Connect with us

News

Rocket Lab prepares for next launch, moves closer to Electron reusability

Electron launching from Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand (Credit Rocket Lab)

Published

on

Rocket Lab is readying for its next launch no earlier than April 24th from Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand.

The mission, Beginning of the Swarm, will feature two payloads being deployed to completely different orbits.

The primary payload for this mission, NEONSAT-1, is for the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Satellite Technology Research Center and is an Earth observation satellite with a high-resolution camera to help monitor the Korean peninsula during natural disasters. This will be the first of an 11-satellite constellation for the country.

NEONSAT-1 will be deployed into a 520km circular Earth orbit.

The secondary payload is NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, or ACS3. This cubesat is meant to test new materials used on deployable booms that will hold a solar sail. Once fully unfurled, it will measure approximately 30 feet per side.

Advertisement

ACS3 will be deployed into a 1000km circular Earth orbit after Rocket Lab’s Curie kick stage performs an orbit-raising maneuver and then once deployed, the kick stage will ignite once more to lower its orbit to ensure a quicker re-entry into the atmosphere and not turn into space debris.

Rocket Lab moves closer to first stage re-usability

The Electron that flew the Four of a Kind mission could be the first to fly again (Credit Rocket Lab)

Rocket Lab announced today at the Space Symposium in Colorado that they have brought a previously flown Electron first stage back into the production line.

The first-stage tank has already undergone extensive testing, including holding excess pressure for more than 20x a normal flight duration, leak checks, and structural testing, which allowed it to re-enter the production line.

This specific first stage flew the Four of a Kind Mission on January 31st. Rocket Lab did not indicate if any of the Rutherford engines that flew on that mission will be re-used or if they will be all new. The company has also yet to disclose which payload will be launched using the flight-proven first stage.

Advertisement

Rocket Lab is certainly making strides towards full first-stage reusability on Electron and also gathering valuable data that will help them recover Neutron, their future medium-lift rocket.

Do you think Rocket Lab will be flying re-used Electron stages frequently by the end of this year, or could they run into issues as they progress towards that goal?

Disclosure: Richard Angle is not an RKLB shareholder.

Questions or comments? Shoot me an email at rangle@teslarati.com, or Tweet me @RDAnglePhoto.

Advertisement

Launch journalist, specializing in launch photography. Based on the Space Coast, a short drive from Cape Canaveral and the SpaceX launch pads.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla arson suspect pleads guilty, faces up to 70 years in prison

The update was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla China

A Las Vegas man has pleaded guilty to federal arson charges tied to a March 2025 attack on a Tesla Collision Center in Nevada.

The update was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.

According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, Paul Hyon Kim spray-painted the word “RESIST” on the front entrance of the Tesla Collision Center before damaging the facility and multiple vehicles.

Federal prosecutors stated that Kim used a PA-15 multi-caliber firearm equipped with a .300 BLACKOUT upper receiver and a 7.62mm silencer to shoot out surveillance cameras. He then fired multiple rounds into Tesla vehicles on the property.

Advertisement

Authorities stated that Kim later threw three Molotov cocktails into three separate Tesla vehicles. Two of the devices exploded and ignited the vehicles, while a third did not detonate. In total, five Tesla vehicles were damaged in the incident.

Kim pleaded guilty to two counts of arson of property used in interstate commerce, one count of attempted arson of property used in interstate commerce, and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm classified as a destructive device.

The mandatory minimum sentence for the charges is five years in federal prison, though the total maximum statutory penalty is 70 years, as per a release from the United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Nevada. 

Sentencing is scheduled for May 27, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. A federal judge will determine the final sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Advertisement

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

SpaceX pursues 5G-level connectivity with Starlink Mobile V2 expansion

SpaceX noted that the upcoming Starlink V2 satellites will deliver up to 100 times the data density of the current first-generation system.

Published

on

Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX has previewed a major upgrade to Starlink Mobile, outlining next-generation satellites that aim to deliver significantly higher capacity and full 5G-level connectivity directly to mobile phones.

The update comes as Starlink rebrands its Direct-to-Cell service to Starlink Mobile, positioning the platform as a scalable satellite-to-mobile solution that’s integrated with global telecom partners.

SpaceX noted that the upcoming Starlink V2 satellites will deliver up to 100 times the data density of the current first-generation system. The company also noted that the new V2 satellites are designed to provide significantly higher throughput capability compared to its current iteration.

“The next generation of Starlink Mobile satellites – V2 – will deliver full cellular coverage to places never thought possible via the highest performing satellite-to-mobile network ever built. 

Advertisement

“Driven by custom SpaceX-designed silicon and phased array antennas, the satellites will support thousands of spatial beams and higher bandwidth capability, enabling around 20x the throughput capability as compared to a first-generation satellite,” SpaceX wrote in its official Starlink Mobile page. 

Thanks to the higher bandwidth of Starlink Mobile, users should be able to stream, browse the internet, use high-speed apps, and enjoy voice services comparable to terrestrial cellular networks. 

In most environments, Starlink says the upgraded system will enable full 5G cellular connectivity with a user experience similar to existing ground-based networks.

The satellites function as “cell towers in space,” using advanced phased-array antennas and laser interlinks to integrate with terrestrial infrastructure in a roaming-like architecture. 

Advertisement

“Starlink Mobile works with existing LTE phones wherever you can see the sky. The satellites have an antenna that acts like a cellphone tower in space, the most advanced phased array antennas in the world that connect seamlessly over lasers to any point in the globe, allowing network integration similar to a standard roaming partner,” SpaceX wrote.

Starlink Mobile currently operates with approximately 650 satellites in low-Earth orbit and is active across more than 32 countries, representing over 1.7 billion people through partnerships with mobile network operators. Starlink Mobile’s current partnerships span North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, allowing reciprocal access across participating nations.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Tesla FSD (Supervised) fleet passes 8.4 billion cumulative miles

The figure appears on Tesla’s official safety page, which tracks performance data for FSD (Supervised) and other safety technologies.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system has now surpassed 8.4 billion cumulative miles.

The figure appears on Tesla’s official safety page, which tracks performance data for FSD (Supervised) and other safety technologies.

Tesla has long emphasized that large-scale real-world data is central to improving its neural network-based approach to autonomy. Each mile driven with FSD (Supervised) engaged contributes additional edge cases and scenario training for the system.

Credit: Tesla

The milestone also brings Tesla closer to a benchmark previously outlined by CEO Elon Musk. Musk has stated that roughly 10 billion miles of training data may be needed to achieve safe unsupervised self-driving at scale, citing the “long tail” of rare but complex driving situations that must be learned through experience.

The growth curve of FSD Supervised’s cumulative miles over the past five years has been notable. 

Advertisement

As noted in data shared by Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt, annual FSD (Supervised) miles have increased from roughly 6 million in 2021 to 80 million in 2022, 670 million in 2023, 2.25 billion in 2024, and 4.25 billion in 2025. In just the first 50 days of 2026, Tesla owners logged another 1 billion miles.

At the current pace, the fleet is trending towards hitting about 10 billion FSD Supervised miles this year. The increase has been driven by Tesla’s growing vehicle fleet, periodic free trials, and expanding Robotaxi operations, among others.

With the fleet now past 8.4 billion cumulative miles, Tesla’s supervised system is approaching that threshold, even as regulatory approval for fully unsupervised deployment remains subject to further validation and oversight.

Continue Reading