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SpaceX’s Crew Dragon astronaut launch debut a step closer after SuperDraco milestone

SpaceX recently began the installation of SuperDraco abort thrusters on the Crew Dragon capsule set to support Demo-2, SpaceX's first astronaut launch. (SpaceX)

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Photos published by SpaceX reveal that the company has begun to outfit its first astronaut-capable Crew Dragon spacecraft with its eight SuperDraco abort engines, a major milestone along the path to launch.

On October 29th, SpaceX tweeted photos of SuperDraco installation with a caption that confirmed the engines were being installed on Crew Dragon capsule C206, currently assigned to the company’s ‘Demo-2’ astronaut launch debut. These latest photos come just five days after the company published a video of one of many SuperDraco static fire tests, perhaps an indicator that the engines pictured were performing acceptance tests just days prior.

SpaceX is exceptionally thorough when it comes to testing flight hardware before launch: for every new Falcon 9 rocket built, every single Merlin 1D and Vacuum engine is built in California, shipped to Texas for individual static fires, shipped back to CA to be installed on their respective rockets, and then shipped back to TX for an integrated static fire. They’re then shipped to their respective launch sites, where launch technicians perform yet another pre-launch static fire at the launch pad.

Although it’s not known for sure, SpaceX almost certainly takes a similar approach for its Dragon 1 and Dragon 2 spacecraft, both of which feature Draco maneuvering thrusters, while the latter also requires more powerful SuperDraco engines for its launch abort system. More likely than not, all of those (Super)Dracos are tested in McGregor after being assembled in Hawthorne and then shipped back to Hawthorne for installation on Dragon. Due to their reliance on toxic propellant and oxidizer, however, it’s far more challenging to test-fire integrated Crew or Cargo Dragons, although those tests are done once and a while for especially critical milestones.

Crew Dragon capsule C205 and Falcon 9 booster B1046 arrived in Florida around October 3rd ahead of SpaceX’s critical In-Flight Abort (IFA) test. (SpaceX)

In fact, capsule C205 recently arrived in Cape Canaveral alongside its flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket to prepare for Crew Dragon’s critical In-Flight Abort (IFA) test, in which the spacecraft will attempt to escape from a supersonic Falcon 9. Prior to launch, SpaceX plans to static fire Crew Dragon C205’s Draco and SuperDraco thrusters, essentially a repeat of the fated April 20th test that destroyed Crew Dragon capsule C201. If that test goes as planned, the spacecraft will be inspected and finally mated atop Falcon 9, while success will also likely mean that the hardware now being installed on Crew Dragon C206 is equally ready for launch.

In the unlikely event that more issues arise, SpaceX will likely have to uninstall C206’s engines, propellant tanks, and plumbing. If everything works as intended, however, C206’s preemptive hardware installation should mean that the spacecraft will be ready to support SpaceX’s astronaut launch debut much sooner.

At present, Crew Dragon’s IFA static fire is expected no earlier than November 6th, while the abort test itself is now scheduled to launch no earlier than December 2019. Demo-2, Crew Dragon’s NASA astronaut launch debut, is scheduled to launch no earlier than Q1 2020, while SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says that the spacecraft and its Falcon 9 rocket should arrive at Pad 39A and be ready for launch as early as November 2019.

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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

Elon Musk’s xAI gains first access to Saudi supercluster with 600k Nvidia GPUs

The facility will deploy roughly 600,000 Nvidia GPUs, making it one of the world’s most notable superclusters.

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A Saudi-backed developer is moving forward with one of the world’s largest AI data centers, and Elon Musk’s xAI will be its first customer. The project, unveiled at the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., is being built by Humain, a company supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. 

The facility will deploy roughly 600,000 Nvidia GPUs, making it one of the world’s most notable superclusters.

xAI secures priority access

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated that the planned data center marks a major leap not just for the region but for the global AI ecosystem as a whole. Huang joked about the sheer capacity of the build, emphasizing how unusual it is for a startup to receive infrastructure of such magnitude. The facility is designed to deliver 500 megawatts of Nvidia GPU power, placing it among the world’s largest AI-focused installations, as noted in a Benzinga report.

“We worked together to get this company started and off the ground and just got an incredible customer with Elon. Could you imagine a startup company, approximately $0 billion in revenues, now going to build a data center for Elon? 500 megawatts is gigantic. This company is off the charts right away,” Huang said.

Global Chipmakers Join Multi-Vendor Buildout To Enhance Compute Diversity

While Nvidia GPUs serve as the backbone of the first phase, Humain is preparing a diversified hardware stack. AMD will supply its Instinct MI450 accelerators, which could draw up to 1 gigawatt of power by 2030 as deployments ramp. Qualcomm will also contribute AI200 and AI250 data center processors, accounting for an additional 200 megawatts of compute capacity. Cisco will support the networking and infrastructure layer, helping knit the multi-chip architecture together.

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Apart from confirming that xAI will be the upcoming supercluster’s first customer, Musk also joked about the rapid scaling needed to train increasingly large AI models. He joked that a theoretical expansion one thousand times larger of the upcoming supercluster “would be 8 bazillion, trillion dollars,” highlighting the playful exaggeration he often brings to discussions around extreme compute demand.

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Elon Musk debunks pay package and lip reader claims in double takedown

Musk’s quick debunks highlighted once more that X is an ideal platform for directly countering misinformation.

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Elon Musk recently took to X to debunk some misinformation about his 2025 CEO performance award, as well as some comments he made during Donald Trump’s banquet in honor of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

Musk’s quick debunks highlighted once more that X is an ideal platform for directly countering misinformation.

Musk’s pay package

Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO performance award was created as a path for him to gain a 25% stake in Tesla. It would also make him a trillionaire, provided that he manages to meet all of the performance award’s aggressive targets. This has not stopped critics from running with the apparent narrative that Musk will be getting the $1 trillion with utmost certainty, however. 

This included the More Perfect Union account on X, which noted that “Elon Musk is set to make more than every U.S. elementary school teacher combined, according to the Washington Post.”

Musk responded to the pro-union amount’s post, highlighting that he has not earned any of his $2025 performance award so far. Musk also noted that those who believe he will be getting $1 trillion should invest in TSLA stock, as his compensation is tied to the company’s performance and growth. Investors who hold their TSLA until Musk achieves his full pay package would likely get notable returns.

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Lip reader fail

Musk also debunked claims from the Daily Mail, which claimed that he made an “explosive” remark at Trump’s banquet for Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Citing observations from lip reader Nicola Hickling, the Mail claimed that Musk asked Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, “What is your opinion, is he a terrorist?” The publication also posted a video of Musk allegedly making the risqué comment on X.

Musk proceeded to correct the publication, stating that the lip reader’s observations were fake. Instead of asking the Pfizer CEO if the Saudi Prince was a terrorist, Musk noted that he was asking the executive about cancer medicine. “False, I was asking about upcoming cancer drugs,” Musk wrote in a response on X. 

Musk’s comments resulted in numerous critical responses to the Mail’s video, with some X users joking that the lip reader who analyzed the clip should probably get a visual acuity test, or a better training course on lip reading at least.

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Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture

“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Diner, the all-in-one Supercharging and dining experience located in Los Angeles, will transition to a full-service restaurant in January, staff said, as Chef Eric Greenspan said he would take on a new project.

A report from the Los Angeles Times says Greenspan confirmed through a text that he would leave the Diner and focus on the opening of his new Jewish deli, Mish.

Greenspan confirmed to the paper:

“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”

Greenspan took on the job at the Tesla Diner and curated the menu back in March, focusing on locally-sourced ingredients and items that would play on various company products, like Cybertruck-shaped boxes that hold burgers.

Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner

The Tesla Diner has operated as somewhat of a self-serve establishment, where Tesla owners can order directly from their vehicles through the center touchscreen. It was not exclusive to Tesla owners. Guests could also enter and order at a counter, and pick up their food, before sitting at a booth or table.

However, the report indicates Tesla is planning to push it toward a sit-down restaurant, full of waiters, waitresses, and servers, all of which will come to a table after you are seated, take your order, and serve your food.

It will be more of a full-featured restaurant experience moving forward, which is an interesting move from the company, but it also sounds as if it could be testing for an expansion.

We know that Tesla is already considering expanding locations, as it will be heading to new areas of the country. CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla will be considering locations in Palo Alto near the company’s Engineering HQ, and in Austin, where its HQ and Gigafactory Texas are located.

Musk said that the Diner has been very successful in its first few months of operation.

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