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Relativity Space’s first 3D-printed rocket arrives at launch pad
Relativity Space has shipped both stages of its first 3D-printed Terran-1 rocket to a launch pad it recently finished constructing at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), leaving the startup just a few steps away from its first orbital launch attempt.
As Relativity CEO Tim Ellis himself noted, the company is about two years behind its initial goal of a 2020 launch debut, but it’s far from alone in that regard. Virtually all of its most direct competitors are in similar boats. Out of sheer coincidence, startups ABL Space and Firefly Space are working towards orbital launch attempts of their similarly sized RS1 and Alpha rockets – ABL for the first time and Firefly for the second time – as early as summer 2022. Now, so is Relativity.
Almost simultaneously, all three companies have announced that both stages of their Terran-1, RS1, and Alpha rockets have arrived at their respective launch sites in Florida, Alaska, and California. Firefly, who has already successfully static fired Alpha’s first and second stages, is undoubtedly in the lead, but ABL Space and Relativity are neck and neck for second.
Both of the latter startups have successfully qualified the smaller, less powerful upper stages of their RS1 and Terran-1 rockets. Both intend to conduct final booster qualification testing – including the first all-engine, full-power static fires – at their launch sites. ABL has a bit of a leg up over Relativity, as it delivered its RS1 booster to its Kodiak, Alaska launch pad months ago. Still, Relativity appears to be on a roll and delivered both stages of its unique 3D-printed Terran-1 rocket to its Cape Canaveral launch site just a few weeks apart in May and June 2022. ABL Space also suffered a major failure during its first attempted upper stage qualification, though the company rapidly recovered. At least publicly, Relativity has experienced no major stage failures while developing Terran-1.
Alpha, RS1, and Terran-1 are all designed to launch roughly 1.2-1.35 tons (2600-3000 lb) to low Earth orbit. All three are roughly the same size and designed to be expended after every launch. Terran-1 and RS1 are designed to launch up to 1.25 and 1.35 tons for $12 million, while Alpha is a bit more expensive at $15 million for 1.17 tons. RS1 is a largely traditional welded-aluminum rocket not unlike SpaceX’s Falcon 1, but with nine smaller booster engines instead of Falcon 1’s one. Alpha is almost entirely built out of carbon fiber composites and is powered by four slightly larger main engines.
Terran-1 has nine 3D-printed booster engines and is also made mostly of aluminum. However, Relativity’s claim to fame is 3D printing, and it says that even its very first Terran-1 rocket is 85% 3D-printed by mass and is the largest single 3D-printed object ever built. Terran-1 reportedly weighs around 9.3 tons (20,500 lb) empty.
If Terran-1’s booster qualification testing goes as smoothly as it did for the rocket’s upper stage, Relativity could be ready for its first orbital launch attempt as early as summer (Q3) 2022, just in time to join Firefly (July) and ABL (August). Relativity Space’s ultimate goal? 3D-print similar rockets on Mars.
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Samsung’s Tesla AI5/AI6 chip factory to start key equipment tests in March: report
Samsung Electronics seems to be ramping its efforts to start operations at its Taylor, Texas semiconductor plant.
Samsung Electronics seems to be ramping its efforts to start operations at its Taylor, Texas semiconductor plant, which will produce Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip.
Preparing for Tesla’s AI5/AI6 chips
As per a report by Sina Finance, Samsung Electronics is looking to begin trial operations of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment at its Taylor facility in March. These efforts are reportedly intended to support the full production of Tesla’s AI5 chips starting in the latter half of 2026.
The Taylor factory, Samsung’s first wafer fabrication plant in the United States, covers roughly 4.85 million square meters and is nearing completion. Media reports, citing contractors, have estimated that about 7,000 workers now work on the factory, about 1,000 of whom are reportedly working from the facility’s office building.
Samsung is reportedly preparing to apply for a temporary occupancy permit, which would allow production to begin before the plant is fully completed.
Tesla’s aggressive AI chip roadmap
Elon Musk recently stated that Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip is nearly complete, while early development on its successor, AI6, is already underway. Musk shared the update in a post on X, which also happened to be a recruiting message for engineers.
As per Musk, Tesla is looking to iterate its in-house AI chips on an accelerated timeline, with future generations, including AI7, AI8, and AI9, targeting a roughly nine-month design cycle. He also stated that the rapid cadence could allow Tesla’s chips to become the highest-volume AI processors in the world.
Previous reports have indicated that Samsung Electronics would be manufacturing Tesla’s AI5 chip, alongside its rival, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). The two suppliers are expected to produce different versions of Tesla’s AI5 chip, with TSMC using a 3nm process and Samsung targeting 2nm production.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Boring Company studying potential Giga Nevada tunnel: report
The early-stage feasibility work was funded by a state-affiliated economic group as officials searched for alternatives to worsening traffic and accidents along Interstate 80.
Elon Musk’s tunneling startup, The Boring Company, has been studying a potential tunnel system connecting Reno to Tesla Gigafactory Nevada, as per documents obtained by Fortune. The early-stage feasibility work was funded by a state-affiliated economic group as officials searched for alternatives to worsening traffic and accidents along Interstate 80.
Potential Giga Nevada tunnel
Documents reviewed by Fortune showed that The Boring Company received $50,000 in October to produce conceptual designs and a feasibility report for a tunnel beneath a nine-mile stretch of highway leading to Gigafactory Nevada. The payment came from the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), a nonprofit that works with the state to attract and expand businesses.
The proposed tunnel was one of several transportation alternatives being explored to address rising congestion and accidents along Interstate 80, which serves the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center. The massive industrial park houses major employers, including Tesla and Panasonic, both of which had been in contact with the Nevada Governor’s Office regarding potential transportation solutions.
Emails obtained through public records requests showed that Tesla and Panasonic have also supported a separate commuter rail study that would use existing freight rail alongside the Interstate. It remains unclear if The Boring Company’s feasibility report had been completed, and key details for the potential project, including tunnel length, cost, and if autonomous Teslas would be used, were not disclosed.
Relieving I-80 congestion
Traffic and accidents along I-80 have increased sharply as data centers and new businesses moved into the 107,000-acre industrial center. State transportation data showed that the number of vehicles traveling certain stretches of the highway during peak hours doubled between January and July 2025 alone. Roughly 22,000 employees commute daily to the industrial park, with nearly 8,000 working for Tesla and more than 4,000 for Panasonic at the Giga Nevada complex.
Bill Thomas, who runs the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County, shared his thoughts about safety concerns in the area. “At this point in time, there’s about (one accident) every other day,” he said. He also noted that he is supportive of any projects that could alleviate traffic and accidents on the Interstate.
“We’re not paying for it. I’m not involved in it. But I understand there are conversations exploring whether that could be done. If there’s a private solution that helps the problem and improves safety, as far as I’m concerned, more power to them,” Thomas stated.
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Tesla might have built redundancies for Cybercab charging
When Tesla unveiled the Cybercab in 2024, the company noted that the autonomous two-seater would utilize wireless charging.
A newly spotted panel on Tesla’s Cybercab prototype may point to a practical backup for the vehicle’s wireless charging system as it nears mass production.
Tesla watchers have speculated that the panel could house a physical NACS port, which would ensure that the autonomous two-seater could operate reliably even before the company’s wireless charging infrastructure is deployed.
Cybercab possible physical charge port
The discussion was sparked by a post on X by Tesla watcher Owen Sparks, who highlighted a rather interesting panel on the Cybercab’s rear. The panel, which seemed to be present in the prototype units that have been spotted across the United States recently, seemed large enough to house a physical charge port.
When Tesla unveiled the Cybercab in 2024, the company noted that the autonomous two-seater would utilize wireless charging. Since then, however, Tesla has remained largely quiet about the system’s rollout timeline. With the Cybercab expected to enter production in a few months, equipping the vehicle with a physical NACS port would allow it to charge at Superchargers nationwide without relying exclusively on still-undeployed wireless chargers.
Such an approach would not rule out wireless charging long-term. Instead, it would give Tesla flexibility, allowing the Cybercab to operate immediately at scale while wireless charging solutions are rolled out later. For a vehicle designed to operate continuously and autonomously, redundancy in charging options would be a practical move.
Growing Cybercab sightings
Recent sightings of the Cybercab prototype in Chicago point to the same design philosophy. Images shared on social media showed the vehicle coated in road grime, while its rear camera area appeared noticeably cleaner, with visible traces of water on the trunk.
The observation suggests that the Cybercab is equipped with a rear camera washer. As noted by Model Y owner and industry watcher Sawyer Merritt, this is a feature Tesla owners have requested for years, particularly in snowy or wet climates where dirt and slush can obscure cameras and degrade the performance of systems like FSD.
While only the rear camera washer was clearly visible, the sighting raises the possibility that Tesla may equip additional exterior cameras with similar cleaning systems. For a vehicle that operates without a human driver, after all, maintaining camera visibility in all conditions is essential. Ultimately, the charge-port speculation and camera-washer sightings suggest Tesla is approaching the Cybercab with practicality in mind.
Samsung’s Tesla AI5/AI6 chip factory to start key equipment tests in March: report
Elon Musk’s Boring Company studying potential Giga Nevada tunnel: report
