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SpaceX on track for new launch every other week after CRS-12 success
After Dragon successfully docked to the ISS Wednesday, the station’s crew wasted no time opening the hatch to distribute ice cream for all. The initiation of unloading marked CRS-12’s success, with the Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 launch vehicle performing nominally.
The launch of CRS-12 debuted SpaceX’s first Block 4 Falcon 9, carrying with it a variety of small upgrades and improvements. Most importantly, it is understood that the vehicle utilized Merlin engines that have been qualified for higher thrust, although that capability was not used on Monday. The upgrade in thrust, expected to add an additional 10% to the vehicle’s quoted “7,607 kN” thrust at sea level, will enable SpaceX to pursue recoveries during the launch of even heavier payloads. As is now almost routine, SpaceX also recovered the first stage at LZ-1, following some considerably dramatic aerobatics during the return.
Block 4 is a necessary incremental improvement as SpaceX looks to Block 5, which will feature far more visible and significant modifications. Block 5 is expected to conduct its first launch sometime in 2018, and signs point to its debut flight being the launch of SpaceX’s first Commercial Crew demonstration flight, scheduled for NET (No Earlier Than) February 2018.
Focusing on the nearer future, SpaceX will proceed into its first static fire attempt tomorrow ahead of the launch of Formosat-5 from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), expected to lift off on Thursday, August 24. If all goes well during that campaign, the next milestone will be a static fire ahead of the company’s launch of a USAF experimental spaceplane on September 7, with the static fire for that mission expected approximately a week before. SpaceX appears as dedicated as ever to a regular biweekly launch cadence, which was demonstrated earlier this year, culminating in the launch of three Falcon 9s in less than two weeks. Looking later into September, the only launch with a known date is Iridium-3, which will see SpaceX orbit the next 10 Iridium NEXT satellites from VAFB. The mission is tentatively scheduled for September 30th.
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The X-37B experimental spaceplane SpaceX will launch for the USAF. (USAF)
While completing the missions of customers as quickly as possibly is SpaceX’s clear priority, the company also has multiple other goals that will likely make a consistent biweekly cadence more difficult. LC-40 is nearing readiness after a long campaign of refurbishment. Once complete, the pad will likely take over all commercial Falcon 9 launches. Following its activation, LC-39A will proceed through a period of modifications in anticipation of Falcon Heavy and Commercial Crew launches of Falcon 9. This is expected to take at least 60 days. Regardless, SpaceX has repeatedly made it clear that the goal is no launch downtime during the transition between pads. Info recently made public has indicated that SES-11, likely launching on a refurbished Falcon 9, would be the first mission to launch from LC-40 after its reactivation. SES-11 has since been delayed from sometime in September into “Q4 2017”, meaning that LC-40’s return to flight will likely happen no earlier than October.
Aside from Iridium-3’s launch, Elon Musk is also set to present a significant update to SpaceX’s Mars colonization efforts on September 29th. However you look at it, the last several months of 2017 leave fans of spaceflight with a vast array of milestones to look forward to.
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Tesla’s new Holiday perk is timed perfectly to make FSD a household name
Tesla AI4 owners get FSD (Supervised) through Christmas, New Year’s Eve and well into the post-holiday travel season.
Tesla quietly rolled out a free Full Self-Driving (Supervised) trial for roughly 1.5 million HW4 owners in North America who never bought the package, and the timing could very well be genius.
As it turns out, the trial doesn’t end after 30 days. Instead, it expires January 8, 2026, meaning owners get FSD (Supervised) through Christmas, New Year’s Eve and well into the post-holiday travel season. This extended window positions the feature for maximum word-of-mouth exposure.
A clever holiday gift
Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt first spotted the detail after multiple owners shared screenshots showing the trial expiring on January 8. He confirmed with affected users that none had active FSD subscriptions before the rollout. He also observed that Tesla never called the promotion a “30-day trial,” as the in-car message simply reads “You’re Getting FSD (Supervised) For the Holidays,” which technically runs until after the new year.
The roughly 40-day period covers peak family travel and gatherings, giving owners ample opportunity to showcase the latest FSD V14’s capabilities on highway trips, crowded parking lots and neighborhood drives. With relatives riding along, hands-off highway driving and automatic lane changes could become instant conversation starters.
Rave reviews for FSD V14 highlight demo potential
FSD has been receiving positive reviews from users as of late. Following the release of FSD v14.2.1, numerous owners praised the update for its smoothness and reliability. Tesla owner @LactoseLunatic called it a “huge leap forward from version 14.1.4,” praising extreme smoothness, snappy lane changes and assertive yet safe behavior that allows relaxed monitoring.
-->Another Tesla owner, @DevinOlsenn, drove 600 km without disengagements, noting his wife now defaults to FSD for daily use due to its refined feel. Sawyer Merritt also tested FSD V14.2.1 in snow on unplowed New Hampshire roads, and the system stayed extra cautious without hesitation. Longtime FSD tester Chuck Cook highlighted improved sign recognition in school zones, showing better dynamic awareness. These reports of fewer interventions and a more “sentient” drive could turn family passengers into advocates, fueling subscriptions come January.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk predicts AI and robotics could make work “optional” within 20 years
Speaking on entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath’s podcast, Musk predicted that machines will soon handle most forms of labor, leaving humans to work only if they choose to.
Elon Musk stated that rapid advances in artificial intelligence and robotics could make traditional work unnecessary within two decades.
Speaking on entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath’s podcast, Musk predicted that machines will soon handle most forms of labor, leaving humans to work only if they choose to.
Work as a “hobby”
During the discussion, Musk said the accelerating capability of AI systems and general-purpose robots will eventually cover all essential tasks, making human labor a choice rather than an economic requirement. “In less than 20 years, working will be optional. Working at all will be optional. Like a hobby,” Musk said.
When Kamath asked whether this future is driven by massive productivity growth, Musk agreed, noting that people will still be free to work if they enjoy the routine or the challenge. He compared future employment to home gardening, as it is something people can still do for personal satisfaction even if buying food from a store is far easier.
“Optional” work in the future
Elon Musk acknowledged the boldness of his claim and joked that people might look back in 20 years and say he was wrong. That being said, the CEO noted that such a scenario could even happen sooner than his prediction, at least if one were to consider the pace of the advancements in AI and robotics.
-->“Obviously people can play this back in 20 years and say, ‘Look, Elon made this ridiculous prediction and it’s not true,’ but I think it will turn out to be true, that in less than 20 years, maybe even as little as ten or 15 years, the advancements in AI and robotics will bring us to the point where working is optional,” Musk said.
Elon Musk’s comments echo his previous sentiments at Tesla’s 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, where he noted that Optimus could ultimately eliminate poverty. He also noted that robots like Optimus could eventually provide people worldwide with the best medical care.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reiterates why Tesla will never make an electric motorcycle
Tesla CEO Elon Musk preemptively shut down speculations about a Tesla road bike once more.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk preemptively shut down speculations about a Tesla road bike once more, highlighting that the electric vehicle maker has no plans to enter the electric motorcycle market.
Musk posted his clarification in a post on X.
Musk’s reply to a fun AI video
X user @Moandbhr posted an AI video featuring the Tesla CEO on the social media platform, captioning it with “Mr. Elon Musk Just Revealed the Game-Changing Tesla Motorcycle.” The short clip depicted Musk approaching a sleek, single-wheeled vehicle, stepping onto it, and gliding off into the distance amid cheers. The fun video received a lot of traction on X, gaining 3.1 million views as of writing.
Musk replied to the post, stating that a Tesla motorcycle is not going to happen. “Never happening, as we can’t make motorcycles safe. For Community Notes, my near death experience was on a road bike. Dirt bikes are safe if you ride carefully, as you can’t be smashed by a truck,” Musk wrote in his reply.
Musk’s Past Comments on Two-Wheelers
Musk also detailed his reservations about motorcycles in a December 2019 X post while responding to questions about Tesla’s potential ATV. At the time, he responded positively to an electric ATV, though he also opposed the idea of a Tesla road-going motorcycle. Musk did state that electric dirt bikes might be cool, since they do not operate in areas where large vehicles like Class 8 trucks are present.
-->“Electric dirt bikes would be cool too. We won’t do road bikes, as too dangerous. I was hit by a truck & almost died on one when I was 17,” Musk wrote in his post.
Considering Musk’s comments about dirt bikes, however, perhaps Tesla would eventually offer a road bike as a recreational vehicle. Such a two-wheeler would be a good fit for the Cybertruck, as well as future products like the Robovan, which could be converted into an RV.
Tesla’s new Holiday perk is timed perfectly to make FSD a household name
Elon Musk predicts AI and robotics could make work “optional” within 20 years
