News
SpaceX’s BFR rocket and spaceship look more real than ever in new 4K renders
Following a September 17th presentation from CEO Elon Musk, SpaceX has published a series of uniquely detailed renders of BFR, showing off a number of new features present on the updated booster and spaceship, ranging from heat-shield tiles to Raptor pusher-rods.
To be clear, it’s possible that a skilled 3D designer took extreme artistic license and added miscellaneous trinkets and details that generally appear to look like true rocket components, but it seems unlikely that SpaceX (or Musk) would be okay with publicizing renders of a launch vehicle that go beyond the fidelity of what is already in work at an engineering level.
As such, the exceptionally detailed renders – published in 4K with a style nearly identical to Crew Dragon CGI posted recently – may directly rely on engineering-grade CAD (computer-aided design) drawings from SpaceX’s in-house BFR development team. Chances are good that that is the case to some extent, thanks largely to the fact that SpaceX has already begun fabricating full-scale structures for the first spaceship prototype. Building huge aerospace-grade subcomponents before the overall systems design has been completed is inadvisable depending on tolerances for waste, as the most likely outcome is having to build a new component when designs invariably change before any complex system’s various components work together on paper.
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- BFR (2018) breaks through a cloud layer shortly after launch. (SpaceX)
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- A number of BFR (2018) spaceships seen landed at a future Mars base. (SpaceX)
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- An updated spaceship lands on Mars. (SpaceX)
At a minimum, the sheer level of detail included in these updated BFR renders points to a design that is more mature and closer to reality than anything SpaceX has shown before in its series of prospective Mars rockets presented over the last two years.
Highlights from SpaceX’s BFR (2018) renders include beautiful details of heat shield tiles, visible separation mechanisms between the spaceship and booster, an extremely detailed BFR booster interstage (featuring seven pusher rods for the upper stage’s seven Raptor engines, just like Falcon 9), and even spot-on plumes from the rocket’s thrusters.
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- A closeup of BFS’ nose section, featuring impressively varied tile-sizes, joining methods, and extremely precise curves on the interface between canard wings and the hull. (SpaceX)
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- A slightly broader overview of BFS just after separating from the booster. Note notches along the shield/skin divide, as well as very specific access panels, hatches, and smaller protuberances. (SpaceX)
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- A view of BFS just after separating from its booster stage. (SpaceX)
The latter detail is particularly interesting because the thruster pods shown firing definitively take the place of where grid fins are later shown in certain slides – the most obvious conclusion is that a lower-fidelity model of BFR was used for the presentation’s animations, whereas the 3D model used for renders was far closer to the real deal. Musk did comment on Twitter that the lack of grid fins was a simple mistake on the part of the graphic designer, but it’s hard to parse that story (reasonable as it is) and the artists’ very specific decisions to place and illustrate RCS pods in action.
Good catch. They are there in the flight design, but we forgot to put them in this render.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2018
Perhaps SpaceX is entertaining the idea of entirely replacing grid fins with RCS (reaction control system) thrusters on the BFR booster, instead relying on its stubby aft fins for aerodynamic stability and using thrusters for course correction. One way or another, it’s extremely difficult to tell – while it’s probably best to side with Musk’s official comment, the possibility still remains that the replacement of grid fins with RCS thrusters was no accident.
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- A detailed view of BFR’s booster interstage, apparent lack of grid fins, RCS pod nubs, and more. (SpaceX)
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- BFR’s booster, now known as Super Heavy. (SpaceX)
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- Another view of the booster’s distinctly intentional RCS thrusters in place of grid fins. (SpaceX)
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- A Falcon 9 Block 5 booster bares its interstage and pusher rod, offering a perfect illustration of its scale. (Bloomberg)
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk to attend 2026 World Economic Forum at Davos
The Tesla CEO was confirmed as a last-minute speaker for a session with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink.
Elon Musk is poised to attend the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos. The Tesla CEO was confirmed as a last-minute speaker for a session with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, signaling a thaw in Musk’s long-strained relationship with the event.
A late addition
Organizers of the World Economic Forum confirmed that Elon Musk was added shortly before the event to a Thursday afternoon session, where he was scheduled to speak with Fink, as noted in a Bloomberg News report. Musk’s upcoming appearance marks Musk’s first participation in the forum, which annually draws political leaders, business executives, and global media to Davos, Switzerland.
Musk’s attendance represents a departure from his past stance toward the event. He had been invited in prior years but declined to attend, including in 2024. His upcoming appearance followed remarks from his political ally, Donald Trump, who addressed the forum earlier in the week with a wide-ranging speech.
A previously strained relationship
Musk had frequently criticized the World Economic Forum in the past, describing it as elitist and questioning its influence. In earlier posts, he characterized the gathering as “boring” and accused it of functioning like an unelected global authority. Those remarks contributed to a long-running distance between Musk and WEF organizers.
The forum previously said Musk had not been invited since 2015, though that position has since shifted. Organizers indicated last year that Musk was welcome amid heightened interest in his political and business activities, including his involvement in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk later stepped away from that role.
Despite his friction with the World Economic Forum, Musk has remained central to several global events, from SpaceX’s provision of satellite internet services in geopolitically sensitive regions through Starlink to the growing use of xAI’s Grok in U.S. government applications.
News
Tesla states Giga Berlin workforce is stable, rejects media report
As per the electric vehicle maker, production and employment levels at the facility remain stable.
Tesla Germany has denied recent reports alleging that it has significantly reduced staffing at Gigafactory Berlin. As per the electric vehicle maker, production and employment levels at the facility remain stable.
Tesla denies Giga Berlin job cuts report
On Wednesday, German publication Handelsblatt reported that Tesla’s workforce in Gigafactory Berlin had been reduced by about 1,700 since 2024, a 14% drop. The publication cited internal documents as its source for its report.
In a statement to Reuters, Tesla Germany stated that there has been no significant reduction in permanent staff at its Gigafactory in Grünheide compared with 2024, and that there are no plans to curb production or cut jobs at the facility.
“Compared to 2024, there has been no significant reduction in the number of permanent staff. Nor are there any such plans. Compared to 2024, there has been no significant reduction in the number of permanent staff. Nor are there any such plans,” Tesla noted in an emailed statement.
Tesla Germany also noted that it’s “completely normal” for a facility like Giga Berlin to see fluctuations in its headcount.
A likely explanation
There might be a pretty good reason why Giga Berlin reduced its headcount in 2024. As highlighted by industry watcher Alex Voigt, in April of that year, Elon Musk reduced Tesla’s global workforce by more than 10% as part of an effort to lower costs and improve productivity. At the time, several notable executives departed the company, and the Supercharger team was culled.
As with Tesla’s other factories worldwide, Giga Berlin adjusted staffing during that period as well. This could suggest that a substantial number of the 1,700 employees reported by Handelsblatt were likely part of the workers who were let go by Elon Musk during Tesla’s last major workforce reduction.
In contrast to claims of contraction, Tesla has repeatedly signaled plans to expand production capacity in Germany. Giga Berlin factory manager André Thierig has stated on several occasions that the site is expected to increase output in 2026, reinforcing the idea that the facility’s long-term trajectory remains growth-oriented.
Elon Musk got a brash response from Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, who said in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that the Tesla frontman’s criticism of the airline not equipping Starlink has increased bookings for the next few months.
The two have had a continuing feud over the past several weeks after Musk criticized the airline for not using Starlink for its flights, which would enable fast, free, and reliable Wi-Fi on its aircraft.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk trolls budget airline after it refuses Starlink on its planes
Musk said earlier this week that he was entertaining the idea of purchasing Ryanair and putting someone named Ryan in charge, which would oust O’Leary from his position.
However, the barbs continued today, as O’Leary held a press conference, aiming to dispel any beliefs about Starlink and its use case for Ryanair flights, which are typically short in length.
O’Leary said in the press conference today:
“The Starlink people believe that 90% of our passengers would happily pay for wifi access. Our experience tells us less than 10% would pay; He (Elon) called me a retar*ed twat. He would have to join the back of a very, very long queue of people that already think I’m a retar*ed twat, including my four teenage children.”
He then went on to say that, due to Musk’s publicity, bookings for Ryanair flights have increased over the past few days, up 2 to 3 percent:
“But we do want to thank him for the wonderful boost in publicity. Our bookings are up 2-3% in the last few days. So thank you to Mr. Musk, but he’s wrong on the fuel drag. Non-European citizens cannot own a majority of European airlines, but if he wants to invest in Ryanair, we think it would be a very good investment.”
O’Leary didn’t end there, as he called Musk’s social media platform X a “cesspit,” and said he has no concern over becoming a member of it. However, Ryanair has been very active on X for several years, gaining notoriety for being comical and lighthearted.
🚨 Ryanair CEO’s comments on X and Starlink today at the planned presser.
Strange comments here, it just feels like it’s time to end all this crap https://t.co/NYeG95bM82
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 21, 2026
The public spat between the two has definitely benefited Ryanair, and many are calling for it to end, especially those who support Musk, as they see it as a distraction.
Nevertheless, it is likely going to end with no real movement either way, and is more than likely just a bit of hilarity between the two parties that will end in the coming days.
Elon Musk to attend 2026 World Economic Forum at Davos
Tesla states Giga Berlin workforce is stable, rejects media report
