Connect with us

News

SpaceX debuts ‘Optimus Prime’ Robot, successfully recovers Falcon 9 1029 for the second time

Published

on

Of Course I Still Love You, SpaceX’s East coast drone ship, docked in Port Canaveral earlier this morning with its Falcon 9 cargo in tow. It became apparent once it was within line of sight that this recovery marked the first use of SpaceX’s robotic stage securer, amicably deemed ‘Optimus Prime’ or ‘Roomba’ by fans following along.

Following its successful reuse during the launch of BulgariaSat-1, Falcon 9 1029 landed hard aboard OCISLY in what was likely an experimental test of the recovery envelope. As demonstrated in striking photos from numerous journalists and fans documenting the port arrival, the stage has a pronounced lean due to the aluminum honeycomb ‘crush-core’ being compressed in the first stage’s legs as they are designed to do.

Photos of the robot mated with 1029 confirm that it was designed to grab onto the hold-down clamps located on the outside of the Falcon 9’s octaweb structure. It’s difficult to tell from the photos available, but it is also likely that the stage is secured simply by the weight of the robot, which is expected to weigh at least as much as an empty first stage.

 

Core 1029 appears to be very thoroughly toasted after its high-energy recovery, and this exceptionally evident in the grid fins, which experience intense heating during reentry. When compared to the titanium grid fins that debuted on the launch of Iridium-2 just over 48 hours after BulgariaSat-1, it is obvious just how significantly more robust the new titanium fins are.

Advertisement

 

Following the thrilling back-to-back recoveries of Falcon 9 first stages both yesterday and today, SpaceX is also expected to conduct a static fire at LC-39A later today. This will ready the company for their third mission in nine days, carrying Intelsat’s 35e satellite to a geostationary transfer orbit as soon as Sunday evening. In the mean time, there is reason to believe that some amazing landing footage and photos might come out of these two first stages in the coming hours or days.

Lastly, a special thanks to all the amateur photographers and SpaceX fans who made the photos in this article possible. You continue to be an invaluable resource for us fans who can’t be there in person as well.

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.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Elon Musk reveals big plans for Tesla Optimus at the Supercharger Diner

Will Optimus deliver my Tesla Club on roller skates? I’m hopeful.

Published

on

Credit: Elon Musk | X

Elon Musk revealed on X on Wednesday that Tesla Optimus will soon be getting a job at the Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles, and its role will be right on par with what we believed the humanoid bot would be perfect for.

While Optimus was spotted serving popcorn at the Diner on Monday as it opened for the first time, that’s its only job, at least for now. Musk said Optimus will be getting a promotion in 2026, and it will be a food runner, bringing your order straight to your car, eliminating the need to go inside yourself.

It will complete what Tesla hopes is a full-fledged 50s diner experience, curated by the imagination of the future. In the 1950s, drive-in diners were a common hangout to grab a bite and watch a movie. Tesla opened its Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles earlier this week, but it has a futuristic twist to it.

You can order food directly from your car, sync your center touchscreen and speakers to the two massive projection screens that Tesla is playing movie scenes on at the Diner, and even go inside for a true break from your car.

Next year, Tesla will take it a step further, Musk confirmed:

Advertisement

The Diner features 80 Superchargers that can be used by both Tesla and non-Tesla EVs, provided that the manufacturer of the electric car has access to the company’s robust network. It is also available to non-EV owners, as they can park their cars and stop in for a quick bite to eat.

Tesla’s full menu at the Diner is available here, and its focus for the restaurant was to provide healthier options by sourcing most of its food from local, organic, and humane farms:

Optimus’s capabilities seem to be progressing to a point where Tesla feels confident that the humanoid robot can handle carrying food and delivering it to customers at their cars. Whether it will be put on roller skates is another question, but we’re hopeful Optimus can do it when it gets its promotion next year.

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Tesla Q2 2025 earnings: What Wall Street expects

The company has faced mounting pressure this year, with TSLA stock down 19% year-to-date.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is set to release its second-quarter 2025 financial results after markets close on Wednesday, July 23. The company has faced mounting pressure this year, with TSLA stock down about 19% year-to-date. 

What Wall Street expects

As noted in a TipRanks report, Wall Street has remained cautious about the electric vehicle maker due to concerns about the EV segment in general, competition, reduced margins, federal EV regulations, and CEO Elon Musk’s political activities. 

Overall, Wall Street expects Tesla to post earnings per share of $0.39, down 25% from a year ago. Tesla’s revenue is forecasted to fall 13% to $22.19 billion, and analysts also expect the electric vehicle maker to post lower margins this quarter.

Analyst expectations

Tesla delivered approximately 384,120 vehicles in Q2, a 13.5% drop year-over-year, as per Main Street Data. The company also produced over 410,000 vehicles and deployed 9.6 GWh of energy storage products during the quarter. 

Ahead of the earnings call, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Andres Sheppard reiterated a Buy rating and a $335 per share price target. He also adjusted his Q2 revenue forecast to $21 billion, down from his previous estimate of $24.1 billion. Despite short-term softness, Sheppard maintained his 2025 and 2026 projections, citing confidence in Tesla’s high-margin Robotaxi business model.

Advertisement

Barclays analyst Dan Levy kept a Hold rating with a $275 price target. He stated that the company faces “increasingly weaker fundamentals,” but he also suggested that Tesla’s Robotaxi story could drive optimism. Levy expects modest gross margin improvement quarter-over-quarter and flagged the full-year EPS estimate drop from $3.20 to $1.84. Delays in launching the affordable Tesla model remain a downside risk, Levy noted.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla expands FSD Transfer offer to Europe and the Middle East

Tesla’s FSD transfer offer has long been used as a quarterly sales lever in North America.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East/X

Tesla has extended its Full Self-Driving (FSD) transfer promotion beyond North America, opening the door for owners in Europe and the Middle East to carry over their existing FSD systems to a new vehicle. 

The move comes days after Elon Musk acknowledged a user’s request for FSD transfers in Europe on X, which the CEO called a “fair” ask. Tesla Europe later confirmed the offer via its official X account.

FSD transfers reaching new markets

FSD transfers have been used as a quarterly sales lever in North America, with its most recent availability in April 2025, as noted in a Not a Tesla App report. While this incentive had remained exclusive to the U.S. and Canada, Tesla’s latest announcement marks the first time the program has been rolled out internationally. 

Interestingly enough, the offer hasn’t yet been extended to other FSD-enabled regions like China. This suggests that Tesla may be prioritizing markets where regulatory approval for FSD remains pending. European Tesla owners, after all, have been waiting literal years for FSD to be rolled out into their countries. 

https://twitter.com/teslaeurope/status/1947332091160449119

How the program works

The process for FSD transfers is straightforward. Existing Tesla owners with FSD must place a new vehicle order and complete delivery during the active promotion period. During checkout, customers are instructed not to add FSD to the new car. Instead, they must notify a Tesla advisor of their intent to transfer their existing vehicle’s FSD. 

Advertisement

On delivery day, FSD will be deactivated on the old vehicle and activated on the new one. Customers are not required to trade in or sell their original Tesla that had FSD, though once the license is moved, the old vehicle reverts to just Basic Autopilot features.

Continue Reading

Trending