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NASA funds study on SpaceX BFR as option for massive space telescope launch

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7 years ago

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Speaking at the Exoplanets II conference in Cambridge, UK July 6th, geophysicist and exoplanet hunter Dr. Debra Fischer briefly revealed that NASA had funded a study that would examine SpaceX’s next-gen BFR rocket as an option for launching LUVOIR, a massive space telescope expected to take the reigns of exoplanet research in the 2030s.

Conceptualized to follow in the footsteps of NASA’s current space telescope expertise and (hopefully) to learn from the many various mistakes made by their contractors, the LUVOIR (shorthand for Large UV/Optical/IR Surveyor) concept is currently grouped into two different categories, A and B. A is a full-scale, uncompromised telescope with an unfathomably vast 15-meter primary mirror and a sunshade with an area anywhere from 5000 to 20000 square meters (1-4 acres). B is a comparatively watered-down take on the broadband surveyor telescope, with a much smaller 8-meter primary mirror, likely accompanied by a similarly reduced sunshade (and price tag, presumably).

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Remember, this is a space telescope that would need to fit into the payload fairing of a rocket, survive the launch into orbit, and then journey nearly one million miles from Earth to its final operational destination, all before deploying a mirror and starshade as large or larger than Mr Steven’s SpaceX  fairing recovery net. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a rough successor to Hubble with a 6.5-meter primary mirror, is the only space telescope even remotely comparable to LUVOIR, and it has yet to launch after suffering a full decade of delays and almost inconceivable budget overruns. All we can do is hope that Northrop Grumman (primary contractor for JWST) is kept away from future giant space telescopes like LUVOIR.

LUVOIR A is pictured here with a 15-meter mirror and absolutely vast sunshade, roughly 80-100m long. (NASA)

The rocket problem

Nevertheless, the sheer scale of LUVOIR brings us back to an existential problem faced by all space telescopes – how to get into space in the first place. In this case, JWST offers a small taste of what launching such a large telescope requires, although it only truly applies the 8m LUVOIR B. The reason LUVOIR’s conceptual design was split into two sizes is specifically tied to the question of launch, with LUVOIR B’s 8m size cap dictated by the ~5 meter-diameter payload fairings prevalent and readily available in today’s launch industry.

https://twitter.com/Shamrocketeer/status/821799890942652417

LUVOIR A’s 15-meter mirror, however, would require an equally massive payload fairing. At least at the start, LUVOIR A was conceptualized with NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Block 2 as the launch vehicle, a similarly conceptual vehicle baselined with a truly massive 8.4 or 10-meter diameter payload fairing, much larger than anything flown to this day. However, the utterly unimpressive schedule performance of the SLS Block 1 development – let alone Block 1B or 2 – has undoubtedly sown more than a little doubt over the expectation of its availability for launching LUVOIR and other huge spacecraft. As a result, NASA has reportedly funded the exploration of alternative launch vehicles for the A version of LUVOIR – SpaceX’s Cargo BFR variant, in this case.

While only a maximum of 9 meters in diameter, the baselined cargo spaceship’s (BFS Cargo) payload bay has been estimated to have a usable volume of approximately 1500 cubic meters, comparing favorably to SLS’ 8.4 and 10-meter fairings with ~1000 to ~1700 cubic meters. The more traditional SLS fairing may offer more flexibility for minimizing complex deployment mechanisms for large telescopes (a sore spot for JWST), but SLS Block 2 is almost entirely up in the air at the moment, and liable to cost $5-10 billion alone to develop even after SLS Block 1 is flying (NET mid-2020). On the other hand, barring abject and total failure, SpaceX’s BFR rocket and spaceship could have many, many launches under its belt and a proven track record of reliability, whereas SLS Block 2 is unlikely to fly more than a handful of times ever, even if it gets built.

 

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With any luck, the results of the LUVOIR SpaceX BFR launch analysis will make their way into the public sphere once the study is completed, perhaps revealing a few tidbits about the capabilities of the next-generation composite rocket. Another astrophysicist familiar with the project also noted that Blue Origin was firmly in the running of similar conceptual launch studies, hinting at a potential competition for commercial launches of each company’s massive future rockets.

Follow us for live updates, peeks behind the scenes, and photos from Teslarati’s East and West Coast photographers.

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Tom Cross – Twitter

Pauline Acalin – Twitter

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Eric Ralph – Twitter

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Elon Musk

Tesla Supercharger Diner officially opens: menu, prices, features, and more

Tesla’s Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles is open after seven years in the making.

Published

3 hours ago

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July 21, 2025

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tesla diner in los angeles during daytime
Credit: Matt Hartman

Tesla has officially opened its Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles to the public for the first time. It is an 80-Supercharger lot with two movie screens and a full-service 24/7 diner that serves a wide variety of locally sourced food for patrons while they charge or even just stop by.

It is not exclusive to Tesla owners, as anyone can stop by to experience the Diner and movie theater. It officially opened to the public at 4:20 p.m. local time.

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In 2018, CEO Elon Musk said he was hoping to build a full-scale 50s era diner that served as a drive-in movie theater. Seven years later, it has officially come to life, and in typical Tesla fashion, it opened at a very appropriate time of day. We heard of people waiting as many as 13 hours for the site to open.

Tesla Diner Menu

BURGERS & SANDWICHES

  • Tesla Burger: $13.5
    • 1/3 lb. prime Brandt Beef with New School American cheese, lettuce, caramelized onions, pickles and Electric Sauce on a Martin’s Potato Roll
    • Add bacon: $3
    • Add Wagyu beef chili: $3
    • Add organic free-range fried egg: $2
    • Sub veggie patty
  • Hot Dog: $13
    • All-beef Snap-o-Razzo hot dog with mustard and onion pickle relish on a Martin’s Potato Roll. Served with fried potatoes
    • Add New School cheese sauce: $1
    • Add Wagyu beef chili: $1
  • Diner Club Sandwich: $13
    • Roasted turkey, Epio Bacon, blistered cherry tomatoes, lettuce, avocado and maple black pepper mayo on toasted Tartine buttermilk bread
  • Tuna Melt: $14
    • Wild-caught albacore tuna salad with New School American cheese and pickles on grilled Tartine buttermilk bread
  • Fried Chicken & Waffles: $15
    • Classic or spicy pickle-brined organic free-range chicken between two buttermilk waffles with maple black pepper mayo
    • Add New School cheese sauce: $1
    • Add bacon: $2
    • Add organic free-range fried egg: $3
    • Sub Martin’s Potato Roll
  • Grilled Cheese: $9
    • New School American cheese on grilled Tartine buttermilk bread
    • Add blistered tomatoes: $1
    • Add Avocado: $1.50
    • Add Epic Bacon: $3

ALL-DAY BREAKFAST

  • Egg Sandwich: $12
    • Two organic free-range scrambled eggs on a Martin’s Potato Roll with Epic Bacon, New School American cheese, baby arugula and Electric Sauce
    • Add avocado: $1.50
    • Substitute waffle Avocado Toast: $11
    • Sliced avocado, lime, tomatoes, pepitas, radish and arugula on toasted Tartine buttermilk bread
  • Greek Yogurt Parfait: $9
    • Strauss Creamery organic Greek yogurt, roasted strawberries, organic gluten-free granola and local honey
  • Breakfast Tacos: $9
    • Organic free-range scrambled eggs, beef chorizo, crispy potatoes and New School American cheese sauce folded inside two Tehachapi Grain Project organic flour tortillas. Served with a side of avocado crema
    • Sub bacon: $1
    • Add avocado: $1.50 Biscuits & Red Gravy: $15
  • Buttermilk biscuit with beef chorizo gravy and an organic free-range fried egg
  • House-Baked Cinnamon Roll: $7
    • Warm, frosted cinnamon roll with flaky salt

SIDES

  • Tallow-fried French fries: $4
    • Make it a cheese fries: $1 extra
    • Make it Wagyu chili cheese fries: $3 extra
  • Hash Brown Bites: $8
    • Crispy, tallow-fried shredded potatoes served with choice of dip
  • Wagyu Beef Chili Cup: $8
    • RC Provisons Wagyu beef chili with diced white onion and New School American cheese sauce
  • Buttermilk Waffle: $5 • Dusted with powdered sugar, served with real maple syrup
  • Market Salad: $10
    • Market kale and arugula, blistered cherry tomatoes, radishes, celery, shredded carrots, avocado, salted pepitas and toasted breadcrumbs.
    • Served with Dilly Ranch
    • Add roasted turkey: $3
    • Add fried chicken: $3.50
    • Add veggie patty: $4.50
    • Add tuna salad: $5
  • Epic Bacon:
    • $12 Four strips of maple-glazed black pepper bacon served with choice of dip

KIDS MENU

  • Kids Burger: $13
    • Prime Brandt Beef with New School American cheese
  • Kids’ Grilled Cheese: $13
    • New School American cheese on grilled Tartine buttermilk bread. No crust
  • Chicken Tenders: $13
    • Made with organic free-range chicken

DESSERTS

  • Soft Serve: $6
    • Chocolate, vanilla or swirl
  • Slice of Pie à la Mode: $12
    • Warm slice of Winston’s apple or pecan pie (gf) served with Valley Ford Creamery softserve a la mode
  • Chocolate Chip Cookie: $5
    • Warm chocolate chip cookie with flaky sea salt

DRINKS

  • Cane sugar sodas: $4 each: Cola, diet cola, lemon-lime, root beer, orange, black cherry or cream.
  • Milkshakes $8
    • Vanilla, chocolate or strawberry. Make it a Pie Shake for an extra $4
    • (apple or pecan).
  • Lemonade: $4
  • Organic Draft Kombucha: $8
  • Drip Coffee: $4
  • Nitro Cold Brew: $4.5
  • Espresso (hot, iced, decaf): $4
  • Cappuccino (hot, iced, decaf): $5.5
  • Latte (hot, iced, decaf): $6
  • Iced Nitro Matcha: $6.5
  • Charged Sodas:
    • Creamsicle: $7
      • Orange soda, cream soda, vanilla foam, fresh orange and orange popping boba
    • Shirley Temple: $7
      • Lemon-lime soda, grenadine, fresh lime and maraschino cherries
    • Lime Rickey: $7
      • Lemon-lime soda and fresh lime
    • Catawba Flip: $7
      • Grape soda, vanilla foam, nutmeg and grapes
    • Dirty Kombucha: $10
      • Citrus kombucha, vanilla foam, fresh orange and lime, maraschino cherries.

Tesla Diner Details

The opening of the Diner was launched by Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s Chief Designer:

There is also merchandise available at the Diner, including:

  • Tesla Bot Action Figure
  • Hollywood Retro Diner Tee
  • Tesla Sweets | Supercharged Gummies: Dog Mode Chill, Mango Bolt, and CyberBerry
  • Tesla Diner Trucker Hat
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Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s Neuralink posts massive update with new milestone

This is the first time Neuralink has successfully implanted two patients in a single day.

Published

8 hours ago

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July 21, 2025

By

neuralink link device with white background
(Credit: Neuralink)

Elon Musk’s Neuralink has posted a massive update with a new milestone that puts the company’s progress into perspective. Over the past few years, we have seen tremendous strides in Neuralink’s capabilities.

Now, the company has completed a new first, bringing more hope to the future of this revolutionary technology.

Neuralink’s third brain chip patient shares first video edited with BCI

Neuralink revealed in an update on Monday morning that it has officially completed two implants in a single day, with Patients 8 and 9 both receiving devices over the past weekend.

“Both participants are recovering well and in great spirits,” the company said in the short update. It did not disclose which day the surgeries were completed, but it did state explicitly that they both occurred on the same day:

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Musk said that Neuralink’s capabilities could do “life-changing good for ultimately millions, maybe billions, of people.” Right now, it is being used to help combat life-altering diseases, such as ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, as well as cervical spinal cord injuries.

Eventually, Neuralink could resolve things like anxiety, depression, and blindness, among many other ailments.

Its Link device also received FDA recognition for speech restoration earlier this year, marking a significant bit of progress in the program as it explores ways to cure ailments of various natures.

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Elon Musk gives key update on plans for Tesla Diner outside of LA

More Tesla Supercharger Diners are on the way, Elon Musk says, as long as the initial one is successful.

Published

9 hours ago

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July 21, 2025

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tesla diner supercharger in los angeles california at night
Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has given a key update on its plans for the Tesla Supercharger Diner, as the first location in Los Angeles is set to open today, July 21.

The idea for the Supercharger Diner, which resembles a 50s-style eatery with elements of futuristic technology, is seven years in the making. Many wondered whether Tesla would expand its idea for a Supercharger restaurant outside of LA, and now we have an answer directly from Musk.

Elon Musk confirms awesome new features at Tesla Diner Supercharger

The Tesla CEO said that the company will establish these types of experiences “in major cities around the world, as well as at Supercharger sites on long distance routes.”

The Supercharger Diner has plenty of ways to draw in customers, and although the food and merchandise sold at the location will not be a major contributor to Tesla’s balance sheet, where investors want to see it, it could pay off in other ways.

The Diner is not exclusive to Tesla owners, so those who drive gas cars can still stop in for a burger, fries, and a shake while roaming around Los Angeles. The features of the Diner, however, do require a Tesla vehicle.

In-car ordering and movie screens syncing to the center touchscreen are two things that Tesla owners will enjoy that other drivers will not. These might be trivial, but the experience on its own could be a way that some consider buying a Tesla.

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It might sound crazy that a singular diner experience would flip someone to buy a car, but it’s not the most outlandish thing we’ve ever come across.

The question is where Tesla will plan to build these Supercharger Diners. Musk has already indicated that Starbase, Texas, will be one location, which fits with one of his other companies, SpaceX.

Austin could be an ideal location, but New York, Miami, Washington D.C., Boston, and plenty of other popular metro areas within the U.S. could see their own diners in the coming years.

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