

News
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reveals photos of Starship’s first completed Raptor engine
Shortly after Teslarati reported that the first operationalized Raptor had shipped to McGregor, Texas for its first full-scale static fire tests, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to post the first official photos of the “radically redesigned” engine preparing for its critical debut test fire in Texas.
Designed with extreme reliability, efficiency, and reusability in mind, the Raptor seen in Musk’s photos is rated for just shy of 2.5 times the thrust of Merlin 1D at 200 tons (450,000 lbf) and has been commonized across both stages of BFR (Starship and Super Heavy) to spread out development costs and speed up the next-generation rocket’s orbital launch debut.
Preparing to fire the Starship Raptor engine at @SpaceX Texas pic.twitter.com/8JCOi1BG6z
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2019
Aside from revealing some impressive photos of the first upgraded Raptor preparing for a static fire test, Musk went into a bit more detail on the future of the engine and its probable development path, describing Raptor in its current iteration as a sort of compromise between achieving nominal performance and minimizing the cost and timescale to arrive at a flight-ready engine. Currently stationed at SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas development and testing facilities, Raptor appears to feature an expansion ratio somewhere in between Merlin 1D (optimized for sea-level) and MVac (optimized for vacuum).
Initially making one 200 metric ton thrust engine common across ship & booster to reach the moon as fast as possible. Next versions will split to vacuum-optimized (380+ sec Isp) & sea-level thrust optimized (~250 ton).
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2019
This increases the stress on the nozzle during ignition and operation at normal atmospheric pressures but it also improves engine efficiency once Starship (or Super Heavy) rises above the thickest parts of Earth’s atmosphere, even if a medium-expansion nozzle still can’t touch the performance of a giant vacuum-optimized bell like those used by MVac. As such, BFR in its earliest iterations will be significantly less capable than a fully-optimized version of the rocket when it comes to high-energy Earth/lunar orbits and interplanetary trajectories, a challenge that can at least initially be hurdled by accepting much lower nominal payload capabilities and relying on brute-force performance, much like Falcon 9 and Heavy.
Assuming the first hot-fire tests of the full-scale, operationalized Raptors go well, three of the next-gen engines could support the first hop tests of a full-scale Starship prototype sometime in the next few months, potentially as early as late-February or March. Musk also reiterated that Starship’s complimentary booster – known as Super Heavy and set to begin initial prototype assembly as early as April – will feature 31 Raptor engines capable of producing upwards of 12.4 million pounds of thrust (62,000 kN) at liftoff. However, Musk indicated that the sheer value of 31 advanced Raptor engines also means that the first Super Heavy flights may only feature a partial complement of engines in case the vast booster experiences a failure, far from uncommon during the first few launches of a new rocket.
News
Waymo temporarily halts service in select San Francisco and LA areas amid protests
The suspensions came after several Waymo Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis were vandalized and set ablaze during the demonstrations.

Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary, has suspended its driverless taxi operations in parts of Los Angeles and San Francisco amid violent protests linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the state.
The suspensions came after several Waymo Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis were vandalized and set ablaze during the demonstrations.
Waymo Catches Strays Amid Anti-ICE Protests
Protests erupted in Los Angeles and San Francisco in response to the Trump administration’s immigration raids, which ultimately resulted in California Governor Gavin Newsom calling the White House’s deployment of National Guard troops unconstitutional.
Amidst the protests, images and videos emerged showing several Waymo robotaxis being defaced and destroyed. At least five Waymo robotaxis ended up being caught in the crossfire, and at least one vehicle ended up being burned to the ground.
The incident resulted in the Los Angeles Police Department advising people to avoid downtown areas due to toxic fumes from the robotaxis’ burning lithium-ion batteries. As noted in a KRON4 report, Waymo ultimately halted service in affected areas “out of an abundance of caution.”
Robotaxi Sentiments
The cost of the attacks is notable. Each Waymo robotaxi is valued between $150,000 and $200,000, per a 2024 Wall Street Journal report. Interestingly enough, this is not the first time that Waymo’s robotaxis ended up on the receiving end of angry protesters. On February 24, a Jaguar I-PACE robotaxi was set ablaze and vandalized by a crowd in San Francisco. Videos taken at the time showed a mob of people attacking the vehicle.
Despite the recent attacks on its robotaxis, Waymo has stated it has “no reason to believe” its vehicles were specifically targeted during the protests, as per a report from The Washington Post. A company spokesperson also noted that some of the Waymo robotaxis that were defaced and destroyed during the violent demonstrations had been completing drop-offs near the protest zones.
Investor's Corner
xAI targets $5 billion debt offering to fuel company goals
Elon Musk’s xAI is targeting a $5B debt raise, led by Morgan Stanley, to scale its artificial intelligence efforts.

xAI’s $5 billion debt offering, marketed by Morgan Stanley, underscores Elon Musk’s ambitious plans to expand the artificial intelligence venture. The xAI package comprises bonds and two loans, highlighting the company’s strategic push to fuel its artificial intelligence development.
Last week, Morgan Stanley began pitching a floating-rate term loan B at 97 cents on the dollar with a variable interest rate of 700 basis points over the SOFR benchmark, one source said. A second option offers a fixed-rate loan and bonds at 12%, with terms contingent on investor appetite. This “best efforts” transaction, where the debt size hinges on demand, reflects cautious lending in an uncertain economic climate.
According to Reuters sources, Morgan Stanley will not guarantee the issue volume or commit its own capital in the xAI deal, marking a shift from past commitments. The change in approach stems from lessons learned during Musk’s 2022 X acquisition when Morgan Stanley and six other banks held $13 billion in debt for over two years.
Morgan Stanley and the six other banks backing Musk’s X acquisition could only dispose of that debt earlier this year. They capitalized on X’s improved operating performance over the previous two quarters as traffic on the platform increased engagement around the U.S. presidential elections. This time, Morgan Stanley’s prudent strategy mitigates similar risks.
Beyond debt, xAI is in talks to raise $20 billion in equity, potentially valuing the company between $120 billion and $200 billion, sources said. In April, Musk hinted at a significant valuation adjustment for xAI, stating he was looking to put a “proper value” on xAI during an investor call.
As xAI pursues this $5 billion debt offering, its financial strategy positions it to lead the AI revolution, blending innovation with market opportunity.
News
SpaceX to debut new Dragon capsule in Axiom Space launch
Ax-4’s launch marks the debut of SpaceX’s latest Crew Dragon and pushes Axiom closer to building its own space station.

Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission targets the International Space Station (ISS) with a new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
The Axiom team will launch a new SpaceX Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT). The Ax-4 mission launch was initially set for Tuesday, June 10, but was delayed by one day due to expected high winds.
As Axiom Space’s fourth crewed mission to the ISS, Ax-4 marks the debut of an updated SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. “This is the first flight for this Dragon capsule, and it’s carrying an international crew—a perfect debut. We’ve upgraded storage, propulsion components, and the seat lash design for improved reliability and reuse,” said William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX’s vice president of build and flight reliability.
Axiom Space is a Houston-based private space infrastructure company. It has been launching private astronauts to the ISS for research and training since 2022, building expertise for its future station. With NASA planning to decommission the ISS by 2030, Axiom has laid the groundwork for the Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station. The company has already begun construction on its ISS replacement.
The Ax-4 mission’s research, spanning biological, life, and material sciences and Earth observation, will support this ambitious goal. Contributions from 31 countries underscore the mission’s global scope. The four-person crew will launch from Launch Complex 39A, embarking on a 14-day mission to conduct approximately 60 scientific studies.
“The AX-4 crew represents the very best of international collaboration, dedication, and human potential. Over the past 10 months, these astronauts have trained with focus and determination, each of them exceeding the required thresholds to ensure mission safety, scientific rigor, and operational excellence,” said Allen Flynt, Axiom Space’s chief of mission services.
The Ax-4 mission highlights Axiom’s commitment to advancing commercial space exploration. By leveraging SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and conducting diverse scientific experiments, Axiom is paving the way for its Axiom Station. This mission not only strengthens international collaborations but also positions Axiom as a leader in the evolving landscape of private space infrastructure.
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