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SpaceX’s Crew Dragon just became America’s longest-lived astronaut spaceship
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon has officially become the longest-lived American astronaut spacecraft ever built, beating an 84-day record set by the Apollo-era Skylab-4 mission almost half a century ago.
Crew Dragon was able to beat that record so quickly because NASA ultimately chose to cannibalize its existing Saturn rocket and Apollo CSM spacecraft expertise, production capabilities, and budget to go all-in on the Space Shuttle program. Meant to be quickly and cheaply reusable, a wide range of compromises, budget shortfalls, and design-by-committee missteps ultimately produced a Shuttle that was horrifically complex, unsafe, only partially reusable, suboptimal for most tasks, and more expensive to launch than Saturn V.
The Space Shuttle was ultimately a beast to refurbish and “reuse”, often requiring an almost complete disassembly and reassembly and extensive rework on most propulsive components. Partially due to those extreme shortcomings and a catastrophically fatal launch failure just five years after its debut, the Shuttle was never able to get anywhere close to realizing its limited but still strong potential, including a maximum orbital longevity of just two or so weeks.
As a result, NASA went from Saturn I, Saturn V, and CSM – a combination that enabled single-launch space stations, multi-month crewed spaceflights, and the Apollo Program – to the Space Shuttle, an anchor that yanked the space agency’s human agency ambitions back to low Earth orbit (LEO). In the Space Shuttle’s defense, NASA did eventually join an international initiative to build the International Space Station (ISS), a program the Shuttle supported with several dozen launches of crucial modules, components, and supplies.
However, had NASA been able to continue the Skylab program with Saturn and CSM, a space station with a habitable volume similar to the 2021 ISS could have been completed in a mere three launches, compared to no less than 30 launches to build the ISS.
Regardless, after an unfortunate and unnecessary 47-year pause, SpaceX – with NASA funding – has returned the space agency and the US to its legacy of envelope-pushing. On the heels of 20 successful uncrewed Cargo Dragon missions to and from the ISS over the last 9 years, all of which spent around a month in orbit, SpaceX’s third Crew Dragon launch has already beat the US record for crewed spacecraft longevity on orbit and is ultimately poised to double it before the mission’s end.
Crew Dragon’s Crew-1 astronauts even celebrated the milestone in orbit with (albeit virtually) Ed Gibson, one of the three astronauts that set Skylab-4’s record 47 years prior. Additionally, in a pleasing coincidence, Skylab-4 and SpaceX Crew-1 nearly launched on the same day, meaning that tomorrow (February 8th) is the true 47th anniversary of the Skylab-4 mission’s reentry and splashdown.
All told, all operational Crew Dragon missions – of which Crew-1 is the first – are scheduled to spend approximately 180 days in orbit between launch and reentry. As the first US spacecraft (and first private spacecraft) to attempt such a long spaceflight, there is obviously some uncertainty and no guarantee that this first try won’t be cut short, but odds are in SpaceX’s favor that Crew Dragon capsule C207 will depart the ISS without issue and safely return its four-astronaut crew back to Earth sometime in May 2021.
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Elon Musk dubs lawsuit alleging false Tesla odometer readings “idiotic”
The lawsuit alleged that Tesla’s odometer readings use “predictive algorithms” instead of actual mileage driven.
Elon Musk has responded sharply to a lawsuit alleging that Tesla speeds up its vehicles’ odometers to avoid paying for warranty-covered repairs.
Musk’s comment about the lawsuit’s allegations were posted on social media platform X.
The Lawsuit’s Allegations
The proposed class-action lawsuit claimed that Tesla is speeding up its vehicles’ odometers so that they can fall out of warranty quicker. This system, the lawsuit alleged, allows Tesla to save a significant amount of money in repairs.
The lawsuit’s plaintiff is Los Angeles resident Nyree Hinton, who alleged that his 2020 Tesla Model Y’s odometer readings reflect energy consumption, driver behavior and “predictive algorithms” instead of actual mileage driven, as noted in a Reuters report.
Hinton claimed that based on other vehicles and driving history, his car was stating that he was driving 72 miles a day when he usually drove just 20 miles at most. Because of this, Hinton alleged that his basic warranty expired well ahead of schedule, resulting in him paying $10,000 for a suspension repair that he believes should have been covered by warranty.
“By tying warranty limits and lease mileage caps to inflated ‘odometer’ readings, Tesla increases repair revenue, reduces warranty obligations, and compels consumers to purchase extended warranties prematurely,” the lawsuit noted.
Elon Musk’s Response
Tesla and its legal team have fully denied all material allegations that were outlined in the proposed class-action lawsuit. In a comment to longtime FSD user @WholeMarsBlog on X, Tesla CEO Elon Musk also criticized the proposed class-action lawsuit. “This is idiotic,” the CEO wrote in a post on X.
Veteran EV owners have also stated on social media that the lawsuit’s claims were inaccurate since Tesla’s odometers do not, in any way, use predictive algorithms. Others also pointed out that repairs are not a major source of profit for Teslas because the company’s vehicles tend to last long without requiring maintenance or spare parts.
News
Bizarre Tesla Cybertruck attacker in South Korea arrested and detained
The man is also accused of assaulting several people and damaging other vehicles during the incident.
A man who attacked a Tesla Cybertruck in South Korea’s Gangnam district has been arrested and detained.
As per reports, the man is also accused of assaulting a person and damaging several other vehicles during the incident.
The Incident
As per authorities, the suspect, who is in his 30s and is dubbed “Mr. A” (suspect names are typically not disclosed in South Korea to protect privacy and prevent possible prejudice), allegedly assaulted a hotel employee on the morning of April 15.
Following the assault on the hotel employee, the suspect reportedly knocked over a delivery motorcycle. He then went over and kicked a Tesla Cybertruck that was owned by a nearby medical facility. One of the all-electric truck’s side mirrors was damaged due to the attack.
As per a News 1 Korea report, Mr. A has also been accused of kicking four BMW vehicles at a nearby auto shop. The BMWs’ passenger side doors were damaged by the suspect.
Charges and Arrest
As per the Seoul Gangnam Police Station in an announcement, an investigation into the incident is underway. The suspect was arrested on charges of special assault, property damage, and obstruction of business.
Authorities apprehended Mr. A in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on April 18. An arrest warrant from the court was released the day after.
Cybertruck Attacks
The Tesla Cybertruck attack in South Korea is quite bizarre as the suspect assaulted both people and vehicles. The incident, if any, seems to be quite different from the attacks on Teslas that have been reported in the United States and Europe, which seemed to be political in nature and a response to CEO Elon Musk’s close relationship with President Donald Trump.
Elon Musk
Barclays cuts Tesla price target, questions Musk’s White House role
Barclays cuts Tesla price target and warns that Elon Musk’s Trump ties are a “code red” for the TSLA’s brand.
Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) stock price target was slashed 15% by Barclays to $275 from $325. Barclays analysts cited weaker fundamentals and challenges in achieving 2025 unit volume growth as reasons for cutting Tesla’s price target. The firm retained an equal weight rating on TSLA, noting that CEO Elon Musk could shift sentiment during the upcoming Q1 earnings call.
Barclays believes Musk’s discussion of Tesla’s robotaxi launch in June could overshadow short-term issues, stating, “good narrative could outweigh weak fundamentals.” The investment bank also commented that Musk’s work with the Trump Administration has become a “code red situation” for Tesla.
Musk’s involvement with President Trump and his administration has caused some waves in the perception of the Tesla brand. Other investment firms also see Musk’s work with the U.S. government as negative for Tesla.
Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives urged Musk to prioritize his CEO role over government involvement. “We also would expect Musk to address his role in the Trump Administration and will be asked about if he plans to stay in an advisory role for the White House,” Ives said. The Wedbush analyst emphasized that Musk must “lay out the timeline/hard facts” for autonomous vehicles, robotics, and production on Tesla’s “new lower-cost vehicle.”
“We view this as a fork in the road time: if Musk leaves the White House, there will be permanent brand damage… But Tesla will have its most important asset and strategic thinker back as full-time CEO to drive the vision, and the long-term story will not be altered. If Musk chooses to stay with the Trump White House, it could change the future of Tesla, and brand damage will grow. A huge week ahead for Musk, Tesla, and investors,” Ives wrote in a note.
Tesla’s stock has faced pressure from Musk’s government ties, tariffs, and lower-than-expected deliveries. However, Benchmark analyst Mickey Legg countered the pessimism, arguing that current concerns over Tesla are exaggerated given the company’s future prospects.
“We believe the recent stock pullback and sales declines, while significant, are overblown considering the near-term issues impacting the company and the scope of opportunities around the corner. After appreciating over 90% to a high of $488 after the Presidential election, the stock has pulled back to sub-$300 levels,” Legg wrote in a note earlier this month.
The Benchmark analyst urged investors to focus on catalysts like robotaxis and new vehicle models. As Tesla’s earnings approach, Musk’s leadership and strategic clarity will be pivotal in addressing investor concerns and shaping the company’s trajectory.
Elon Musk dubs lawsuit alleging false Tesla odometer readings “idiotic”
Bizarre Tesla Cybertruck attacker in South Korea arrested and detained
Barclays cuts Tesla price target, questions Musk’s White House role
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