, the Model Y L features a longer body and extended wheelbase to accommodate an additional row of seating.
The Model Y L is already being produced at Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai for the Chinese market, though the vehicle will be manufactured in right-hand-drive configuration for markets such as Australia and New Zealand.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand confirmed the vehicle will feature seating for six passengers.
“As shown in pictures from its launch in China, Model Y L will have a new seating configuration providing room for 6 occupants,” Tesla Australia and New Zealand said in comments shared with techAU.
Instead of a traditional seven-seat arrangement, the Model Y L uses a 2-2-2 layout. The middle row features two individual seats, allowing easier access to the third row while providing additional space for passengers.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand also confirmed that the Model Y L will be covered by the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.
“As with all new Tesla Vehicles from the start of 2026, the Model Y L will come with a 5-year unlimited km vehicle warranty and 8 years for the battery,” the company said.
The updated policy increases Tesla’s vehicle warranty from the previous four-year or 80,000-kilometer coverage.
Battery and drive unit warranties remain unchanged depending on the variant. Rear-wheel-drive models carry an eight-year or 160,000-kilometer warranty, while Long Range and Performance variants are covered for eight years or 192,000 kilometers.
Tesla has not yet announced official pricing or range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.
A newly published Tesla patent could offer one of the clearest signals yet that the long-awaited next-generation Roadster is nearly ready for its public debut.
Patent No. US 20260061898 A1, published on March 5, 2026, describes a “vehicle seat system” built around a single continuous composite frame – a dramatic departure from the dozens of metal brackets, recliner mechanisms, and rivets that make up a traditional car seat. Tesla is calling it a monolithic structure, with the seat portion, backrest, headrest, and bolsters all thermoformed as one unified piece.
The approach mirrors Tesla’s broader manufacturing philosophy. The same company that pioneered massive aluminum castings to eliminate hundreds of body components is now applying that logic to the cabin. Fewer parts means fewer potential failure points, less weight, and a cleaner assembly process overall.
Tesla Roadster Seat Concept Image by TESLARATI
Tesla ramps hiring for Roadster as latest unveiling approaches
The timing of the filing is difficult to ignore. Elon Musk has publicly targeted April 1, 2026 as the date for an “unforgettable” Roadster design reveal, and two new Roadster trademarks were filed just last month. A patent describing a seat architecture suited for a hypercar, and one that Tesla has promised will hit 60 mph in under two seconds.
The Roadster, originally unveiled in 2017, has been one of Tesla’s most anticipated yet most delayed products. With a target price around $200,000 and engineering ambitions to match, it is being positioned as the ultimate showcase for what Tesla’s technology can do.
The patent was first flagged by @seti_park on X.
Tesla Roadster Monolithic Seat: Feature Highlights via US Patent 20260061898 A1
- Single Continuous Frame (Monolithic Construction). The core invention is a seat assembly built from one continuous frame that integrates the seat portion, backrest portion, and hinge into a single component — eliminating the need for separate structural parts and mechanical joints typical in conventional seats.
- Integrated Flexible Hinge. Rather than a traditional mechanical recliner, the hinge is built directly into the continuous frame and is designed to flex, and allowing the backrest to move relative to the seat portion. The hinge can be implemented as a fiber composite leaf spring or an assembly of rigid linkages.
- Thermoformed Anisotropic Composite Material. The continuous frame is manufactured via thermoforming from anisotropic composite materials, including fiberglass-nylon, fiberglass-polymer, nylon carbon composite, Kevlar-nylon, or Kevlar-polymer composites, enabling a molded-to-shape monolithic structure.
- Regionally Tuned Stiffness Zones. The frame is engineered with up to six distinct stiffness regions (R1–R6) across the seat, backrest, hinge, headrest, and bolsters. Each zone can have a different stiffness, allowing precise ergonomic and structural tuning without adding separate components.
- Linkage Assembly Hinge Mechanism. The hinge incorporates one or more linkage assemblies consisting of multiple interlocking links with gears, connected by rods. When driven by motors or actuators, these linkages act as a flexible member to control backrest movement along a precise, ergonomically optimized trajectory.
- Multi-Actuator Six-Degree-of-Freedom Positioning System. The seat uses four distinct actuator pairs, all controlled by a central controller. These actuators work in coordinated combinations to achieve fore/aft, height, cushion tilt, and backrest rotation adjustments simultaneously.
- ECU-Based Controller Architecture. An Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and programmable controller manage all seat actuators, receive user input via a user interface (touchscreen, buttons, or switches), and incorporate sensor feedback to confirm and maintain desired seat positions, essentially making this a software-driven seat system.
- Airbag-Integrated Bolster Deployment System. The backrest bolsters (216) are geometrically shaped and sized to guide airbag deployment along a specific, pre-configured trajectory. Left and right bolsters can have different shapes so that each guides its respective airbag along a distinct trajectory, improving occupant protection.
- Ventilation Holes Formed into the Backrest. The continuous frame includes one or more ventilation holes formed directly into the backrest portion, configured to either receive airflow into or deliver airflow from the seat frame — enabling passive or active thermal comfort without requiring separate ventilation components.
- Soft Trim Recess for Tool-Free Integration. The headrest and backrest portions together define a molded recess, specifically designed to receive and secure a soft trim component (foam, fabric, or cushioning) directly into the continuous frame, eliminating the need for separate attachment hardware and simplifying final assembly.
Tesla makes latest move to remove Model S and Model X from its lineup
Tesla Australia confirms six-seat Model Y L launch in 2026
