

News
SpaceX prepares for space station supply mission as secret Zuma launch postponed
Zuma patiently awaits a new launch date
Just shy of two weeks ago, SpaceX announced the discovery of unspecified problems with a Falcon 9 payload fairing during routine quality assurance (QA) testing at the company’s Hawthorne, CA factory. The launch of Zuma, a deeply mysterious satellite with no clear manufacturer or customer, was subsequently delayed indefinitely, pending the results of an internal investigation into the aforementioned fairing defects.
Several days after SpaceX’s Zuma announcement, the Falcon 9 booster, second stage, and payload (often referred to as the “stack”) were rolled back into the pad facilities at LC-39A, verifying that a delay of at least several days would follow. This delay was both confirmed and denied in a confusing manner, with the Cape’s 45th Space Wing appearing to suggest that Zuma would not be impacted by a preplanned range closure in late November, although journalist Irene Klotz reported that Zuma was delayed until December, when maintenance was scheduled to end.

SpaceX’s mysterious Zuma payload and Falcon 9 1043 seen before stormy Florida skies. (Tom Cross/Teslarati)
All things considered, the month of November has been an unusually chaotic period for SpaceX and the Space Coast, and the chaos has almost certainly been exacerbated by the intense secrecy surrounding Zuma. As the sum total of publicly available information, these details indicate that SpaceX employees discovered a systemic defect or defects in recently-manufactured fairings, serious enough to indefinitely ground the company’s commercial launches. However, SpaceX recently opened press registration for the Iridium-4 mission, still apparently scheduled for launch on December 22 and further corroborated by the CEO of Iridium Communications, hinting that that mission’s fairing either predates the scope of the fairing investigation, or that the investigation and fairing groundings have arisen out of an abundance of caution above all else.
A Dragon stretches its wings
More importantly and perhaps more logically, SpaceX’s next Cargo Dragon mission to the International Space Station – CRS-13 – has not been directly impacted by fairing problems; Dragon missions do not require fairings. The CRS-13 mission, currently aiming for a static fire on November 29 and launch on December 4, will be exceptional for a number of equally thrilling reasons. In no particular order: CRS-13 will mark the first NASA-approved reuse of a Falcon 9’s first stage, in this case with the added aesthetic bonus that the Dragon will reach orbit aboard the same booster that launched CRS-11’s Dragon almost exactly six months prior, June 3 2017. Equally exciting, CRS-12 marked the final new Cargo Dragon launch, and CRS-13’s Dragon is a refurbished spacecraft, having previously flown the CRS-6 mission in late 2015.
- The CRS-6 Cargo Dragon being mated to its Falcon 9 launch vehicle in 2015. (SpaceX)
- This exact Dragon has been recovered from orbit, refurbished, and is now prepped and ready for another orbital mission on December 4th. (SpaceX)
Rather poetically, CRS-11 marked the first commercial reuse of an orbital spacecraft, and the booster that launched that mission, Falcon 9 1035, will now fly once more to lift the second-ever reused Dragon into orbit. If all goes as planned, SpaceX’s CRS-13 mission will arguably be the most-reused orbital-class mission in the history of spaceflight, with only the second stage and Dragon’s trunk being both new and expendable. Both the booster and Dragon likely required a fair amount of refurbishment, but if Elon Musk’s June 2017 statements remain accurate, SpaceX has probably progressed far along the reusability learning curve. Quoting Elon Musk and myself at the ISS R&D Conference in July 2017:
Musk said he expects the next Dragon reuse and all future reuses to save the SpaceX nearly 50% of the cost of manufacturing an entirely new spacecraft. Musk admitted that the first refurbishment of Dragon likely ended up costing as much or more than a new vehicle, but this is to be expected for the first attempt to reuse any sort of space hardware that must survive some form of reentry heating and saltwater immersion.
Indeed, CRS-13 will in fact be “the next Dragon reuse” after CRS-11’s success. If the spacecraft’s refurbishment does manage save SpaceX anywhere near 50% of the cost of manufacture, the mission will be an extraordinary accomplishment, above and beyond the already intense difficulty of refurbishing and reflying a several-ton (~4000kg empty) orbital spacecraft.
LC-40 pad repairs near completion
Even after the reuse of both the Dragon and Falcon 9 booster, CRS-13 will lay host to yet another milestone for SpaceX as the first mission to launch from the newly repaired Launch Complex-40 (LC-40), after the pad suffered widespread damage from a Falcon 9 failure during preparations for the launch of Amos-6. Little is known on the specifics of the damage suffered, but repairs have taken no less than 14 months and at a minimum required the fabrication, assembly, and qualification of entirely new Ground Support Equipment (GSE).
- Based on photos posted to social media, LC-40’s new TEL will be considerably different than the 39A’s white monolith, likely closer in form to the original it is to replace (seen here). (SpaceX)
- The TEL seen at LC-39A in early 2017. (SpaceX)
- LC-39A’s TEL and Falcon 9 seen before the launch of SES-11 in October 2017. (Tom Cross/Teslarati)
Under the umbrella of GSE are thousands of feet of precisely machined and welded piping and pumps, a new launch mount and transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) to carry Falcon 9 out of the integration facilities, the repair or complete removal and replacement of a huge volume of scalded concrete, and the repair or replacement of likely dozens or hundreds of other miscellaneous components destroyed in the intense fire that followed the Amos-6 incident. Nevertheless, as spotted on a social media platform by the author, the aforementioned TEL and launch mount were shown going vertical just a handful of days ago, further evidence that LC-40 is once again rapidly marching towards operational status.
The long-awaited reactivation and return to operations at LC-40 is itself arguably the most critical path ahead of Falcon Heavy’s inaugural launch, and modifications to the pad and TEL have restarted in light of Zuma’s indefinite delays, with SpaceX’s ever-productive and heroic ground crew taking advantage of extra down-time between launches. With Zuma now ~11 days past its scheduled launch date, the mission’s delay will likely result in additional delays to Falcon Heavy’s inaugural launch, which was reported to be aiming for ~December 29. This deep of a delay might also necessitate the transfer of Zuma’s launch from LC-39A to LC-40, depending on the customer’s flexibility and SpaceX’s own needs. Time will tell, and in the meantime, the mystery of Zuma and wondrous accomplishments of CRS-13 ought to sate the launch withdrawals of SpaceX fans for the time being.
Lifestyle
Tesla Cybertruck slapped with world’s least intimidating ticket, and it’s pure cringe
One cannot help but cringe and feel second-hand embarrassment at the idea of a person just driving around with a stack of these babies.

A Cybertruck parked at Stanford Shopping Center in California was recently hit with what might be the most try-hard piece of paper ever slipped under a wiper blade: a “fake citation” accusing the driver of supporting a “fascist car.”
The note, shared on X by Tesla staff program manager Ryan Torres, quickly made the rounds on X, where it quickly gained attention as an example of how not to protest.
The world’s least intimidating ticket
According to the citation, the supposed “violation” was “driving a fascist car.” The remedial action? Take the bus, call an Uber, or ride a bike. The note also dubbed Elon Musk a “chainsaw-wielding Nazi billionaire.” Now, protests against Tesla and Elon Musk have become commonplace this year, but one cannot help but cringe and feel second-hand embarrassment at the idea of a person just driving around with a stack of fake anti-Tesla/Musk citations.
Torres pointed out the irony himself in his post on X. Tesla currently employs over 140,000 Americans, and SpaceX has put the U.S. firmly back at the top of space technology. As Torres put it, maybe the person behind the world’s least intimidating ticket should “read a book on innovation before vandalizing” other people’s property.
Peak performative clownery
Not to mention that the fake ticket’s logic collapses under its own weight. EVs like the Cybertruck are literally designed to reduce emissions, not “destroy the economy.” If anything, Tesla has bolstered the United States’ economy by fueling jobs in engineering, manufacturing, and clean energy. It’s not the first time a Tesla has been the target of vandalism or politically charged notes, but this one stands out for sheer cringe value.
Torres summed it up neatly: “Peak clownery.” On that point, at least, the citation earns full marks. In a way, though, perhaps cringe fake tickets are not as bad as the literal firebombs that were being thrown at Tesla stores and cars earlier this year because some critics were gleefully misinformed about Elon Musk.
News
Why a Tesla Model Y led to a teen’s failed driving exam in Ontario
The issue was due to the driver using the Model Y’s regenerative braking system.

A North Bay, Ontario man has raised concerns after his teenage daughter failed her G driver’s license road test while driving his Tesla Model Y. The issue, the Tesla owner noted, was due to his daughter using the Model Y’s regenerative braking system to bring the car to a stop.
Regenerative braking bias
Eric Simard, the Tesla owner, told CBC News that his daughter borrowed his car for her driving test. Because of this, she was not fully familiar with how to disable the Model Y’s regenerative braking system. Unfortunately, the examiner did not allow his daughter to call him for help in turning off the feature.
Simard noted that his daughter ultimately failed her driving test because she never used the car’s physical brake pedal. In his daughter’s road test results from Drive Test Ontario, the examiner marked a box stating that the Model Y was “out of order.
“I find it pretty frustrating because even though it’s regenerative braking and you’re not using the brake pedal, you’re clearly the one that is in full control of making the vehicle come to a stop or to slow down,” Simard stated, adding that his daughter was also penalized for the Model Y’s feature that alerts drivers when a traffic light turns green.
Discussions on driver-assist technologies
In a comment, Julia Caslin, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation, stated that the province’s graduated licensing system “requires drivers to always demonstrate safe vehicle operation and full control, regardless of the vehicle’s features.”
“Applicants are expected to understand how their vehicle’s system — including lane centring, regenerative braking, adaptive cruise control and automated parking — may affect handling and performance during a road test,” Caslin stated.
Driving instructors also expressed differing views about Simard’s experience. Saad Tariq of Greater Sudbury Driving School said he advises students against relying on driver-assist features because sensors can fail.
Meanwhile, Amanda Lacroix of Northern Lights Driving School suggested road tests should adapt to the technologies drivers use daily, while still requiring mastery of basic skills like mirror checks and manual braking.
“If the world’s going to change and we’re all going to have assisted driving, then we should be learning how to do it properly,” Lacroix said.
Elon Musk
Tesla says it is working on rides for the handicapped and disabled with Robotaxi
Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that this was a focus by responding, “Absolutely,” to the embedded post on X above. Tesla said it is developing its own “wheelchair-accessible vehicle,” also known as a WAV.

Tesla says on its Robotaxi app that it is working on enabling “accessibility rides” that would give the handicapped and disabled the ability to hail a Robotaxi to get to an appointment.
While Robotaxi will obviously revolutionize the way we travel for our work commutes, daily activities, and other things, but there is true potential to enable serious change for those who cannot drive.
Autonomous transportation would make life easier for those who are unable to obtain a driver’s license. Of course, with today’s ride-sharing platforms, things are much easier than they once were.
However, rides from Uber and Lyft, while plentiful, always have an opportunity to be unavailable in some regions, especially rural ones, due to a lack of drivers.
Robotaxi aims to solve this problem through autonomous transportation, a technology that Tesla has been developing for years.
However, new language in the Robotaxi app shows that Tesla is working on a solution for people who need rides for medical reasons, and it uses a picture of the Robovan to hammer this point home:
NEWS: Tesla Working on Accessibility Rides as Part of Robotaxi Expansion.
Tesla’s Robotaxi service in Austin is signaling a major step toward inclusivity with a new accessibility section in the mobile app. While the app directs users to two alternative services, CapMetro Access… pic.twitter.com/rOblFUA40F
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 19, 2025
Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that this was a focus by responding, “Absolutely,” to the embedded post on X above. Tesla said it is developing its own “wheelchair-accessible vehicle,” also known as a WAV.
This is likely the Robovan, which was unveiled on October 10 at the Robotaxi event last year:
It is pretty interesting to see two Musk ventures working on solutions for those who are physically impaired or have other disabilities. With Tesla, Robotaxi will unlock immense potential for those who are unable to drive themselves, addressing a genuine need in today’s world.
Additionally, Neuralink is continuing its development of technology to fight against various physical and mental disabilities. A great question to ask is, “Which will be more beneficial for humans?”
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