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SpaceX and Boeing's crewed capsule race heats up with Starliner's Friday test flight
The first week of December kicked off a flurry of productivity for NASA Commercial Crew Program partners SpaceX and Boeing. Ahead of crewed astronaut flight in 2020, both partners are working toward the completion of integral test flights of the two crew capsules that will carry astronauts to orbit from American soil for the first time since 2011.
While SpaceX nailed down a firm targeted launch date for the upcoming in-flight abort (IFA) test of its Crew Dragon capsule, Boeing and launch provider United Launch Alliance (ULA) worked to complete what is known as an Integrated Day of Launch Test (IDOLT) – a standard procedure ahead of human-rated spaceflight.
This type of rehearsal was routinely completed during the space shuttle era – then referred to as Terminal Countdown Demonstration Tests. The IDOLT was a final major step ahead of the orbital flight test (OFT) of the Atlas V and Boeing Starliner capsule. The upcoming flight test will closely reflect procedures completed by SpaceX with the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon capsule during its version of the orbital flight test referred to as Demonstration Mission – 1 which previously occurred in March of 2019.
Earlier in the week, ULA rolled out its mighty Atlas V rocket topped off with the Starliner crew capsule from the Vertical Integration Facility to the Space Launch Complex – 41 launchpad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once at the launchpad, the Crew Access Arm featuring a “white room” at the end that secures to the Starliner capsule to allow astronaut entrance was swung to the capsule for the very first time.
On Wednesday, December 4th, ULA and Boeing teams prepared to support the IDOLT, while SpaceX teams worked nearby at Space Launch Complex – 40 to support the CRS-19 resupply mission to the International Space Station. The simultaneous preparations resulted in the unique opportunity to view both rockets slated to support crewed astronaut flights in 2020 on launchpads and essentially prepared for flight.
While SpaceX ultimately successfully launched and landed a brand new Falcon 9 booster during the CRS-19 mission on Thursday, December 5th, a scrubbed attempt meant a one-day delay of launch which in turn resulted in a one-day delay for Boeing and ULA’s IDOLT and wet dress rehearsal (WDR).
The scrubbed launch essentially tied up range operations of the 45th Space Wing so that the area around the active launch pads – air, sea, and land – could not be secured for both events to take place on the same day. As the CRS-19 launch was an active operation for both SpaceX and NASA, it took precedence over ULA and Boeing’s rehearsal. Instead, Thursday was used to complete other necessary vehicle testing by Boeing and ULA.
Friday’s IDOLT ahead of Starliner’s flight debut for the OFT was a coordinated effort by NASA, Boeing, and ULA teams in multiple locations around the country.
The teams went through actual fueling procedures the Atlas V rocket and Centaur upper stage. Atlas V was filled with a type of rocket-grade kerosene propellant, RP-1, on Wednesday ahead of the IDOLT. The Centaur upper stage fully filled with cryogenic propellants – liquid oxygen (LOx) and liquid hydrogen.
Once fueling had completed Boeing’s “Blue Team” entered the pad to begin their synchronized rehearsal portion of the launch day sequence to prepare and secure the Starliner capsule and astronauts flying aboard.
Once the Blue Team completed all tasks and were evacuated from the pad, flight controllers from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX gave the “GO” command and proceeded with terminal count until reaching T minus-0 at which point the test concluded. The cryogenic propellants were drained and the vehicle was safed to be safely returned to the Vertical Integration Facility where final steps will be taken to prepare for launch.
The next time the teams will all work together in such coordinated fashion this will be on the day of launch. In mid-2020 the teams are expected to work together once again to support the Crewed Flight Test (CFT) which will send NASA astronauts Col. Mike Fincke, Nicole Mann, and Christopher Ferguson.
Until then, however, they will have to settle for the uncrewed test flight. According to ULA president and chief executive officer, Tory Bruno, post-WDR data evaluation and joint flight readiness review conducted by all teams involved are proceeding smoothly. Should all go to plan, the Atlas V and Boeing Starliner OFT will launch at 6:36 am EST on Friday, December 20th.
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Tesla expands Robotaxi in a way that was long anticipated
Instead, it has to do with the consumer base it offers Robotaxi to, because it has not offered it to everyone in the past.
Tesla has expanded Robotaxi in a way that was long anticipated, and it does not have to do with a new, larger geofence in a city where it already offered its partially autonomous ride-hailing suite, or a new city altogether.
Instead, it has to do with the consumer base it offers Robotaxi to, because it has not offered it to everyone in the past.
Tesla has taken a major step forward in its autonomous ride-hailing ambitions with the official launch of the Tesla Robotaxi app for Android users. Released on the Google Play Store on April 24. Titled simply “Tesla Robotaxi,” the app is now available to download directly from Tesla.
The @Tesla Robtoaxi App has just officially launched for Android users. Go get some rides y’all!
Download: https://t.co/D2jIONXc91 pic.twitter.com/rQ6TD14zkC
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) April 24, 2026
This rollout fulfills a long-anticipated expansion that opens the service to hundreds of millions of Android smartphone users who were previously unable to access it on iOS alone.
The app delivers a streamlined, driverless ride experience powered by Tesla’s automated driving technology.
Users sign in with a Tesla Account, view the current service area map within the app, enter a destination, and receive an estimated fare and arrival time before confirming the ride. When a Model Y from the Robotaxi fleet arrives, riders confirm the license plate, enter the vehicle, fasten their seatbelt, and tap “Start Ride” on either the app or the vehicle’s touchscreen.
During the trip, passengers have access to all the same controls that iOS users do, and can adjust climate settings, seat positions, and music while tracking progress on an in-app map. The interface also allows drop-off changes or support requests if needed. After the ride, users exit, close the doors, and submit feedback.
This Android availability directly broadens the rider base for Robotaxi in its initial service areas. Unfortunately, Android users are used to being subject to delayed launches of new features available to Tesla owners.
By removing the iOS-only barrier, Tesla instantly expands the addressable market, enabling far more people to summon and use the autonomous vehicles already operating on public roads.
The move is a foundational requirement for scaling ride volume and gathering the real-world data needed to refine the unsupervised Full Self-Driving system that powers every trip.
For the Robotaxi program itself, the launch signals steady operational progress. It prepares the service for higher utilization rates as the fleet grows and supports the transition from limited early deployments to a more robust network.
Tesla expands Unsupervised Robotaxi service to two new cities
Tesla has indicated that users outside current service areas can sign up at the company’s website for future notifications, pointing to a deliberate, phased geographic rollout.
Looking ahead, the company plans to incorporate Cybercab vehicles to increase fleet capacity and efficiency while continuing to expand service territories. With the Android app now live, Tesla has removed a key adoption hurdle and positioned Robotaxi for the next phase of growth in autonomous urban transportation.
The infrastructure is now in place to support significantly larger rider demand as production and deployment accelerate.
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UPDATE: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy that launched a Tesla into space is back on a mission
SpaceX Falcon Heavy returns after 18 months away to deliver a satellite that only it could carry.
UPDATE: 10:29 a.m. et: SpaceX is standing down from today’s Falcon Heavy launch of the ViaSat-3 F3 mission due to unfavorable weather. A new target date will be shared once confirmed.
After an 18-month absence, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy is returning to mission on Monday morning when it’s scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center at 10:21 a.m. EDT.
The mission is called ViaSat-3 F3, and the heavy satellite payload needs to reach geostationary orbit, sitting 22,236 miles above Earth where its speed matches the planet’s rotation. Getting a satellite that heavy to that altitude demands more thrust than a single-core Falcon 9 can deliver.
This marks the Falcon Heavy’s 12th flight overall since its debut in February 2018, and its first since NASA’s Europa Clipper mission in October 2024.
Arguably, the most exciting element for spectators will be watching the booster recoveries in action when the two side boosters, B1072 and B1075, will attempt simultaneous landings at Landing Zone 2 and the newer Landing Zone 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, while the center core will be expended over the ocean.
SpaceX wins its first MARS contract but it comes with a catch
Following satellite deployment, expected roughly five hours after launch, ViaSat-3 F3 will spend several months traveling to its final orbital slot before undergoing in-orbit testing, with service entry expected by late summer 2026
As Teslarati reported, NASA awarded SpaceX a $175.7 million contract on April 16, 2026, to launch the ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars rover aboard a Falcon Heavy no earlier than late 2028, which would mark the first time SpaceX has ever sent a payload to Mars. That contract came on top of an already deep pipeline that includes the Roman Space Telescope, the Dragonfly Saturn mission, and multiple national security payloads.
SpaceX executed 165 missions in 2025 and now accounts for approximately 85% of all global orbital launches. With Starlink surpassing 10 million subscribers and an IPO targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation still ahead, Monday’s launch is one more data point in a company that has quietly become the backbone of both commercial and government space access worldwide.
Tesla is launching its solution to end Supercharger fights once and for all, eliminating any confusion on who is to charge next at a congested location.
Last year, a notable incident at a Tesla Supercharger led to a fight, and it all stemmed from a disagreement over who arrived at the location first.
Congestion at Tesla Superchargers is a pretty infrequent occurrence for most of us, but there are more congested and popular areas where wait times can be extensive. An unfortunate growing pain of EV ownership is the plain fact that chargers are not as available as gas pumps, and there are, at times, lines to charge.
This can cause tensions to flare and people to get entitled when visiting Superchargers. Nobody wants to spend hours at a Supercharger, but now, there will be no more confusion when there is a queue, and that’s thanks to Tesla’s new Virtual Queue for Superchargers.
Tesla is finally starting to build out the Virtual Supercharger Queue, according to Not a Tesla App, but it still relies on drivers to make it work.
When a driver is near a Supercharger that is full, a message will pop up on the Tesla App, using the driver’s location to determine their eligibility to join the virtual queue.
The app states:
“While the app is closed, Tesla uses your location to notify you of accurate wait times at Superchargers when you arrive.”
Another message within the app states:
“There is a waitlist to charge. Are you sure you want to start a charging session now?”
This sounds as if it will require drivers to act appropriately and only plug in when the app prompts them to do so, by letting them know it is their turn.
The app will notify the driver of their position in the queue, as well as how many vehicles are ahead of them.
Tesla launches first ‘true’ East Coast V4 Supercharger: here’s what that means
The company announced a while back that it would be working on a solution for this issue. Personally, I’ve only had to wait at a Supercharger for a charge on one occasion, and there was a line of between 3 and 10 cars during this singular occurrence.
I’m out at the Lancaster, PA Supercharger and showed up with a queue of three vehicles.
It’s now up to five and there have been several issues with order of arrival and confusion about who is first.
Any update on Supercharger queue? @elonmusk @aelluswamy @r_jegaa
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 31, 2026
There were no conflicts or arguments about who had arrived first, but there was some discussion between several drivers during my time there about who was to charge first. Throw a non-Tesla EV into the mix, one that can only charge at a pull-in spot, and that causes even more of a complication.
Tesla expands Robotaxi in a way that was long anticipated
UPDATE: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy that launched a Tesla into space is back on a mission
