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SpaceX scrubs Cargo Dragon, Falcon 9 launch due to drone ship power issue

Falcon 9 B1056's launch of Cargo Dragon CRS-17 was scrubbed at T-15 minutes. (SpaceX)

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SpaceX has scrubbed a May 3rd launch attempt of Cargo Dragon 15 minutes before CRS-17’s scheduled liftoff, citing electrical issues on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) and a minor ground systems fault.

Falcon 9’s propellant will be offloaded and the rocket will be returned to a horizontal position to provide technicians access to a helium leak on a quick-disconnect panel, while SpaceX’s recovery crew will likely troubleshoot OCISLY’s power issues in situ. If the problems can be resolved within the next 18 or so hours, SpaceX and NASA will try again with a new T-0 of 2:48 am EDT (06:48 UTC), May 4th.

This scrub is more than a little ironic given that NASA and ISS astronauts were rushing to repair a space station power bus failure just half a day prior, a power problem that subsequently scrubbed CRS-17 from May 1st to May 3rd. 15 minutes to launch, SpaceX’s launch director announced that drone ship OCISLY was “unable to maintain power”, presumably meaning that the vessel couldn’t properly station-keep with its four thruster pods. Power issues on the space station freshly fixed, CRS-17 has thus been delayed due to power issues on a drone ship.

During booster recovery, SpaceX’s recovery crew are stationed several miles away from the drone ship for obvious safety reasons. Due to the instantaneous nature of the launch window, there was likely not enough time to transfer technicians onto OCISLY, allow them to repair the issue, and take them back to safety without delaying liftoff.

Additionally, the launch director noted that a leak had been detected while loading helium onto Falcon 9’s upper stage, associated with a piece of hardware known as the quick-disconnect panel. Several quick-disconnect links connect both Falcon 9 stages to ground support equipment, including propellant (LOX/RP-1) and pressurant (nitrogen and helium) lines, as well as data relays for launch controllers. Assuming telemetry was able to unequivocally isolate the helium leak to ground systems, the quick-disconnect fault was probably not a showstopper, although scrub-induced downtime means that it can now be fixed before the next launch attempt.

With any luck, SpaceX’s recovery crew can solve OCISLY’s power issues without having to take the drone ship back to Port Canaveral. This is probably one of very few cases in recent history where a diesel generator (OCISLY’s power source) may actually be to blame for delaying a rocket launch. At the end of the day, these are blissfully mild and forgiving ‘problems’, but they do serve as a reminder of the sheer number of moving parts that must perfectly mesh together for rocket launches to happen, let alone succeed.

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Elon Musk confirms Tesla FSD V14.2 will see widespread rollout

Musk shared the news in a post on social media platform X.

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Credit: Whole Mars Catalog/X

Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla will be implementing a wide rollout of Full Self-Driving (FSD) V14 with the system’s V14.2 update. Musk shared the news in a post on social media platform X. 

FSD V14.1.2 earns strong praise from testers

Musk’s comment came as a response to Tesla owner and longtime FSD tester AI DRIVR, who noted that it might be time to release Full Self-Driving to the fleet because V14.1.2 has already become very refined.

“95% of the indecisive lane changes and braking have been fixed in FSD 14.1.2. I haven’t touched my steering wheel in two days. I think it’s time, Tesla AI,” the longtime FSD tester wrote

AI DRIVR’s comment received quite a bit of support from fellow Tesla drivers, some of whom noted that the improvements that were implemented in V14.1.2 are substantial. Others also agreed that it’s time for FSD to see a wide release.

In his reply to the FSD tester, CEO Elon Musk noted that FSD V14’s wide release would happen with V14.2. “14.2 for widespread use,” Musk wrote in his reply

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Mad Max mode makes headlines

One of the key features that was introduced with FSD’s current iteration is Mad Max mode, which allows for higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the previous “Hurry” mode. Videos and social media posts from FSD testers have shown the system deftly handling complex traffic, merging seamlessly, and maintaining an assertive but safe driving behavior with Mad Max mode engaged.

Tesla AI head Ashok Elluswamy recently noted in a post on X that Mad Max mode was built to handle congested daytime traffic, making it extremely useful for drivers who tend to find themselves in heavy roads during their daily commutes. With Musk now hinting that FSD V14.2 will go on wide release, it might only be a matter of time before the larger Tesla fleet gets to experience the notable improvements of FSD’s V14 update.

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Multiple Tesla Cybercab units spotted at Giga Texas crash test facility

The vehicles were covered, but one could easily recognize the Cybercab’s sleek lines and compact size.

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Credit: @JoeTegtmeyer/X

It appears that Tesla is ramping up its activities surrounding the development and likely initial production of the Cybercab at Giga Texas. This was, at least, hinted at in a recent drone flyover of the massive electric vehicle production facility in Austin. 

Cybercab sightings fuel speculations

As observed by longtime Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer, Tesla had several covered Cybercab units outside the facility’s crash testing facility at the time of his recent flyover. The vehicles were covered, but one could easily recognize the Cybercab’s sleek lines and compact size. Tegtmeyer also observed during his flyover that production of the Model Y Standard seems to be hitting its pace.

The drone operator noted that the seven covered Cybercabs might be older prototypes being decommissioned or new units awaiting crash tests. Either scenario points to a ramp-up in Cybercab activity at Giga Texas, however. “In either case, this is another datapoint indicating production is getting closer to happening,” Tegtmeyer wrote on X, highlighting that the autonomous two-seaters were quite exciting to see.

Cybercab production targets

This latest sighting follows reports of renewed Cybercab appearances at both the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas. A test unit was recently spotted driving on Giga Texas’ South River Road. Another Cybercab, seen at Tesla’s Fremont Factory, appeared to be manually driven, suggesting that the vehicle’s current prototypes may still be produced with temporary steering controls.

The Tesla Cybercab is designed to be the company’s highest-volume vehicle, with CEO Elon Musk estimating that the autonomous two-seater should see an annual production rate of about 2 million units per year. To accomplish this, Tesla will be building the Cybercab using its “Unboxed” process, which should help the vehicle’s production line achieve outputs that are more akin to consumer electronics production lines.

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Teslas in the Boring Co. Vegas Loop are about to get a big change

Elon Musk has a big update for Teslas that operate within the Boring Company’s Vegas Loop.

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the boring company's vegas loop entrance
(Credit: Sam Morris, LVCVA/Las Vegas News Bureau)

Tesla vehicles operating in the Boring Company’s Vegas Loop are about to get a big change, CEO Elon Musk said.

In Las Vegas, the Boring Company operates the Vegas Loop, an underground tunnel system that uses Teslas to drop people off at various hotspots on the strip. It’s been active for a few years now and is expanding to other resorts, hotels, and destinations.

Currently, there are stops at three resorts: Westgate, the Encore, and Resorts World. However, there will eventually be “over 100 stations and span over 68 miles of tunnel,” the Vegas Loop website says.

The Loop utilizes Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles to send passengers to their desired destinations. They are currently driven using the Full Self-Driving suite, but they also have safety drivers in each vehicle to ensure safety.

Tesla Cybertruck rides are crucial for Vegas Loop expansion to airport

Tesla and the Boring Company have been working to remove drivers from the vehicles used in the Loop, but now, it appears there is a set timeline to have them out, according to CEO Elon Musk:

Musk says the Boring Co. will no longer rely on safety drivers within the Teslas for operation. Instead, Tesla will look to remove the safety drivers from the cars within the next month or two, a similar timeline for what Musk believes the Robotaxi platform will look like in Austin.

In Texas, as Robotaxi continues to operate as it has since June, there are still safety monitors within the car who sit in the passenger’s seat. They are there to ensure a safe experience for riders.

When the route takes the vehicle on the highway, safety monitors move into the driver’s seat.

However, Tesla wants to be able to remove safety monitors from its vehicles in Austin by the end of the year, Musk has said recently.

In early September, Musk said that the safety monitors are “just there for the first few months to be extra safe.” He then added that there “should be no safety driver by end of year.”

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