News
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket goes vertical for 44th Starlink launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has gone vertical at Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A ahead of the company’s 18th launch this year and 44th dedicated Starlink launch overall.
Known as Starlink 4-17, the mission will kick off up to four Starlink launches planned for May 2022. SpaceX has chosen Falcon 9 booster B1058 to launch the mission’s expendable upper stage, reusable fairing, and 53 Starlink V1.5 satellites into space, potentially making it the third Falcon booster to complete its 12th orbital-class launch in the last two months.
Barring delays, Falcon 9 will lift off with Starlink 4-17 as early as 5:42 am EDT on Friday, May 6th.
The mission is about as standard as Starlink launches come. Falcon 9 B1058 will lift off and burn for two and a half minutes before separating, flipping around, reentering Earth’s atmosphere, and landing around 634 kilometers (393 mi) downrange on drone ship A Shortfall Of Gravitas (ASOG) six minutes later. The payload fairing will split into halves and separate shortly after booster separation and eventually deploy parachutes for soft ocean landings and recovery. Falcon 9’s upper stage will reach a parking orbit about nine minutes after liftoff, reignite for just a second 45 minutes after liftoff, and deploy all 53 Starlink satellites 53 minutes after liftoff.
Starlink 4-17 will be SpaceX’s 43rd operational Starlink launch and 44th dedicated Starlink launch overall. The mission will raise the total number of Starlink satellites launched by SpaceX in the last three years to just shy of 2500 and the total number of working Starlink satellites in orbit above 2200. When SpaceX received its initial Starlink FCC license in March 2018, the company agreed to a deployment schedule that required half of the then 4425 satellites to be launched within six years and the full constellation within nine years of license receipt – March 2024 and March 2027, respectively.
SpaceX has far exceeded the pace required to meet that schedule. Instead, despite the fact that it took SpaceX 20 months after receiving its license to begin operational Starlink launches in November 2019, SpaceX will cross the halfway point on May 6th, 2022 – nearly two years faster than required. In fact, even without considering Starship’s potential impact, SpaceX’s growing launch cadence suggests that the company could finish its first 4408-satellite Starlink constellation by the FCC’s 50% deadline.
Finally, after Starlink 4-17, SpaceX should also have more than 700 working Starlink V1.5 satellites in orbit since launches began in September 2021. While hundreds of those satellites are still in transit to their final orbits, almost a third of all operational Starlink satellites will have optical inter-satellite links (laser links) once the Starlink V1.5 spacecraft already in orbit finish orbit-raising. Those laser links allow Starlink to connect aircraft, ships, and other moving or exceptionally remote vehicles or locations by routing communications through other Starlink satellites when no line-of-sight ground station is available.
News
Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia
One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier.
Tesla’s upcoming Model Y L has been spotted on transport trucks in Australia. Sightings of the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y variant have been reported on social media platform X by members of the Australian Tesla community.
One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier.
The sighting follows earlier observations by Tesla enthusiasts in Sydney, where a covered vehicle believed to be a Model Y L was spotted at a Supercharger.
The Sydney sighting drew attention after observers noted that the vehicle’s tare weight appeared to match the ADR approval listing for the Model Y L, suggesting it could indeed be the extended wheelbase variant of the electric SUV.
Tesla has previously confirmed that the Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026. The confirmation was reported by techAU following a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.
The Model Y L expands the existing Model Y lineup with seating for six passengers. The vehicle features a longer body compared with the standard Model Y in order to accommodate a spacious second and third row.
Tesla has opted for a 2-2-2 seating configuration instead of a traditional seven-seat layout for the Model Y L. The design includes two individual seats in the middle row to provide easier access to the third row and additional passenger space.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand has also stated that the Model Y L will be covered under the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.
Tesla has not yet announced pricing or official range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk shares timeframe for X Money early public access rollout
X Money is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.
Elon Musk has stated that X Money, the digital payments system being developed for social media platform X, is expected to enter early public access next month.
The update was shared by Musk in a post on X. “𝕏 Money early public access will launch next month,” Musk wrote in his post.
As noted in a Reuters report, X Money is being developed as a digital payment service that’s directly integrated into the X platform.
The system is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.
Musk has previously discussed plans to introduce payments and financial services as part of X’s broader development.
Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has discussed expanding X to include a range of services such as messaging, media, and financial tools.
Elon Musk has shared his goal of transforming X into an “everything app.” During a previous podcast interview with members of the Tesla community, Musk mused about turning X into something similar to China’s WeChat, which allows users to shop, pay, communicate, and perform a variety of other tasks.
“In China, you do everything in WeChat… it’s kickass… Outside of China, there’s nothing like it, people live on one app. My idea would be like how about if we just copy WeChat,” Musk joked at the time.
To prepare for the rollout of X Money, X has partnered with payment company Visa to support the development of payment services for the platform’s users. The move could allow X to tap into the growing demand for digital and in-app financial transactions as the company builds additional services around its existing user base.
News
Tesla Cybercab display highlights interior wizardry in the small two-seater
Photos and videos of the production Cybercab were shared in posts on social media platform X.
The Tesla Cybercab is currently on display at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., and observations of the production vehicle are highlighting some of its notable design details.
Photos and videos of the production Cybercab were shared in posts on social media platform X.
Observers of the Cybercab display unit noted that the two-seat Robotaxi provides unusually generous legroom for a vehicle of its size. Based on the vehicle’s video, the compact two-seater appears to offer more legroom than Tesla’s larger vehicles such as the Model Y, Model X, and Cybertruck.
The Cybercab’s layout allows Tesla to dedicate nearly the entire cabin to passengers. The vehicle is designed without a steering wheel or pedals, which helps maximize interior space.
Footage from the display also highlights the Cybercab’s large center screen, which is positioned prominently in front of the passenger bench. The display appears intended to provide entertainment and ride information while the vehicle operates autonomously.
Images of the vehicle also show an additional camera integrated into the Cybercab’s C-pillar. The extra camera appears to expand the vehicle’s field of view, which would be useful as Tesla works toward fully unsupervised Full Self-Driving.
Tesla engineers have previously explained that the Cybercab was designed to be highly efficient both in manufacturing and in operation. Cybercab Lead Engineer Eric E. stated in 2024 that the Robotaxi would be built with roughly half the number of parts used in a Model 3 sedan.
“Two seats unlocks a lot of opportunity aerodynamically. It also means we cut the part count of Cybercab down by a substantial margin. We’re gonna be delivering a car that has roughly half the parts of Model 3 today,” the Tesla engineer said.
The Tesla engineer also noted that the Cybercab’s cargo area can accommodate multiple golf bags, two carry-on suitcases, and two full-size checked bags. The trunk can also fit certain bicycles and a foldable wheelchair depending on size, which is quite impressive for a small car like the Cybercab.