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NASA’s Parker Solar Probe takes first picture inside the Sun’s atmosphere
Traveling at the record-breaking speed of 213,200 miles per hour, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe came within 15 million miles of the Sun’s surface, completing its first solar encounter phase and rewarding scientists with the first picture ever taken from within our star’s atmosphere.
Launched on August 12, 2018 in a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the probe will help provide answers to some of the mysteries of our Sun. In particular: Why is the atmosphere hotter than the surface? Why is the solar wind continuously accelerated? These are important questions considering the Sun is both essential for life and a potential danger through its magnetized materials’ interference with our satellites, electronics, and astronauts in orbit. Scientists on the craft’s team presented the initial set of new data from its encounter on December 12th during the 2018 American Geophysical Union meeting.
The Parker Probe’s team began downloading data from its journey on December 7th this year, but the actual Sun passage took place about a month earlier, from October 31st through November 11th. The delay was caused by the nature of the Sun itself – as a wide band radio source, communications are not possible anytime a craft is in front, behind, or to the side of it.
During the probe’s approaches, scientists rely on one of four beacons installed that signal the craft’s status. Mission controllers at the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Labs (JHUAPL) received the “A” beacon at 4:46 pm EST on November 7, 2018, indicating that the probe was operating well and collecting data. Also, more data from the probe’s initial encounter will be forthcoming next year following its next approach.
This latest visitor to the Sun was named after physicist Eugene Newman Parker, best known for his mid-1950s theories about solar wind and the Sun’s atmosphere being hotter than the surface itself, and the craft will likely be one more data point complimenting his predictions. Since the Parker Probe’s mission will encounter our star in ways never done before, its science team is not quite sure of what to expect.
“Parker is an exploration mission — the potential for new discoveries is huge,” Nour Raouafi, a Parker Solar Probe project scientist at the JHUAPL in Laurel, Maryland, was quoted on the issue. The craft will also pass by Venus a total of seven times and will come within 3.8 million miles of the Sun at its closest of 24 planned approaches.
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- The Parker Solar Probe prior and during launch on August 12, 2018 in a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. | Credit: Tom Cross/Teslarati
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- The Parker Solar Probe prior and during launch on August 12, 2018 in a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. | Credit: Tom Cross/Teslarati
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- The Parker Solar Probe prior and during launch on August 12, 2018 in a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. | Credit: Tom Cross/Teslarati
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- The Parker Solar Probe prior and during launch on August 12, 2018 in a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. | Credit: Tom Cross/Teslarati
The Parker Solar Probe prior and during launch on August 12, 2018 in a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. | Credit: Tom Cross/Teslarati
Figuring out what the actual underlying physics of the Sun are is a challenge for scientists studying its activity. When observing the surface changes, the variations seen are difficult to classify as being caused by either the star’s activity or its rotation due to how fast it moves. The speed of the Parker Probe will allow it to nearly match the Sun’s rotational speed, one revolution per 27 days as viewed from Earth, meaning it will hover over one area for a short amount of time.
While there, it will be able to specifically collect data about activity caused by the Sun itself, thereby enabling scientists to revise their models accordingly. To collect data surrounding these questions, the probe was given a thermal heat shield that can withstand the 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures it will be exposed to while maintaining a mid-80s F temperature for its instruments.
In addition to the Parker Probe’s historic photo and data, NASA has been on a roll with milestones and discoveries this year. Launched in 1977, the Voyager 2 spacecraft became the second human-made object to enter interstellar space as it left our solar system on November 5th. The first was Voyager 1 when it left on August 25, 2012. NASA also landed its InSight craft on the surface of Mars on November 26, 2018, and several photos have been returned from it since, including a lander “selfie“. That mission had a second milestone with it via two CubeSats named Mars Cube One (MarCO), successfully demonstrating the use of tiny satellites in deep space. The satellites were able to relay InSight’s landing event data to its team much quicker than would be been possible with other orbiting satellites, and they even sent back a picture of the red planet as they passed by and continued into their long orbit around the Sun.
Watch the below video for more on the Parker Solar Probe’s mission:
Elon Musk
Elon Musk doubles down on Tesla Cybercab timeline once again
“Cybercab, which has no pedals or steering wheel, starts production in April,” Musk said.
CEO Elon Musk doubled down once again on the timeline of production for the Tesla Cybercab, marking yet another example of the confidence he has in the company’s ability to meet the aggressive timeline for the vehicle.
It is the third time in the past six months that Musk has explicitly stated Cybercab will enter production in April 2026.
On Monday morning, Musk reiterated that Cybercab will enter its initial manufacturing phase in April, and that it would not have any pedals or a steering wheel, two things that have been speculated as potential elements of the vehicle, if needed.
Cybercab, which has no pedals or steering wheel, starts production in April https://t.co/yShxZ2HJqp
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 16, 2026
Musk has been known to be aggressive with timelines, and some products have been teased for years and years before they finally come to fruition.
One of perhaps the biggest complaints about Musk is the fact that Tesla does not normally reach the deadlines that are set: the Roadster, Semi, and Unsupervised Full Self-Driving suite are a few of those that have been given “end of this year” timelines, but have not been fulfilled.
Nevertheless, many are able to look past this as part of the process. New technology takes time to develop, but we’d rather not hear about when, and just the progress itself.
However, the Cybercab is a bit different. Musk has said three times in the past six months that Cybercab will be built in April, and this is something that is sort of out of the ordinary for him.
In December 2025, he said that Tesla was “testing the production system” of the vehicle and that “real production ramp starts in April.
Elon Musk shares incredible detail about Tesla Cybercab efficiency
On January 23, he said that “Cybercab production starts in April.” He did the same on February 16, marking yet another occasion that Musk has his sights set on April for initial production of the vehicle.
Musk has also tempered expectations for the Cybercab’s initial production phase. In January, he noted that Cybercab would be subjected to the S-curve-type production speed:
“…initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve. The speed of production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are. For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast.”
Cybercab will be a huge part of Tesla’s autonomous ride-sharing plans moving forward.
Elon Musk
Tesla owners explore potential FSD pricing options as uncertainty looms
We asked Tesla owners what the company should price Full Self-Driving moving forward, as now it’s going to be subscription-based. There were some interesting proposals.
Tesla is starting the process of removing the ability to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, as it pulled the purchase option in the United States over the weekend.
However, there has been some indication by CEO Elon Musk that the price of the subscription will increase as the suite becomes more robust. But Tesla finds itself in an interesting situation with this: the take rate for Full Self-Driving at $99 per month is about 12 percent, and Musk needs a significant increase in this rate to reach a tranche in his new compensation package.
This leaves Tesla and owners in their own respective limbos: Tesla needs to find a price that will incentivize consumers to use FSD, while owners need Tesla to offer something that is attractive price-wise.
We asked Tesla owners what the company should price Full Self-Driving moving forward, as now it’s going to be subscription-based. There were some interesting proposals.
Price Reduction
Although people are willing to pay the $99 per month for the FSD suite, it certainly is too high for some owners. Many suggested that if Tesla would back down the price to $49, or somewhere around that region, many owners would immediately subscribe.
Others suggested $69, which would make a lot of sense considering Musk’s obsession with that number.
Different Pricing for Supervised and Unsupervised
With the release of the Unsupervised version of Full Self-Driving, Tesla has a unique opportunity to offer pricing for different attention level requirements.
$50/mo for supervised.
$300/mo for unsupervised including insurance.— pɦoɿɟ pᴉʌɒp (@CSUDavid) February 15, 2026
Unsupervised Full Self-Driving would be significantly more expensive, but not needed by everyone. Many people indicate they would still like to drive their cars manually from time to time, but others said they’d just simply be more than okay with only having Supervised FSD available in their cars.
Time-Based Pricing
Tesla could price FSD on a duration-based pricing model, including Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Annual rates, which would incentivize longer durations with better pricing.
Annually, the rate could be $999 per year, while Monthly would stay at $99. However, a Daily pass of FSD would cost somewhere around $10, while a $30 per week cost seems to be ideal.
These all seem to be in line with what consumers might want. However, Tesla’s attitude with FSD is that it is the future of transportation, and with it offering only a Monthly option currently, it does not seem as if it will look as short-term as a Daily pass.
Tiered Pricing
This is perhaps the most popular option, according to what we’ve seen in comments and replies.
This would be a way to allow owners to pick and choose which FSD features they would like most and pay for them. The more features available to you, the more it costs.
For example, if someone only wanted Supervised driving and Autopark, it could be priced at $50 per month. Add in Summon, it could be $75.
This would allow people to pick only the features they would use daily.
Tesla has left a single loophole to purchase Full Self-Driving outright. On Sunday, the option officially disappeared from the Online Design Studio in the United States, as Tesla transitioned to a Subscription-only purchasing plan for the FSD suite.
However, there is still one way to get the Full Self-Driving suite in an outright manner, which would not require the vehicle owner to pay monthly for the driver assistance program — but you have to buy a Model S or Model X.
Months ago, Tesla launched a special “Luxe Package” for the Model S and Model X, which included Full Self-Driving for the life of the vehicle, as well as free Supercharging at over 75,000 locations, as well as free Premium Connectivity, and a Four-Year Premium Service package, which includes wheel and tire protection, windshiel protection, and recommended maintenance.
🚨 Tesla increased the price of both the Model S and Model X by $10,000, but both vehicles now include the “Luxe Package,” which includes:
-Full Self-Driving
-Four years of included maintenance, tire and wheel repairs, and windshield repairs/replacements
-Free lifetime… pic.twitter.com/LKv7rXruml— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 16, 2025
It would also be available through the purchase of a Cyberbeast, the top trim of the Cybertruck lineup.
This small loophole would allow owners to avoid the monthly payment, but there have been some changes in the fine print of the program, as Tesla has added that it will not be transferable to subsequent vehicle owners or to another vehicle.
This goes for the FSD and the Supercharging offers that come with the Luxe Package.
For now, Tesla still has the Full Self-Driving subscription priced at $99 per month. However, that price is expected to increase over the course of some time, especially as its capabilities improve. Tesla seems to be nearing Unsupervised FSD based on Musk’s estimates for the Cybercab program.
There is the potential that Tesla offers both Unsupervised and Supervised FSD for varying prices, but this is not confirmed.
In other countries, Tesla has pushed back the deadline to purchase the suite outright, as in Australia, it has been adjusted to March 31.
Elon Musk doubles down on Tesla Cybercab timeline once again
Tesla owners explore potential FSD pricing options as uncertainty looms
