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NASA braces for ‘7 minutes of terror’ as rover, rocket crane near Mars
NASA’s most ambitious – and difficult – Mars rover mission to date is nearly at the end of its interplanetary journey, but it is just the beginning of the excitement. On Tuesday (Feb. 16) engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) confirmed that Perseverance is doing well and is prepared to attempt a touchdown at about 12:55 p.m. PST (3:55 p.m. EST) on Thursday (Feb. 18).
NASA’s fifth Mars rover, Perseverance, will attempt a tried and true, but terrifying landing method to reach the Martain surface safely. In a process called entry, descent, and landing (EDL) the rover will burst through the Martian atmosphere at 12,500mph (20,000 kph) and slow to just under 2mph (3kph) in about seven minutes – a process which has earned the nickname “seven minutes of terror.”
From interplanetary spacecraft to Martian rover in seven minutes
For the past seven months, Perseverance has traveled 300 million miles (480 million kilometers) as an interplanetary spacecraft. When it reaches its final destination of Mars on Feb. 18, the spacecraft will have to shed some layers to prepare to land on the Martian surface. Perhaps the most challenging part of the seven minutes of terror is that Perseverance will conduct every aspect autonomously – engineers back on Earth will not be able to intervene due to the communications time delay caused by the distance between Earth and Mars.
During the first stage of landing known as entry, Perseverance will slam into the relatively thin Martian atmosphere at the neck-break speed of 12,500mph (20,000 kph). At approximately 12:38 p.m. PST (3:38 p.m. EST), 10 minutes prior to entering the Martian atmosphere, the Cruise Stage which has reliably propelled Perseverance on its journey from Earth via solar power will separate. This will initiate the official transition from spacecraft into rover.
To protect the rover and its critical hardware Perseverance is housed inside of a protective covering – called an aeroshell – and is outfitted with a robust heat shield. Small thrusters at the crown of the aeroshell help to reorient itself and ensure that the heat shield is facing in the right direction as it enters the atmosphere. The aeroshell and heatshield will absorb and deflect the brunt of the heat energy – reaching about 2,370 degrees Fahrenheit (about 1,300 degrees Celsius) – caused by the friction of entering the Martian atmosphere at such a high velocity.
Once through peak heating and deceleration, Perseverance will utilize a new technology called Range Trigger to determine its exact location and distance to the surface. The spacecraft will utilize this technology to autonomously determine the optimal time to deploy its supersonic parachute – the largest ever sent to Mars – and separate its heat shield. This is expected to occur at 12:52 p.m. PST (3:52 p.m. EST). Once the heat shield has separated the powered descent stage – and the Perseverance rover itself – will be exposed to the Martian environment.
Although a similar descent method has been used in the past with the landing of NASA’s Curiosity rover in 2012, Perseverance’s way of doing things has received a major upgrade.
Once the heat shield has been dispersed, Perseverance will use a radar and cameras to utilize a new landing technology called Terrain-Relative Navigation. Essentially, Perseverance will continuously take images to map out the Martian surface as it descends to determine its exact location. The spacecraft will actively decide and target the best possible safe landing site which can be autonomously changed up to 2,000 feet (600 meters). Then the aeroshell and parachute are jettisoned and it’s the powered descent module’s time to shine.
Using rockets to land, rather than to launch
Just two minutes after ditching the heat shield, at 12:54 p.m. PST (3:54 p.m. EST) and only 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) above the surface, the powered descent stage will fire eight throttleable retrorockets to slow the spacecraft’s descent even more and steer it to its chosen landing target. During the powered descent phase, the spacecraft will slow from about 190 mph (306 kph) to just 1.7 mph (2.7 kph).
Once the spacecraft determines that it is 65 feet (20 meters) from the surface by utilizing the Terrain-Relative Navigation, the powered descent stage will initiate the sky crane maneuver. In this phase, the Perseverance rover will be delicately lowered to the Martian surface with a system of Nylon cords.
At 12:55 p.m. PST (3:55 p.m. EST) the $2.4 billion NASA Mars 2020 mission will officially touchdown on the surface of Mars in the Jezero Crater. Once safely down, the sky crane will severe the cords and fly off for a crash landing at a safe distance away from the rover.
During the landing attempt, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will be overhead and constantly sending telemetry back to Earth via NASA’s Deep Space Network. The telemetry will indicate to engineers back at NASA JPL if the landing procedure was successful and will confirm a touchdown at 12:55 p.m. PST (3:55 p.m. EST).
This will be the first time that a NASA Mars rover will be landing with its eyes open, so to speak. NASA hopes that the first images – and sounds – of the Martian landing will be available to release to the public within about an hour of confirmed touchdown.
Beginning around 11:15 am PST (19:15 UTC) on Thursday, February 18th, NASA will provide live coverage of Perseverance’s landing attempt. The agency will carry the coverage on NASA TV and its website, as well as a number of other platforms including YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, Daily Motion, Theta.TV, and the NASA app. You can view the entry, descent, and landing process in its entirety in the video below provided by NASA’s JPL.
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Tesla plans for largest Australian Supercharger yet
The company has a 20-stall site in the city of Goulburn in New South Wales, which is an ideal location for trips between Sydney and Canberra, two major cities.
Tesla is planning to build its largest Supercharger in Australia yet, expanding on the infrastructure the company has built for electric vehicles.
The company has a 20-stall site in the city of Goulburn in New South Wales, which is an ideal location for trips between Sydney and Canberra, two major cities.
However, according to The Driven, a new Australian Supercharger is on the way, and it is going to be the biggest in the country, accounting for more than 25 stalls total. They will likely be V4 Superchargers, Tesla’s fastest piles that enable some serious range for cars that will plug in.
@LudicrousFeed Before I forget, one for tonight. Highway service centre near Mackay with 25+ charging stalls!
Website has a couple of video renders too.https://t.co/WkuklxE7tk pic.twitter.com/BxKQ8bDUZ7— ⚡chuqtas (@chuqtas) March 11, 2026
Tesla is operating 148 active Supercharger sites in Australia, with 80 of those being available to non-Tesla EVs as a part of the company’s initiative to make things accessible for all electric vehicle owners.
The expansion of Tesla Superchargers is welcome for all EV owners, especially as there are so many automakers that have access to the network. It is widely reliable and extremely dependable; it is tough to find a Supercharger location that is completely out of service.
The opening of the stalls will be welcome for the Tesla owners of Australia, especially as the Model Y continues to be a major contributor to the company’s prowess in the market.
Tesla’s sales performance in Australia showed a mixed but challenging picture in 2025, with the company delivering 28,856 new vehicles, marking a significant 24.8% decline from 38,347 units in 2024.
This represented the brand’s largest annual drop on record and the second consecutive year of decline, amid intensifying competition from Chinese EV makers like BYD and shifting buyer preferences toward SUVs. The Tesla Model Y remained a standout performer and Australia’s best-selling electric vehicle, with 22,239 deliveries, up 4.6percent year-over-year, accounting for about 77 percent of Tesla’s total sales.
The mid-year launch of the updated “Juniper” Model Y helped sustain momentum in the popular mid-size SUV segment.
In contrast, the Model 3 sedan struggled sharply, plummeting 61.3 percent to just 6,617 units, as consumers favored SUVs and faced growing options in the sedan category.
Despite the overall dip, Tesla held onto leadership in the EV segment, capturing roughly 28 percent of the BEV market. Australia’s EV market grew robustly, surpassing 156,000 sales and reaching 13 percent market share, up 38.7 percent from 2024, highlighting strong broader adoption even as Tesla faced headwinds.
Early 2026 data suggests a rebound, with EV sales nearly doubling year-over-year in February and the Model Y showing strong gains, positioning Tesla for potential recovery amid ongoing competition.
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Tesla Model Y L gets new entertainment feature
Beyond audio quality, Immersive Sound X aligns with Tesla’s ecosystem of over-the-air updates, potentially allowing future refinements.
Tesla is including a new entertainment feature in the Model Y L, improving the vehicle even further and making it what appears to be the best configuration of the all-electric crossover globally.
Unfortunately, we in the U.S. do not yet have access to the vehicle, and the plans for it to enter the market remain up in the air, as CEO Elon Musk has said it could appear late this year. However, there is nothing concrete at this time.
Tesla’s latest enhancement to the Model Y L is a new Immersive Sound X feature, exclusive to the Model Y L.
Model YL has new sound system setting. Immersive Sound X. This is NOT on the new Y and 3 pic.twitter.com/7OpJuzyoGf
— Electric Future (@electricfuture5) March 16, 2026
It aims to transform the in-car listening experience into something truly cinematic. First introduced by Tesla China in October 2025, this advanced audio mode is now rolling out to deliveries in Australia and New Zealand, highlighting Tesla’s approach to region-specific premium upgrades.
At its core, Immersive Sound X leverages real-time sound extraction technology to create a customizable 3D soundstage. Using advanced algorithms, it analyzes audio tracks to separate direct sounds, such as vocals or lead instruments, from ambient elements like echoes and reverb.
The system then positions direct sounds front and center while diffusing ambient sounds to the side and rear speakers, simulating an expansive virtual environment. This results in a heightened sense of depth and spatial awareness, making listeners feel as if they’re in a concert hall or studio.
What sets Immersive Sound X apart from the standard Immersive Sound found in other Tesla models is its hardware dependency and enhanced processing. The Model Y L boasts an 18-speaker system with a subwoofer, compared to the 15-speaker setup, plus a subwoofer, in the Model Y Long Range’s previous premium audio configuration.
This upgrade provides more “kick” and precision, enabling finer control over the soundstage. Unlike traditional surround sound, which requires multi-channel mixes like Dolby Atmos, Immersive Sound X works with any stereo source from platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, so every owner will be able to use it.
Tesla Model Y lineup expansion signals an uncomfortable reality for consumers
You can fine-tune the experience via an adjustable immersion slider, scaling the “size” of the virtual space to personal preferences. This caters to a more custom sound.
An Auto mode intelligently adapts based on media type, whether it’s music, podcasts, or videos, ensuring optimal immersion without manual tweaks. This feature is unavailable on standard Model Y variants (with 7 or 15 speakers) or Model 3 trims, underscoring Tesla’s strategy to differentiate higher trims through superior hardware and software integration.
Beyond audio quality, Immersive Sound X aligns with Tesla’s ecosystem of over-the-air updates, potentially allowing future refinements.
For audiophiles and casual listeners alike, it elevates mundane commutes into immersive journeys, proving Tesla’s commitment to blending cutting-edge tech with user-centric design.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk teases crazy outlook for xAI against its competitors
Musk’s response was vintage hyperbole, designed to rally supporters and dismiss doubters, something his responses on social media often do.
Elon Musk has never been one to shy away from crazy timelines, massive expectations, and outrageous outlooks. However, his recent plans for xAI and where he believes it will end up compared to its competitors are sure to stimulate conversation.
In a bold and characteristic response on X, Elon Musk fired back at a recent analysis that positioned his AI venture, xAI, as lagging behind industry frontrunners.
The post, from March 14, came as a direct reply to forecaster Peter Wildeford’s assessment, which drew from benchmarks and reporting to rank AI developers.
xAI will catch up this year and then exceed them all by such a long distance in 3 years that you will need the James Webb telescope to see who is in second place
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2026
Wildeford placed Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI in a virtual tie at the top, with xAI and Meta trailing by about seven months. Chinese players like Moonshot, Deepseek, zAI, and Alibaba were estimated to be nine months behind, while France’s Mistral lagged by about a year and a half.
Musk’s response was vintage hyperbole, designed to rally supporters and dismiss doubters, something his responses on social media often do.
He claimed xAI would “catch up this year,” meaning by the end of 2026, erasing that seven-month deficit against the leaders. But he didn’t stop there.
Musk escalated his vision to 2029, predicting xAI would “exceed them all by such a long distance” that observers would need the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s orbiting observatory stationed about 930,000 miles from Earth, to spot whoever lands in second place. This analogy underscores Musk’s confidence in xAI’s trajectory, implying an astronomical lead that could redefine the AI landscape.
Breaking down these claims reveals Musk’s strategic optimism. First, the short-term catch-up: xAI, launched in 2023, has already released models like Grok, but recent benchmarks, including those for Grok 4.2, have shown it falling short in capabilities compared to rivals.
Anthropic’s Claude series, Google’s Gemini, and OpenAI’s GPT models dominate in areas like reasoning, coding, and multimodal tasks. Musk’s assertion suggests aggressive scaling in compute, talent, or architecture, perhaps leveraging xAI’s ties to Tesla’s Dojo supercomputers or Musk’s vast resources, to close the gap swiftly.
The longer-term dominance by 2029 paints an even more audacious picture. Musk envisions xAI not just parity but supremacy, outpacing competitors in innovation speed and model sophistication.
This could involve breakthroughs in energy-efficient training, real-world integration, like Tesla’s robotics, or ethical AI alignment, aligning with Musk’s stated goal of “understanding the universe.”
Critics, however, point to parallels with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving delays; one reply highlighted Musk’s 2023 promise of FSD readiness. Musk has made this promise for many years, and although the system has been strong and improving, it is still a ways off from the completely autonomous operation that was expected by now.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.2.5 might be the most confusing release ever
Musk’s comment highlights the intensifying U.S.-centric AI race, with xAI challenging the “three-way” dominance noted by Wharton professor Ethan Mollick, whom Wildeford quoted. As geopolitical tensions rise—evident in the Chinese firms’ lag—Musk’s tease could spur investment and talent wars.
Yet, it also invites scrutiny: Will xAI deliver, or is this another telescope-needed mirage? In an industry where timelines slip but stakes soar, Musk’s words keep the spotlight on xAI’s ambitious path forward.
Tesla plans for largest Australian Supercharger yet
Tesla Model Y L gets new entertainment feature
