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SpaceX releases rare footage of Elon Musk celebrating recent rocket explosion

A screen capture from a new 4K recap video of the SpaceX Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort test shows the Falcon 9 stacked with Crew Dragon capsule ready for flight just hours before launch. (SpaceX)

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As the historic return of human spaceflight from American soil rapidly approaches, SpaceX takes a moment to highlight the Crew Dragon’s most recent accomplishment. During a Commercial Crew and International Space Station overview news conference held Friday, May 1st, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, Gwynne Shotwell debuted new 4K footage of the recent Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test. The test, which occurred on January 19th, 2020 from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, demonstrated the Crew Dragon’s capability to keep astronaut occupants safe should a launch ascent emergency abort scenario occur.

Prior to making her remarks and answering questions, Shotwell called attention to the video highlighting the Super Draco launch escape system – a defining character difference between Crew Dragon and the cargo variant of the capsule that is used to shuttle resupply missions to and from the International Space Station.

The In-Flight Abort test was the final demonstration of the redesigned Super Draco abort thrusters following a catastrophic explosion in March 2019 that resulted in the complete loss of the Demonstration 1 Mission Crew Dragon capsule.

The Super Draco thrusters are used to rapidly propel the capsule away from a failing first-stage booster and ensure the safety of all crew members aboard. Along with eight Super Draco abort thrusters, the Crew Dragon capsule also features sixteen maneuvering Draco thrusters. These work in an abort scenario to ensure attitude control – flipping and orienting the capsule to prevent loss of control and ensure proper orientation for parachute deployment.

A pod of SuperDraco thrusters is pictured here shortly after installation on Crew Dragon C206, the spacecraft set to launch astronauts for the first time ever. (SpaceX)

The recap video included footage of the Super Draco thruster system performing successfully and propelling the Crew Dragon capsule away from the first-stage Falcon 9 booster that was experiencing an intentional engine shut down. Shortly after, the video displays a never-before-seen view of the capsule ejecting its trunk prior to parachute deployment.

Screen capture from the 4k recap video of the Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center shows the 8 Super Draco abort thrusters of the Crew Dragon capsule firing and propelling the capsule away from a “failing” first-stage Falcon 9 booster. (SpaceX)
Screen capture from the 4k recap video of the Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center shows the Crew Dragon capsule ejecting its trunk just before parachute deployment and safe splashdown return. (SpaceX)

The recap video differs from the typical SpaceX launch webcast in that it features a more behind-the-scenes look at launch – and splashdown – proceedings. SpaceX engineers along with NASA astronauts and company founder Elon Musk are seen inside Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center.

Screen capture from the 4k recap video of the Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center shows various SpaceX employees observing the test flight behind a row of monitors in Firing Room 4 of the Kennedy Space Center Launch Control Center. (SpaceX)
Screen capture from the 4k recap video of the Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center shows SpaceX employees and company founder Elon Musk observing the test flight from Firing Room 4 of the Kennedy Space Center Launch Control Center. (SpaceX)
Screen capture from the 4k recap video of the Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center shows NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken – the future crew members of Crew Dragon DM-2 – observing the test flight from Firing Room 4 of the Kennedy Space Center Launch Control Center. (SpaceX)

The facility was once used to monitor crewed launches during the space shuttle era. The next time it will be used will be during the first crewed launch of a new human spaceflight vehicle since the debut crewed flight of the space shuttle in 1981. The upcoming Crew Dragon Demonstration 2 Mission is currently set to liftoff no earlier than 4:23pm ET on Wednesday, May 27th.

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Tesla Cybertruck windshield protection just got cheaper

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is lowering the monthly price of its Cybertruck Windshield Protection Plan from $35 to $25. The new rate will apply to the first payment on or after October 1, 2026. Tesla has told subscribers that all other benefits stay the same.

The plan covers unlimited repairs for chips and minor cracks on the front windshield. It also includes one full replacement every 12 months at no extra charge. Additional replacements in the same year carry a $100 deductible. Service is performed with Tesla glass and camera calibration, which matters because Autopilot and Full Self-Driving rely on those lenses behind the windshield.

There is no long-term contract. Coverage applies only to the front glass and does not include collision, vandalism, or weather damage.

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The Cybertruck’s large, complex windshield has been more expensive to replace than glass on Tesla’s cars, which is why the pickup started at a higher subscription price. The $10 monthly cut reduces the annual cost from $420 to $300. Tesla has not publicly explained the change. The timing coincides with a year of claims data after the plan was extended to the Cybertruck.

Tesla sells several related protection products as monthly subscriptions through the Tesla app. The Windshield Protection Plan is also offered on other models. Model 3 and Model Y currently cost $16 a month. Those passenger-car rates are unchanged in the latest Cybertruck notice.

The Wheel and Tire Protection Plan covers road-hazard damage such as potholes, nails, and debris. Repairs are unlimited. Each wheel or tire replacement appointment has a $25 deductible. Pricing varies by model and whether the vehicle is a Performance version. Tesla is raising some of those rates on the same October 1 date.

Reported examples include Model 3 Performance moving from $16 to $24 and Model Y Performance from $20 to $24. Cybertruck wheel-and-tire coverage has been listed at $20 a month for the standard configuration.

A separate Luxe Package bundles four years of windshield coverage, wheel-and-tire coverage, and recommended maintenance on certain new Model S, Model X, and Cyberbeast orders, although the Model S and X are now defunct.

Tesla also offers an Extended Service Agreement after the basic vehicle warranty ends. That product covers many Tesla-manufactured parts rather than glass or tires. Together, the plans give owners a menu of targeted, cancel-anytime coverage instead of relying only on auto insurance.

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Tesla Cybercab fleet grows in Austin ahead of launch event

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Credit: Teslarati

UPDATE: The number has now been updated to 45 units, up from 7!

Tesla is bolstering its Cybercab fleet with the State of Texas’s regulatory bodies ahead of the planned launch of the all-electric ride-hailing vehicle this Thursday.

Seven purpose-built Tesla Cybercabs have been added to Texas’s official automated vehicle registry, appearing in the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System (TxMCCS) public lookup just three days before Tesla’s invite-only Cybercab launch event in Austin on September 3.

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The records, visible through TxDMV’s Motor Carrier and Automated Motor Vehicle Operator Lookup, list seven 2026 Tesla Cybercabs under Tesla Robotaxi, LLC. Their VINs begin with the 5YJA prefix, distinct from the 7SAYG Model Y robotaxis that already dominate Tesla’s Texas fleet.

Community trackers that scrape the same public database recorded the new entries on August 31, bringing Tesla’s authorized Texas robotaxi total to 276 vehicles: 269 Model Ys and the seven Cybercabs:

Texas Senate Bill 2807, which took effect in late May 2026, created a self-certification framework for commercial Level 4 operations. Operators file through TxMCCS, attest to SAE Level 4 capability, maintain insurance, and keep an active vehicle list.

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Tesla completed that process months earlier for its existing Model Y Robotaxi service, which has carried paying passengers in Austin, Dallas, Houston and other markets. Adding the Cybercabs to the same authorization means the new two-seat, steering-wheel-free vehicles are now legally recognized for commercial use on Texas roads.

The timing is deliberate as Tesla scheduled the September 3 event at its Austin campus after sending invitations to selected Robotaxi riders and other guests. The company has described the evening as a chance to “experience the future of full autonomy” and plans to livestream it.

Production Cybercabs, which lack pedals and a steering wheel, have been rolling off the Giga Texas line for months; some earlier examples still carried temporary driver controls for data collection. Registering a small fleet of the finished design immediately before the public event signals that Tesla intends to move the purpose-built vehicle from factory and test tracks into the same Robotaxi app already used by Model Y passengers.

The seven units remain a tiny fraction of Tesla’s overall Texas authorization and far smaller than competing fleets. Registration does not automatically equal unsupervised public rides; it is the legal prerequisite.

Still, the sudden appearance of Cybercab VINs in the state’s lookup system, after a year of Model Y-only listings, is the clearest official confirmation yet that Tesla’s dedicated robotaxi hardware is entering the regulatory pipeline at the same moment the company is preparing to show it to invited guests and a global livestream audience.

Whether those seven vehicles appear at the September 3 event or begin carrying passengers shortly afterward, their presence in TxMCCS marks a concrete regulatory step that has been anticipated since the Cybercab concept was first revealed.

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Tesla expands driverless Robotaxi geofence in Austin

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Credit: @JoeTegtmeyer/X

Tesla has expanded the operational geofence for its driverless Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, marking the first such increase in some time. The updated Service Area for Robotaxi in Austin now spans about 288 square miles and is roughly 9 percent larger than the previous boundary.

This incremental growth adds approximately 24 square miles of coverage, bringing the prior zone of roughly 264 square miles into a broader footprint that better serves northern suburbs.

The expansion extends the geofence northward toward Pflugerville along the US 183 corridor, incorporating additional neighborhoods north of the Domain and areas such as Mesa Park. These additions include higher-end residential and commercial districts that previously sat just outside the allowed operating zone.

Riders can now request unsupervised trips that begin or end in these newly included locations, provided the entire route remains inside the digital boundary:

Tesla first launched public Robotaxi operations in Austin in mid-2025 with a modest initial zone of about 20 square miles. Subsequent enlargements in 2025 and early 2026 steadily grew the map until it covered much of the metropolitan area.

After the last major update roughly ten months earlier, the company held the boundary steady while it collected additional miles and refined the FSD suite.

The modest nine percent increase still matters for daily utility. Longer trips become possible, more residents gain access, and the fleet can accumulate more diverse real-world data across new road types and traffic patterns. Observers note that the added territory aligns with existing Tesla service infrastructure, which could support more efficient vehicle staging in the North end of Austin.

Although the geofence has grown, Tesla continues to operate a relatively small unsupervised fleet in the city. The company has emphasized safety and software readiness over rapid geographic scaling. This latest map update signals that Tesla remains committed to expanding Robotaxi availability in its home market as it prepares for further software improvements and potential Cybercab deployments.

The 288-square-mile zone now gives Austin riders one of the larger driverless service areas currently available in the United States.

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