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SpaceX’s first Crew Dragon NASA astronauts suit up for spacesuit-focused launch rehearsal
While a great deal of work remains before SpaceX and NASA are ready to set a date for Crew Dragon’s inaugural astronaut launch (Demo-2) both teams continue to actively prepare for the milestone mission.
Most recently, NASA has published photos detailing a critical (and literal) dress rehearsal with astronauts Col. Bob Behnken and Col. Doug Hurley, set to become the first astronauts to ride SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to orbit and dock with the International Space Station (ISS). This particular test centered around the process of suiting up in SpaceX’s iconic, custom-built spacesuits and simulated pre-launch procedures in a Crew Dragon simulator located at SpaceX’s Hawthorne, CA headquarters.
A literal dress rehearsal
On Thursday, an official NASA Astronaut account tweeted that SpaceX’s first two Commercial Crew astronauts had recently completed a dress rehearsal test of the spacesuits that they will wear during Crew Dragon’s inaugural crewed launch to the ISS. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley participated in a full “suit-up & leak checks” rehearsal with their iconic SpaceX-built suits and the same Ground Support Equipment (GSE) hardware that will be used during Demo-2. This dress rehearsal also serves to familiarize the SpaceX and NASA ground support crew with the astronaut suit-up process, and multiple technicians and flight engineers are visible in the background.
The new spacesuits made their press debut last summer at a media event held at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Not only are they uniquely beautiful and modernist, but SpaceX’s spacesuits are also designed first and foremost with functionality in mind. SpaceX hired its own team of seamstresses and focused heavily on integrating 3D printing into suit production, resulting in an end-product that is simultaneously strikingly minimalistic and extremely usable. For example, the helmets Behnken and Hurley are seen wearing use 3D printing to integrate extremely complex life support systems, a built-in microphone and speaker communications array, a seamless multi-hinged visor, and more.
The suits are also designed to allow for easy maneuverability and a seamless user experience within the Dragon capsule. The attached gloves of the suit use conductive leather to allow the astronauts to interact with the Crew Dragon’s primary controls, a set of large touchscreens. Apple iPads will additionally be mounted directly on the thighs of the astronauts to serve as an even more convenient (and redundant) method of interfacing with Dragon’s controls, among other things.
While the suits are designed to be pressurized to support the astronauts in the event of a life-threatening event that may occur aboard Dragon, they are not meant for spacewalks or prolonged exposure to the vacuum of space.
Behnken, Hurley, and other Commercial Crew astronauts have been included in the development of their suits since day one and each flight suit has been carefully tailored to fit each future Crew Dragon astronaut. Having the opportunity to run through a launch day dress rehearsal allows everyone in the process to become familiarized with the specialized procedures that will occur ahead of boarding the Dragon capsule.
Crew Dragon sidesteps the norm
Unlike previous crewed NASA launches, SpaceX plans to have astronauts board Crew Dragon before launch vehicle fueling begins. This new approach to crew loading has become known as “Load-and-Go.” This procedure is extremely familiar to SpaceX, as the company supercools the liquid oxygen and kerosene propellant used by Falcon 9 and Heavy to significantly improve the performance of both rockets.
SpaceX has made the rational argument that boarding astronauts before fueling is actually significantly safer than the traditional method of ingressing astronauts while the rocket is fully fueled. Once inside Crew Dragon, the spacecraft’s SuperDraco abort system would be armed, theoretically protecting its astronauts from any conceivable explosion-related vehicle failure, whereas a fueled rocket failing during ingress could easily kill anyone in close proximity for the boarding procedure.
According to NASA, possible dates for Crew Dragon’s Demo-2 astronaut launch debut are under review. In a mid-July conference call with SpaceX and NASA officials, neither were particularly confident that Demo-2 would be ready to launch before the end of 2019, although they specifically did not rule the possibility out. More likely than not, Crew Dragon Demo-2 will slip into early 2020 as a result of a catastrophic explosion that destroyed Crew Dragon capsule C201 during static fire testing earlier this year.
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk handed Grok something no other AI company can get their hands on
Elon Musk says SpaceX will feed engineering data into Grok’s next model, avoiding restricted material.
Elon Musk said Tuesday that SpaceX will feed its internal engineering data into the next major training run for Grok, the AI model now folded into SpaceX following February’s merger. In a post on X, Musk wrote that SpaceX’s “massive corpus of world-class engineering data,” excluding anything restricted under U.S. arms export law, will be added during supplemental training of what he called the “2T run,” a reference to a roughly two trillion parameter model that would nearly double the parameters behind the latest Grok 4.5 that’s rolling out.
SpaceX’s massive corpus of world-class engineering data (excluding material blocked by ITAR) will be added during supplemental training of the 2T run.
This will dramatically improve Grok’s engineering capabilities. https://t.co/BbQEViFByn
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2026
The excluded material that Musk is referring to would fall under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which restricts export of technical data tied to defense and space hardware. That likely rules out propulsion specifics for Merlin and Raptor engines along with guidance and control details for SpaceX’s launch vehicles, but leaves manufacturing knowledge, materials science, and Starlink hardware design on the table.
The announcement extends a pattern that has been building since SpaceX’s Nasdaq debut in June, when the company went public with Grok and xAI’s Colossus supercomputer folded into the pitch to investors.
Days after that listing, SpaceX closed its $60 billion all stock acquisition of coding startup Cursor, giving xAI both enterprise software distribution and a stream of real world developer data to train on. Grok 4.5 launched July 8 running partly on that Cursor training data, with Musk describing it as roughly comparable to Anthropic’s Opus 4.7 but faster and cheaper to run.
Feeding SpaceX’s own engineering data into the next AI model follows the same logic Musk has applied across xAI’s sister companies. Tesla supplies real world driving data and manufacturing expertise, X supplies conversational data, and now SpaceX supplies aerospace engineering data built up since 2002.
Musk did not give a release date for the upcoming AI model, referred to elsewhere as Grok 4.6. He has said the two trillion parameter run is in its final training phase and expected to wrap this week.
Tesla has extended its Bay Area ride-hailing service to include pickups and drop-offs at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The update, shared via the company’s official channels on July 21, allows users in the region to request rides directly to and from one of California’s busiest airports.
The expansion builds on Tesla’s secured limousine permit for SFO operations. Public records show the permit became effective March 20, 2026, and remains active through January 31, 2027. Tesla vehicles operating the service now display authorized limousine permits issued by the City and County of San Francisco.
Our Bay Area rideshare service now goes to SFO ✈️
— Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI) July 21, 2026
Tesla’s ride-hailing program in California relies on Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology. Human safety drivers remain present in compliance with state regulations, distinguishing the service from fully driverless operations.
The Bay Area geofence covers a broad area spanning north of San Francisco to south of San Jose, offering extensive connectivity across the region.
UPDATE: Elon Musk reveals why Tesla didn’t say ‘Robotaxi’ upon California launch
This SFO addition follows earlier progress at other Bay Area airports. Tesla previously expanded service to San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in late 2025. The company had engaged with SFO, SJC, and Oakland International Airport officials as early as September 2025 to secure necessary approvals for passenger transport.
The service provides a new option for travelers seeking electric, app-based transportation integrated with Tesla’s ecosystem. Rides are booked through Tesla’s dedicated ride-hailing application, which handles matching, routing, and payments. Pricing follows standard ride-hailing models, with potential adjustments based on distance, time, and demand.
Tesla’s California ride-hailing program launched in July 2025 with an initial invite-only rollout in the Bay Area. It started alongside operations in Austin, Texas, marking the company’s second major U.S. market.
The Bay Area remains a primary focus in California, with service centered on high-demand corridors connecting residential, commercial, and now major transportation hubs. This latest airport integration represents a practical step in Tesla’s broader mobility ambitions within the state.
Tesla has officially revealed its 2026 Summer Update, which comes with a variety of crazy new features, including Navigation fixes that owners have been wanting for months.
Tesla routinely releases a larger update with the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter updates, where it ships a variety of new features, bug fixes, and other additions to customer cars.
The 2026 Spring Update featured things like “Hey Grok” voice assistance, a redesigned self-driving app, Unreal Engine visual upgrades, and more.
🚨 TESLA’S SUMMER UPDATE FOR 2026 IS HERE:
Featuring:
✅ Self-Driving Stats in Mobile App
✅ Caraoke with Scoring
✅ Automatic Navigation
✅ Preferred Routes
✅ Set Arrival Energy from Mobile App
✅ Send Custom Wraps from Mobile App
✅ Rear Display Lock
✅ Other Improvements
🔌… https://t.co/C9IW3egEhH
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 21, 2026
Tesla’s Summer Release has about ten new features; we’ll show you each and detail them below:
New Grok Voice Commands
“Grok can now make phone calls, search and play music, adjust climate, open the glovebox, and answer questions about your Tesla.”
Self-Driving Stats in Mobile App
“View and share self-driving stats from the mobile app.”
Caraoke With Scoring
“Caraoke now scores your singing while in Park. High scores are saved to your Tesla profile.”
Automatic Navigation
“Automatic Navigation now adapts to your routine.
In addition to Home, Work, and upcoming calendar events, your vehicle can now suggest and route to places you visit regularly – like a school drop-off on the way to work, or the gym on the way home.”
Preferred Routes
“For a more personalized experience, navigation now prioritizes routes that you’ve taken before”
Set Arrival Energy from Mobile App
“Set your desired Arrival Energy from your phone.”
Send Custom Wraps from Mobile App
“Skip the USB drive and upload a custom wrap of your car from the mobile app. Instructions for creating a custom wrap here: https://github.com/teslamotors/custom-wraps.”
Rear Display Lock
“Kids can watch content on the rear screen, but only the front row can control it through the rear screen app.”
Other Improvements
- Find Superchargers by name when searching for a destination
- Add Apple Music songs to queue from search and artist page
- Set your preferred zoom level for the Self-Driving visualization
- Intro animations for new Model 3 and Y
Tesla Mobile App gets a new feature that wrap fans are going to love
Elon Musk handed Grok something no other AI company can get their hands on
