

News
SpaceX President breaks silence on rumored Zuma mission failure
After some 24 hours of total silence from all parties involved, dubious rumors began to trickle out on the afternoon of January 8 suggesting that SpaceX’s launch of Northrop Grumman’s highly secretive Zuma payload had somehow failed. Without hesitation, otherwise reputable outlets like CNBC and the Wall Street Journal immediately published separate articles claiming that lawmakers had been updated about the mission and told that the satellite had been destroyed while reentering Earth’s atmosphere. Having completely failed to both make it to orbit and “perfectly” separate from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 second stage, these articles implicitly placed the blame on SpaceX.
Claims of Zuma’s failure to properly separate from the second stage of the rocket led immediately to suggestions that SpaceX was at fault. The satellite’s manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, also refused to comment due to the classified nature of the mission, and the company may well have had their hands tied by requirements of secrecy from their customer(s). Immediately following these quick revelations, SpaceX was understandably bombarded with requests for comment by the media and furnished a response that further acknowledged the off-limits secrecy of the mission. However, SpaceX also stated that the company’s available data showed that Falcon 9 completed the mission without fault.

Falcon 9 1043 and its Zuma payload are ready for launch once again, this time from the brand-new LC-40 pad. (Tom Cross/Teslarati)
Without any background knowledge of spaceflight, this flurry of reporting and corporate comments would seem to be perfectly reasonable and unsurprising. However, the barest application of simple logic and orbital mechanics (what is actually involved in launching satellites to orbit) would have almost completely invalidated the information purportedly given to them.
Around the same time as claims of complete failure and satellite reentry were published, amateur spy satellite trackers had already begun the routine task of tracking and cataloging Zuma’s launch and orbit. Following Ars Technica’s breaking (and thankfully even-keeled) article on whispers of failure, reputable journalist Peter B. de Selding corroborated the rumors with reports that Zuma could be dead in orbit after separation from SpaceX’s upper stage. These facts alone ought to have stopped dead any speculation that Zuma had reentered while still attached to the Falcon 9 upper stage, and this was strengthened further by Dr. Marco Langbroek, who later published images provided to him that with very little doubt showed the second stage in a relatively stable orbit similar to the orbit that might be expected after a nominal launch.
This is the image taken by Dutch pilot Peter Horstink, from his aircraft over Khartoum near 3:15 UT, 2h 15m after launch.
This is probably the Falcon 9 venting fuel.#Zuma pic.twitter.com/EEsl7e1sQP— Dr Marco Langbroek (@Marco_Langbroek) January 8, 2018
Further complicating claims that the satellite failed to separate, Northrop Grumman had explicitly required that they be allowed to furnish the payload adapter for the Zuma mission, meaning that SpaceX was not responsible for connecting the satellite to the second stage, nor separating it after launch. In other words, if the satellite failed to separate, it would appear that SpaceX could not be easily blamed. However, regardless of these facts, SpaceX’s COO Gwynne Shotwell issued a thoroughly blunt and explicit statement earlier this morning, January 9. In no simple terms, she pegged rumors implicating SpaceX as the source of failure as “categorically false.” More importantly, she reiterated the simple facts that Falcon Heavy’s static fire and launch campaign were proceeding apace, and further stated that an upcoming launch of a communications satellite for SES and the Luxembourg government was also proceeding nominally for a launch around the end of January.

[Source: Chris G via Twitter]
Quite simply, if SpaceX’s hardware had suffered any form of anomaly, let alone issues serious enough to destroy a customer’s payload, all future launches would be immediately and indefinitely postponed, and all customers would be simultaneously notified of Falcon 9’s grounding. The last thing that a launch company would do in such an event is to allow a respected executive blatantly and publicly lie to the media about a long-time customer’s imminent launch date. For satellite communications companies like SES, delayed launches can cause major problems for shareholders and throw a multitude of wrenches into the fiscal gears, as delayed launches cost money on their own. They also delay the point at which any given satellite can begin to generate revenue.

A composite long exposure showing the launch, landing, and second stage burns during the Zuma mission. (Tom Cross/Teslarati)
But wait…
While current information almost unequivocally suggests that SpaceX is in the clear, there has yet to be any official confirmation that the Zuma satellite is in any way dead or has actually failed. This is par for the course of classified government launches, and Zuma’s launch campaign was even more secretive and eccentric than usual – we still have no idea what government agency or agencies are responsible for the mission. And the satellite’s manufacturer was explicitly provided only a few minutes before its launch. Any publication with experience dealing with military topics and news would explicitly understand that any ‘leaked’ information on highly classified topics is inherently untrustworthy and ought to be handled with the utmost rigor and skepticism.
In reality, the most we will ever likely know about these mysterious events will be provided in a handful of weeks by amateur satellite trackers: if they find a new object motionless in the expected orbit, leaks of Zuma’s abject failure will be largely corroborated. If nothing appears in that orbit once the satellite is expected to be visible, it can be reasonably assumed that Zuma reentered the atmosphere at some point, also hinting at a total failure. It can be said with some certainty that if Zuma failed to detach from Falcon 9’s second stage, SpaceX would delay its planned reentry indefinitely until all conceivable attempts to salvage the mission had been analyzed. Observations from pilots and people on the ground suggest without a doubt that the second stage reached a stable orbit, and once in that orbit, reentry could be delayed for weeks or months if the stage was not intentionally deorbited. Dr. Langbroek discusses these possibilities in greater detail in an article posted to his blog.
Ultimately, there are still numerous odd aspects surrounding the launch of Zuma that do not wholly mesh with publicly available information. For example, initial reports about the launch made it clear that the customer had explicitly contracted Zuma’s launch for no later or earlier than November 2017. This was delayed until January after SpaceX reportedly discovered issues with at least one Falcon 9 payload fairing, although the launch of Iridium-4 just over a month later was not delayed, and a replacement fairing was never spotted at Cape Canaveral (not that unusual). Why November 2017, and why delay the launch for nearly two months after that window was missed?
- Falcon 9 B1043 lifts off for the first time with Zuma on January 7. (Tom Cross/Teslarati)
- Falcon 9 lifts off with Zuma on January 7. (Tom Cross/Teslarati)
Of note, anonymous comments on Reddit were also corroborated by Eric Berger of Ars Technica, suggesting that Elon Musk did actually tell SpaceX employees that the launch of Zuma was possibly the most expensive and/or important contract SpaceX had yet to win. This raises a huge number of questions, as the payload was clearly small enough for Falcon 9 to return to Landing Zone-1 for recovery. This caps the mass of Zuma at about that of SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft, indeed a fairly hefty capsule at around 10,000 kg, but still far from a satisfying explanation of its apparent value. While it seems unlikely that Zuma alone cost $1 billion or more, as many outlets have been suggesting (assuming?), it might be more reasonable to assume that the potential value of Zuma comes from future missions it might act as a proof of concept for – a highly secretive defense-related satellite constellation, in other words. This, too, slips uncomfortably far into the realm of “crazy government conspiracy theories,” but other explanations are far not forthcoming.
Sadly, the secrecy surrounding Zuma means that the general public will almost certainly remain in the dark for the indefinite future, at least until some future administration chooses to declassify it. The question of whether Zuma failed and whether that failure can be attributed to Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, or some combination of the two will nevertheless be answered imminently by delays or the lack-thereof for SpaceX’s upcoming launch manifest of Falcon Heavy, GovSat-1/SES-16, and PAZ, all scheduled within the next four weeks, give or take.
News
Tesla Cybertruck police cruisers from noted tuner arrive to Las Vegas PD

Tesla Cybertruck police cruisers from noted tuner Unplugged Performance arrived to the Las Vegas Police Department this week.
The fleet will have ten total Cybertrucks, outfitted and equipped with all of the trimmings of a normal cruiser, but packed inside the polarizing but useful exoskeleton of the all-electric pickup.
Don’t freak out but the Cybertruck police have arrived in Las Vegas pic.twitter.com/y1TYEBq8wP
— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) September 29, 2025
Back in February, it was announced by Las Vegas Metro Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill that they would be specially fitted as a SWAT vehicle. Sheriff McMahill said that the Cybertrucks will keep officers safe because of their unique engineering:
“The cop inside will be safe no matter what; it will stop bullets.”
The Department was gifted the ten vehicles by Ben Horowitz, a billionaire businessman. The donation came shortly after a Cybertruck exploded outside of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on January 1. Only the suspect was killed in the explosion.
Sheriff McMahill has big plans for the Cybertrucks in the police fleet:
“Imagine when we’re out and we’re charging these things, and officers will be approached by people from all over the community to see this thing. It’s an opportunity [to] inject humanity, to increase our community partnerships.”
I love the work we do. These are the most incredible police vehicles.@UpfitTesla pic.twitter.com/znktJwPm03
— Ben Schaffer (@BenSchafferUP) September 26, 2025
The introduction of the Las Vegas Metro Police Department Cybertrucks is just one way the law enforcement agency is using technology to its advantage. The Department also said in February that it would be using new drone technology to triangulate gunshots.
Police departments from all over the United States and even the world have adopted Tesla vehicles for their law enforcement fleets. Many agencies cite cost-effectiveness, affordability, performance, and charging as significant advantages for why EVs make sense for their fleets.
Some Cybertrucks have been utilized as police vehicles as well. Qatar used them to create a motorcade for President Donald Trump during a visit to the Middle East, and the Jalisco, Mexico PD will utilize several Cybertrucks while patrolling the FIFA World Cup.
News
Tesla eyes Los Angeles for Robotaxi operation, job posting suggests
LA is also an ideal location for Robotaxi expansion because of its reputation as a hotspot for ride-sharing services.

Tesla is eyeing Los Angeles for its Robotaxi operation, a new job posting from the company suggests, as it aims to expand its service area in California.
Tesla has been operating its Robotaxi platform in California for several months now, first launching it in July in the Bay Area, spanning from San Francisco to San Jose, giving those who have access to the ride-hailing suite a pretty substantial service area to travel within.
However, the California operation is far from complete, as Tesla is aiming to expand to Los Angeles, a city that sits roughly seven hours south of San Francisco, but is among the most popular markets for its vehicles.
LA is also an ideal location for Robotaxi expansion because of its reputation as a hotspot for ride-sharing services.
Tesla is hiring a Vehicle Operator for its Robotaxi program in Marina Del Rey, a seaside community in Los Angeles County, located near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and several other hotspots. It is a frequent location of travel for tourists, making it ideal for Robotaxi:
Tesla Robotaxi expanding to Los Angeles… 👀 pic.twitter.com/ULBDmgl8Yq
— Jonathan Stokes (@jonathanwstokes) September 30, 2025
There is a substantial difference between how Tesla operates Robotaxi in California compared to Texas, the other state that currently allows passengers to hail a ride through the Tesla Robotaxi app.
In Texas, the majority of rides are considered “driverless,” as there is nobody sitting in the driver’s seat.
This applies to any ride that does not utilize any of the Texas freeways, as highways will require a driver in the seat, something Tesla did when its geofence in Austin expanded to include interstates.
Tesla adjusts Robotaxi safety monitor strategy in Austin with new service area
In California, things are a bit different. The “Safety Monitor” sits in the driver’s seat, regardless of destination or route. This has drawn some criticism, but Tesla has taken this step in an effort to keep passengers and traffic as safe as possible, recognizing that this is essential for these early rides.
Eventually, and potentially as soon as the end of this year, Tesla could remove Safety Monitors from vehicles altogether, as CEO Elon Musk has hinted this is a possibility.
News
Elon Musk says Tesla is bringing a huge improvement to its coolest feature

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says huge improvements are coming to what is arguably its coolest feature: Actually Smart Summon (ASS).
Last September, Tesla finally launched ASS, a widely anticipated improvement from its previous Summon iteration, which aims to allow owners to literally summon their vehicle in locations like parking lots.
Tesla finally launches Actually Smart Summon and Dumb Summon
It is one of the most unique things Tesla offers with its Full Self-Driving program.
However, it is still definitely a work in progress. ASS provided owners with a wide variety of improvements, including better range, more accuracy, and better overall performance. It still has its shortcomings, though.
Personally, I’ve found it to be a useful feature, but I also have my own complaints with it. Sometimes, I find it to be too hesitant, or not work at all:
Here’s a very professionally done illustration:
We were at the Red X, the car was at the Blue X, the Green X with the arrow is where the car was stopped, the arrow shows the direction it was facing. pic.twitter.com/tVm5ATajrr
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 6, 2025
It seems Tesla is working to improve ASS as much as possible, and one of these improvements includes the ability to summon your car from a different level in a parking garage.
The goal would be to wait at the ground floor, where the exit is, and use ASS from the Tesla app to have the car arrive without having to deal with the elevators, stairs, and other inconveniences.
One owner said ASS would be most useful in a multi-level garage, but it currently does not function as intended. They suggested an altitude sensor “to make it possible to use FSD reliably in garages.”
Musk agreed and said that the inability to use ASS in multi-level garages would not be an issue for long:
Not for long
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 28, 2025
This would be an incredible improvement from what ASS is currently capable of. Of course, it has shown to be greatly improved since its early iterations.
However, there are still some things that need to be fixed in terms of its overall performance and its ability to handle less straightforward scenarios.
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