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SpaceX awarded double-satellite Falcon 9 launch contract, sixth win of 2019
SpaceX continues to reap the benefits of strong market demand for Falcon 9’s combination of affordability and performance with an announcement that the company has won its sixth launch contract in 2019.
Announced on July 3rd by Space Norway and several other stakeholders, a SpaceX Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch an identical pair of communications satellites to an unusual orbit no earlier than late 2022. Northrop Grumman will build both ~2000-kilogram (4400 lb) spacecraft.
Known officially as the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM), Space Norway has partnered with satellite operator Inmarsat and the Norwegian Ministry of Defense to provide connectivity to civilian and military users in and around the Arctic. Additionally, the US Air Force will have its own communications payloads on both satellites, rounding out the extremely busy mission.
The two ASBM satellites will be built around the GEOStar-3 bus, originally introduced by Orbital Sciences Corporation (acquired by Alliant Techsystems to become Orbital ATK, then acquired by Northrop Grumman to become Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems). Each satellite will produce 6 kW via solar arrays, while the GEOStar-3 bus can support all-chemical propulsion, all-electric propulsion, or a hybrid approach. Falcon 9’s 2022 launch of ASBM will mark the first time that GEOSat-3 satellites have utilized their stacking capability, with both spacecraft heading to orbit on the same rocket.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the ASBM mission is the extremely unusual orbit Falcon 9 will be launching them to. According to info published by Space Norway on June 24th, they will be targeting a final orbit roughly comparable to the Molniya orbits originally used by Soviet Union military communications satellites as early as the mid-1960s. ASBM’s orbits will also be highly elliptical and approximately polar, with an apogee of 43,000 km (26,700 mi) and a perigee of 8000 km (5000 mi). Traditionally, Molniya orbits had much lower perigees, but the higher perigee of ASBM satellites should allow them to operate indefinitely without having to worry about atmospheric drag lowering their orbits.
The ASBM satellites will reach their perigee somewhere over Antarctica and will generally power down their communications hardware until they are back over the Arctic. By having two satellites, the other satellite will be able to guarantee continuous coverage while its twin is out of contact.
With an overall payload weight around 4000 kg (8800 lb), it’s likely that Falcon 9 has the performance necessary to place the spacecraft in a transfer orbit (likely ~300 km by 43,000 km) and safely land on a SpaceX drone ship, in which case the satellites would raise their perigees themselves. It’s unlikely that a recoverable Falcon 9 launch has enough performance to send the satellites directly to their final orbits, although an expendable mission might be able to do it.
Regardless, this launch contract is yet another sign that SpaceX will continue to have strong demand for Falcon 9 launch services in the coming years. ASBM is the sixth win for SpaceX just in the last four or so months, beginning in February with three US military contracts, followed by a NASA contract in April and a Korean mission in June.
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Tesla gamifies Supercharging with new ‘Charging Passport’
It will also include things like badges for special charging spots, among other metrics that will show all of the different places people have traveled to plug in for range.
Tesla is gamifying its Supercharging experience by offering a new “Charging Passport,” hoping to add a new layer to the ownership experience.
While it is not part of the Holiday Update, it is rolling out around the same time and offers a handful of cool new features.
Tesla’s Charging Passport will be available within the smartphone app and will give a yearly summary of your charging experience, helping encapsulate your travel for that year.
It will also include things like badges for special charging spots, among other metrics that will show all of the different places people have traveled to plug in for range.
Tesla has just introduced “Charging Passport,” a new yearly summary of your charging.
• Charging badges: Iconic Charging badge (for visiting places like the Tesla Diner, Oasis Supercharger, etc), Explorer badge, green saver badge, etc.
• Total unique Superchargers visited
•… pic.twitter.com/c1DHTWXpj7— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) December 8, 2025
Tesla will include the following metrics within the new Charging Passport option within the Tesla app:
- Charging badges: Iconic charging badges for visiting places like the Tesla Diner, Oasis Supercharger, etc., Explorer Badge, and more
- Total Unique Superchargers Visited
- Total Charging Sessions
- Total Miles Added during Charging Sessions
- Top Charging Day
- Longest Trip
- Favorite Charging Locations
This will give people a unique way to see their travels throughout the year, and although it is not necessarily something that is needed or adds any genuine value, it is something that many owners will like to look back on. After all, things like Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay have been a great way for people to see what music they listened to throughout the year.
This is essentially Tesla’s version of that.
With a handful of unique Superchargers already active, Tesla is also building some new ones, like a UFO-inspired location in New Mexico, near Roswell.
Tesla is building a new UFO-inspired Supercharger in the heart of Alien country
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Tesla launches its coolest gift idea ever just a few weeks after it was announced
“Gift one month of Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which allows the vehicle to drive itself almost anywhere with minimal intervention.”
Tesla has launched its coolest gift idea ever, just a few weeks after it was announced.
Tesla is now giving owners the opportunity to gift Full Self-Driving for one month to friends or family through a new gifting program that was suggested to the company last month.
The program will enable people to send a fellow Tesla owner one month of the company’s semi-autonomous driving software, helping them to experience the Full Self-Driving suite and potentially help Tesla gain them as a subscriber of the program, or even an outright purchase.
Tesla is going to allow owners to purchase an FSD Subscription for another owner for different month options
You’ll be able to gift FSD to someone! https://t.co/V29dhf5URj
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 3, 2025
Tesla has officially launched the program on its Shop. Sending one month of Full Self-Driving costs $112:
“Gift one month of Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which allows the vehicle to drive itself almost anywhere with minimal intervention. All sales are final. Can only be purchased and redeemed in the U.S. This gift card is valued at $112.00 and is intended to cover the price of one month of FSD (Supervised), including up to 13% sales tax. It is not guaranteed to cover the full monthly price if pricing or tax rates change. This gift card can be stored in Tesla Wallet and redeemed toward FSD (Supervised) or any other Tesla product or service that accepts gift card payments.”
Tesla has done a great job of expanding Full Self-Driving access over the past few years, especially by offering things like the Subscription program, free trials through referrals, and now this gift card program.
Gifting Full Self-Driving is another iteration of Tesla’s “butts in seats” strategy, which is its belief that it can flip consumers to its vehicles and products by simply letting people experience them.
There is also a reason behind pushing Full Self-Driving so hard, and it has to do with CEO Elon Musk’s compensation package. One tranche requires Musk to achieve a certain number of active paid Full Self-Driving subscriptions.
More people who try the suite are likely to pay for it over the long term.
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Tesla expands Robotaxi app access once again, this time on a global scale
Tesla said recently it plans to launch Robotaxi in Miami, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Dallas.
Tesla has expanded Robotaxi app access once again, but this time, it’s on a much broader scale as the company is offering the opportunity for those outside of North America to download the app.
Tesla Robotaxi is the company’s early-stage ride-hailing platform that is active in Texas, California, and Arizona, with more expansion within the United States planned for the near future.
Tesla said recently it plans to launch Robotaxi in Miami, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Dallas.
The platform has massive potential, and Tesla is leaning on it to be a major contributor to even more disruption in the passenger transportation industry. So far, it has driven over 550,000 miles in total, with the vast majority of this coming from the Bay Area and Austin.
First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more
However, Tesla is focusing primarily on rapid expansion, but most of this is reliant on the company’s ability to gain regulatory permission to operate the platform in various regions. The expansion plans go well outside of the U.S., as the company expanded the ability to download the app to more regions this past weekend.
So far, these are the areas it is available to download in:
- Japan
- Thailand
- Hong Kong
- South Korea
- Australia
- Taiwan
- Macau
- New Zealand
- Mexico
- U.S.
- Canada
Right now, while Tesla is focusing primarily on expansion, it is also working on other goals that have to do with making it more widely available to customers who want to grab a ride from a driverless vehicle.
One of the biggest goals it has is to eliminate safety monitors from its vehicles, which it currently utilizes in Austin in the passenger’s seat and in the driver’s seat in the Bay Area.
A few weeks ago, Tesla started implementing a new in-cabin data-sharing system, which will help support teams assist riders without anyone in the front of the car.
Tesla takes a step towards removal of Robotaxi service’s safety drivers
As Robotaxi expands into more regions, Tesla stands to gain tremendously through the deployment of the Full Self-Driving suite for personal cars, as well as driverless Robotaxis for those who are just hailing rides.
Things have gone well for Tesla in the early stages of the Robotaxi program, but expansion will truly be the test of how things operate going forward. Navigating local traffic laws and gaining approval from a regulatory standpoint will be the biggest hurdle to jump.
Tesla gamifies Supercharging with new ‘Charging Passport’
Tesla launches its coolest gift idea ever just a few weeks after it was announced
