News
SpaceX’s second upgraded Dragon set to launch new solar arrays to the ISS
An all-new Falcon 9 rocket and upgraded Cargo Dragon spacecraft have rolled out to Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A (Pad 39A) ahead of SpaceX’s second CRS2 space station resupply launch for NASA.
Scheduled to lift off no earlier than (NET) 1:29 pm EDT (17:29 UTC) on Thursday, June 3rd, the mission – known as CRS-22 – will be the first of up to four Falcon 9 launches scheduled this month. Cargo Dragon 2 debuted in December 2020 as part of CRS-21 and returned to Earth five weeks later, marking SpaceX’s third near-flawless inaugural launch of a new spacecraft. Heavily based on Crew Dragon, which first flew in March 2019, Cargo Dragon 2 is nevertheless significantly modified to optimize it for its exclusively cargo-oriented role.
That includes the removal of internal components, windows, and – most notably – Crew Dragon’s system of SuperDraco abort thrusters to make more room and free up more mass for non-astronaut cargo.
Atop new Falcon 9 booster B1067, CRS-22 will lift off with more than 3300 kg (7300 lb) of cargo in tow. Aside from the usual science equipment, space suit parts, and consumables, CRS-22 will also carry part of a significant new upgrade planned for the International Space Station’s (ISS) basic power generation capabilities. Known as ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays, the new space station solar arrays are a direct follow-on to an experiment -ROSA – launched to the ISS on another Cargo Dragon in 2017.

As the name implies, unlike virtually all other modern spacecraft solar arrays, which generally unfold as a number of flat panels, ROSA is flexible and deploys by unrolling. In theory, that allows for superior packing density to fit more power generation capacity in any given space-constrained launch. Indeed, many modern flagship communications satellites have begun to utilize roll-out solar arrays to expand their power supplies.
At the scale of the new ISS arrays, ROSA’s benefits are less clear, but improvements in solar cell efficiency still mean that six smaller iROSA arrays will be comparable to the ISS’ eight current solar wings.


While massive in their deployed state, each of the original eight ISS solar wings weigh approximately 1100 kg (2400 lb) and initially generated up to 31 kilowatts of power. Each iROSA will weigh around 690 kg (~1550 lb) at liftoff and generate a maximum of 20 kW – offering an almost identical mass efficiency of ~35 kg per kW as the existing arrays. Those new solar arrays will partially interfere with the station’s older arrays but both sets will continue to work, ultimately improving ISS power generation capabilities by 20-30%.
All six arrays will launch on Cargo Dragon missions CRS-22, CRS-25, and CRS-26, likely completing the ISS solar upgrade sometime in Q4 2022. iROSA will be one of the heaviest unpressurized payloads ever launched as cargo on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
News
Ford is charging for a basic EV feature on the Mustang Mach-E
When ordering a new Ford Mustang Mach-E, you’ll now be hit with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.
Ford is charging an additional fee for a basic EV feature on its Mustang Mach-E, its most popular electric vehicle offering.
Ford has shuttered its initial Model e program, but is venturing into a more controlled and refined effort, and it is abandoning the F-150 Lightning in favor of a new pickup that is currently under design, but appears to have some favorable features.
However, ordering a new Mustang Mach-E now comes with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.
The frunk is the front trunk, and due to the lack of a large engine in the front of an electric vehicle, OEMs are able to offer additional storage space under the hood. There’s one problem, though, and that is that companies appear to be recognizing that they can remove it for free while offering the function for a fee.
Ford is now charging $495 on the Mustang Mach-E frunk (front trunk). What are your thoughts on that? pic.twitter.com/EOzZe3z9ZQ
— Alan of TesCalendar 📆⚡️ (@TesCalendar1) February 24, 2026
Ford is charging $495 for the frunk.
Interestingly, the frunk size varies by vehicle, but the Mustang Mach-E features a 4.7 to 4.8 cubic-foot-sized frunk, which measures approximately 9 inches deep, 26 inches wide, and 14 inches high.
When the vehicle was first released, Ford marketed the frunk as the ultimate tailgating feature, showing it off as a perfect place to store and serve cold shrimp cocktail.
Ford Mach-E frunk is perfect for chowders and chicken wings, and we’re not even joking
It appears the decision to charge for what is a simple advantage of an EV is not going over well, as even Ford loyal customers say the frunk is a “basic expectation” of an EV. Without it, it seems as if fans feel the company is nickel-and-diming its customers.
It will be pretty interesting to see the Mach-E without a frunk, and while it should not be enough to turn people away from potentially buying the vehicle, it seems the decision to add an additional charge to include one will definitely annoy some customers.
News
Tesla to improve one of its best features, coding shows
According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.
Tesla is looking to upgrade its Matrix Headlights, a unique and high-tech feature that is available on several of its vehicles. The headlights aim to maximize visibility for Tesla drivers while being considerate of oncoming traffic.
The Matrix Headlights Tesla offers utilize dimming of individual light pixels to ensure that visibility stays high for those behind the wheel, while also being considerate of other cars by decreasing the brightness in areas where other cars are traveling.
Here’s what they look like in action:
- Credit: u/ObjectiveScratch | Reddit
- Credit: u/ObjectiveScratch | Reddit
As you can see, the Matrix headlight system intentionally dims the area where oncoming cars would be impacted by high beams. This keeps visibility at a maximum for everyone on the road, including those who could be hit with bright lights in their eyes.
There are still a handful of complaints from owners, however, but Tesla appears to be looking to resolve these with the coming updates in a Software Version that is currently labeled 2026.2.xxx. The coding was spotted by X user BERKANT:
🚨 Tesla is quietly upgrading Matrix headlights.
Software https://t.co/pXEklQiXSq reveals a hidden feature:
matrix_two_stage_reflection_dip
This is a major step beyond current adaptive high beams.
What it means:
• The car detects highly reflective objects
Road signs,… pic.twitter.com/m5UpQJFA2n— BERKANT (@Tesla_NL_TR) February 24, 2026
According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.
Finally, the new system will prevent the high beams from glaring back at the driver. The system is made to dim when it recognizes oncoming cars, but not necessarily objects that could produce glaring issues back at the driver.
Tesla’s revolutionary Matrix headlights are coming to the U.S.
This upgrade is software-focused, so there will not need to be any physical changes or upgrades made to Tesla vehicles that utilize the Matrix headlights currently.
Elon Musk
xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
Elon Musk’s xAI has signed an agreement with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to allow Grok to be used in classified military systems.
Previously, Anthropic’s Claude had been the only AI system approved for the most sensitive military work, but a dispute over usage safeguards has reportedly prompted the Pentagon to broaden its options, as noted in a report from Axios.
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
The publication reported that xAI agreed to the Pentagon’s requirement that its technology be usable for “all lawful purposes,” a standard Anthropic has reportedly resisted due to alleged ethical restrictions tied to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons use.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in what sources expect to be a tense meeting, with the publication hinting that the Pentagon could designate Anthropic a “supply chain risk” if the company does not lift its safeguards.
Axios stated that replacing Claude fully might be technically challenging even if xAI or other alternative AI systems take its place. That being said, other AI systems are already in use by the DoD.
Grok already operates in the Pentagon’s unclassified systems alongside Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Google is reportedly close to an agreement that will result in Gemini being used for classified use, while OpenAI’s progress toward classified deployment is described as slower but still feasible.
The publication noted that the Pentagon continues talks with several AI companies as it prepares for potential changes in classified AI sourcing.

