News
Antares rocket launches Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station
Northrup Grumman has launched a fresh batch of supplies and equipment to the International Space Station with its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft.
On Saturday, February 19th, an uncrewed Northrup Grumman Cygnus spacecraft lifted off on an Antares rocket from Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in northeast Virginia. As part of Northrup Grumman’s 17th Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) mission to the International Space Station since 2013, the rocket successfully carried the Cygnus spacecraft and more than 3.7 tons (~8300 lb) of cargo into orbit.
At 4:44 AM EST Monday, February 21st, Cygnus finished its autonomous rendezvous with the ISS and the station’s robotic Canadarm2 arm – operated by NASA astronaut Raja Chari – grabbed the hovering spacecraft and ultimately installed it on a berthing port later that morning. Prior to its arrival, NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron trained on the US Destiny laboratory module’s robotics workstation to prepare for the capture operation.
The update that's rolling out to the fleet makes full use of the front and rear steering travel to minimize turning circle. In this case a reduction of 1.6 feet just over the air— Wes (@wmorrill3) April 16, 2024
On February 22nd, ISS astronauts began the process of unpacking Cygnus, which brought with it an array of supplies, snacks, scientific investigations, and critical materials needed to support over 250 experiments aboard the ISS. That list of experiments includes medical research, technology development, space safety work, and plant life investigations. In one investigation, cancer cells from breast and prostate cancer will be treated with MicroQuin, a novel cancer treatment drug. This investigation will allow tumors to be treated in a microgravity environment, allowing researchers an opportunity to better understand and characterize their structure, gene expression, cell signaling, and response to the treatment.
The NG-17 mission also carried a modification kit that will pave the way for the installation of the new set of upgraded solar arrays. The second batch will be launched no earlier than (NET) May 2022 on SpaceX’s CRS-25 Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft. Additionally, NASA says that Cygnus NG-17 “[included] other components [needed] for the successful functioning of astronaut life on the space station, such as a trash deployer and acoustic covers for the waste management system.” (NASA)
-->In general, NG-17 was loaded with:
• 2,980 pounds (1,352 kilograms) of crew supplies
• 2,883 pounds (1,308 kilograms) of [station] hardware
• 1,975 pounds (896 kilograms) of science investigations
• 200 pounds (100 kilograms) of unpressurized cargo
-->• 132 pounds (60 kilograms) of spacewalk equipment
• 77 pounds (35 kilograms) of computer resources
While attached to the ISS, Cygnus will also be responsible for raising the altitude of the space station for the first time in its history. This will be the first time since the Space Shuttle’s retirement in 2011 that an American spacecraft helps maintain the space station’s orbit – a task Russia has exclusively handled for more than a decade. “This Cygnus vehicle has been modified to [use some of its own propellant] to reboot ISS. We’ve done a test prior to this with Cygnus, but this will be our first real use of this capability to actually re-boost the station. And it gives us another way to do so, in addition to the Russian Zvezda thrusters or the Russian Progress cargo spacecraft capabilities,” stated Dina Contella, NASA’s ISS operations integration manager.
Cygnus will remain attached to the International Space Station for the next three months and is set to depart in May. Once detached from the ISS, the spacecraft – operating a bit like a space tug or orbital transfer vehicle – will deploy a number of cubesats. Finally, the fully expendable spacecraft will dispose several thousand pounds of trash when it reenters and burns up in Earth’s atmosphere later this year.
-->
News
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
The refreshed Tesla Model 3 has won the DRIVEN Car Guide AA Insurance NZ Car of the Year 2025 award in the Passenger Car category, beating all traditional and electric rivals.
Judges praised the all-electric sedan’s driving dynamics, value-packed EV tech, and the game-changing addition of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) that went live in New Zealand this September.
Why the Model 3 clinched the crown
DRIVEN admitted they were late to the “Highland” party because the updated sedan arrived in New Zealand as a 2024 model, just before the new Model Y stole the headlines. Yet two things forced a re-evaluation this year.
First, experiencing the new Model Y reminded testers how many big upgrades originated in the Model 3, such as the smoother ride, quieter cabin, ventilated seats, rear touchscreen, and stalk-less minimalist interior. Second, and far more importantly, Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
FSD changes everything for Kiwi buyers
The publication called the entry-level rear-wheel-drive version “good to drive and represents a lot of EV technology for the money,” but highlighted that FSD elevates it into another league. “Make no mistake, despite the ‘Supervised’ bit in the name that requires you to remain ready to take control, it’s autonomous and very capable in some surprisingly tricky scenarios,” the review stated.
-->At NZ$11,400, FSD is far from cheap, but Tesla also offers FSD (Supervised) on a $159 monthly subscription, making the tech accessible without the full upfront investment. That’s a game-changer, as it allows users to access the company’s most advanced system without forking over a huge amount of money.
News
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out.
It appears that the Tesla AI team burned the midnight oil, allowing them to release FSD V14.2.1 on Thanksgiving. The update has been reported by Tesla owners with AI4 vehicles, as well as Cybertruck owners.
For the Tesla AI team, at least, it appears that work really does not stop.
FSD V14.2.1
Initial posts about FSD V14.2.1 were shared by Tesla owners on social media platform X. As per the Tesla owners, V14.2.1 appears to be a point update that’s designed to polish the features and capacities that have been available in FSD V14. A look at the release notes for FSD V14.2.1, however, shows that an extra line has been added.
“Camera visibility can lead to increased attention monitoring sensitivity.”
Whether this could lead to more drivers being alerted to pay attention to the roads more remains to be seen. This would likely become evident as soon as the first batch of videos from Tesla owners who received V14.21 start sharing their first drive impressions of the update. Despite the update being released on Thanksgiving, it would not be surprising if first impressions videos of FSD V14.2.1 are shared today, just the same.
-->Rapid FSD releases
What is rather interesting and impressive is the fact that FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out. This bodes well for Tesla’s FSD users, especially since CEO Elon Musk has stated in the past that the V14.2 series will be for “widespread use.”
FSD V14 has so far received numerous positive reviews from Tesla owners, with numerous drivers noting that the system now drives better than most human drivers because it is cautious, confident, and considerate at the same time. The only question now, really, is if the V14.2 series does make it to the company’s wide FSD fleet, which is still populated by numerous HW3 vehicles.
News
Waymo rider data hints that Tesla’s Cybercab strategy might be the smartest, after all
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota Connected Europe designer Karim Dia Toubajie has highlighted a particular trend that became evident in Waymo’s Q3 2025 occupancy stats. As it turned out, 90% of the trips taken by the driverless taxis carried two or fewer passengers.
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota designer observes a trend
Karim Dia Toubajie, Lead Product Designer (Sustainable Mobility) at Toyota Connected Europe, analyzed Waymo’s latest California Public Utilities Commission filings and posted the results on LinkedIn this week.
“90% of robotaxi trips have 2 or less passengers, so why are we using 5-seater vehicles?” Toubajie asked. He continued: “90% of trips have 2 or less people, 75% of trips have 1 or less people.” He accompanied his comments with a graphic showing Waymo’s occupancy rates, which showed 71% of trips having one passenger, 15% of trips having two passengers, 6% of trips having three passengers, 5% of trips having zero passengers, and only 3% of trips having four passengers.
The data excludes operational trips like depot runs or charging, though Toubajie pointed out that most of the time, Waymo’s massive self-driving taxis are really just transporting 1 or 2 people, at times even no passengers at all. “This means that most of the time, the vehicle being used significantly outweighs the needs of the trip,” the Toyota designer wrote in his post.
-->Cybercab suddenly looks perfectly sized
Toubajie gave a nod to Tesla’s approach. “The Tesla Cybercab announced in 2024, is a 2-seater robotaxi with a 50kWh battery but I still believe this is on the larger side of what’s required for most trips,” he wrote.
With Waymo’s own numbers now proving 90% of demand fits two seats or fewer, the wheel-less, lidar-free Cybercab now looks like the smartest play in the room. The Cybercab is designed to be easy to produce, with CEO Elon Musk commenting that its product line would resemble a consumer electronics factory more than an automotive plant. This means that the Cybercab could saturate the roads quickly once it is deployed.
While the Cybercab will likely take the lion’s share of Tesla’s ride-hailing passengers, the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover would be perfect for the remaining 9% of riders who require larger vehicles. This should be easy to implement for Tesla, as the Model Y and Model 3 are both mass-market vehicles.
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
