News
SpaceX nears Falcon 9’s first commercial interplanetary launch: a private Moon lander
Israeli aerospace company SpaceIL has reportedly completed the world’s first private Moon lander at the same time as the primary payload it will be tagging along with – Indonesia’s PSN-6 communications satellite – arrived in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where engineers will now prepare the spacecraft for a launch NET February 13th, 2019 atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
Recently crowned Beresheet (Hebrew for “Genesis”), the small ~600 kg (1300 lb) lunar lander will also be joined by an innovative new rideshare technology managed this time around by Spaceflight Industries, potentially giving small satellite (under 100 kg) customers the ability to tag along with a large geostationary communications satellite like PSN-6 to reach orbits far higher than those routinely accessible with rideshares and even dedicated launches.
The Indonesian satellite Nusantara Satu (PSN VI) has arrived at the Cape for its February launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 (SSL Release: https://t.co/usuBQeq9Uz).
This is a shared launch with Spaceflight GTO-1/SpaceIL (Israel’s first mission to the moon): https://t.co/OvyNAc9qfP pic.twitter.com/Z8HDFDUCdX
— NSF – NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) December 20, 2018
While SpaceX is unaffiliated with SpaceIL, this mission will technically mark the first time that SpaceX has conducted a commercially-procured interplanetary launch, hopefully placing Beresheet (nicknamed “Berrie” by SpaceIL) on a direct trajectory to the Moon after sending PSN-6 on its way to geostationary orbit. The actual logistics of this unprecedented rideshare mission are unclear, but the most logical setup would see PSN-6 somehow integrated on top of SpaceIL’s Moon lander, allowing the communications satellite to be deployed into a geostationary transfer orbit before Falcon 9’s upper stage reignites to send Beresheet on an escape trajectory.
Assuming that is the case, this mission may also become the second time that SpaceX has utilized its Falcon 9 upper stage’s long coast capabilities on a commercial mission, as the rocket would need to remain operational at least several hours after deploying PSN-6 in order to reignite for Beresheet. It’s also possible that the PSN-6 satellite itself will play a role in sending Beresheet to the Moon or that the lunar lander will bring along its own boost stage to journey from GTO to lunar orbit, but both alternatives are improbable. Just last week, on December 22nd, SpaceX conducted its first true operational long-coast during the launch of the USAF’s first new GPS satellite, coasting for around 60 minutes between Merlin Vacuum (MVac) ignitions.
In February 2018, Falcon Heavy also demonstrated an even longer coast of ~6 hours during the heavy-lift rocket’s launch debut, allowing SpaceX to send Starman and his Tesla Roadster into an elliptical orbit around the sun, one end stretching out past the orbit of Mars.
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- An overview of SSL’s PODS rideshare concept, showing the many possible locations where smallsat dispensers can potentially be attached to commsats. (SSL)
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- Spaceflight’s SSO-A Upper Free Flyer visualized deploying cubesats shortly after launch on Falcon 9. PODS would be quite similar, albeit on a smaller scale. (Spaceflight)
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- Beresheet is seen here prior to the spacecraft’s flight from Israel to Florida. (SpaceIL/IAI)
Aside from the already-unprecedented rideshare combo of a commercial communications satellite and an interplanetary spacecraft, the PSN-6 mission will further include an innovative new approach to satellite rideshare launches, potentially allowing unrelated smallsat operators the opportunity to piggyback on the commercial geostationary satellite missions that serve as a backbone of the private launch market. By piggybacking on larger satellites headed to geostationary orbit (35,786 km or 22,236 mi), smallsats may be able to reach truly unprecedented orbital heights – useful for science, commerce, and exploration – that could ultimately pave the way for independent interplanetary smallsat missions, leapfrogging off of high-energy geostationary orbits to head to nearby bodies like asteroids, Mars, Venus, and more.
There is also a chance that PSN-6 could launch on a flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket, an event that would mark the first time in history that a commercial interplanetary spacecraft reached orbit on a reused commercial rocket. Either way, FCC filings have already confirmed that Falcon 9 will attempt to land on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) roughly 650 km (410 mi) off the Florida coast.
For prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket recovery fleet check out our brand new LaunchPad and LandingZone newsletters!
Tesla has added the 15th automaker to the growing list of companies whose EVs can utilize the Supercharger Network this year, as BMW is the latest company to gain access to the largest charging infrastructure in the world.
BMW became the 15th company in 2025 to gain Tesla Supercharger access, after the company confirmed to its EV owners that they could use any of the more than 25,000 Supercharging stalls in North America.
Welcome @BMW owners.
Download the Tesla app to charge → https://t.co/vnu0NHA7Ab
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) December 10, 2025
Newer BMW all-electric cars, like the i4, i5, i7, and iX, are able to utilize Tesla’s V3 and V4 Superchargers. These are the exact model years, via the BMW Blog:
- i4: 2022-2026 model years
- i5: 2024-2025 model years
- 2026 i5 (eDrive40 and xDrive40) after software update in Spring 2026
- i7: 2023-2026 model years
- iX: 2022-2025 model years
- 2026 iX (all versions) after software update in Spring 2026
With the expansion of the companies that gained access in 2025 to the Tesla Supercharger Network, a vast majority of non-Tesla EVs are able to use the charging stalls to gain range in their cars.
So far in 2025, Tesla has enabled Supercharger access to:
- Audi
- BMW
- Genesis
- Honda
- Hyundai
- Jaguar Land Rover
- Kia
- Lucid
- Mercedes-Benz
- Nissan
- Polestar
- Subaru
- Toyota
- Volkswagen
- Volvo
Drivers with BMW EVs who wish to charge at Tesla Superchargers must use an NACS-to-CCS1 adapter. In Q2 2026, BMW plans to release its official adapter, but there are third-party options available in the meantime.
They will also have to use the Tesla App to enable Supercharging access to determine rates and availability. It is a relatively seamless process.
News
Tesla adds new feature that will be great for crowded parking situations
This is the most recent iteration of the app and was priming owners for the slowly-released Holiday Update.
Tesla has added a new feature that will be great for crowded parking lots, congested parking garages, or other confusing times when you cannot seem to pinpoint where your car went.
Tesla has added a new Vehicle Locator feature to the Tesla App with App Update v4.51.5.
This is the most recent iteration of the app and was priming owners for the slowly-released Holiday Update.
While there are several new features, which we will reveal later in this article, perhaps one of the coolest is that of the Vehicle Locator, which will now point you in the direction of your car using a directional arrow on the home screen. This is similar to what Apple uses to find devices:
Interesting. The location arrow in the Tesla app now points to your car when you’re nearby. pic.twitter.com/b0yjmwwzxN
— Whole Mars Catalog (@wholemars) December 7, 2025
In real time, the arrow gives an accurate depiction of which direction you should walk in to find your car. This seems extremely helpful in large parking lots or unfamiliar shopping centers.
Getting to your car after a sporting event is an event all in itself; this feature will undoubtedly help with it:
The nice little touch that Tesla have put in the app – continuous tracking of your vehicle location relative to you.
There’s people reporting dizziness testing this.
To those I say… try spinning your phone instead. 😉 pic.twitter.com/BAYmJ3mzzD
— Some UK Tesla Guy (UnSupervised…) (@SomeUKTeslaGuy) December 8, 2025
Tesla’s previous app versions revealed the address at which you could locate your car, which was great if you parked on the street in a city setting. It was also possible to use the map within the app to locate your car.
However, this new feature gives a more definitive location for your car and helps with the navigation to it, instead of potentially walking randomly.
It also reveals the distance you are from your car, which is a big plus.
Along with this new addition, Tesla added Photobooth features, Dog Mode Live Activity, Custom Wraps and Tints for Colorizer, and Dashcam Clip details.
🚨 Tesla App v4.51.5 looks to be preparing for the Holiday Update pic.twitter.com/ztts8poV82
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 8, 2025
All in all, this App update was pretty robust.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk shaded Waymo in a post on X on Wednesday, stating the company “never really had a chance” and that it “will be obvious in hindsight.”
Tesla and Waymo are the two primary contributors to the self-driving efforts in the United States, with both operating driverless ride-hailing services in the country. Tesla does have a Safety Monitor present in its vehicles in Austin, Texas, and someone in the driver’s seat in its Bay Area operation.
Musk says the Austin operation will be completely void of any Safety Monitors by the end of the year.
🚨 Tesla vs. Waymo Geofence in Austin https://t.co/A6ffPtp5xv pic.twitter.com/mrnL0YNSn4
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 10, 2025
With the two companies being the main members of the driverless movement in the U.S., there is certainly a rivalry. The two have sparred back and forth with their geofences, or service areas, in both Austin and the Bay Area.
While that is a metric for comparison now, ultimately, it will not matter in the coming years, as the two companies will likely operate in a similar fashion.
Waymo has geared its business toward larger cities, and Tesla has said that its self-driving efforts will expand to every single one of its vehicles in any location globally. This is where the true difference between the two lies, along with the fact that Tesla uses its own vehicles, while Waymo has several models in its lineup from different manufacturers.
The two also have different ideas on how to solve self-driving, as Tesla uses a vision-only approach. Waymo relies on several things, including LiDAR, which Musk once called “a fool’s errand.”
This is where Tesla sets itself apart from the competition, and Musk highlighted the company’s position against Waymo.
Jeff Dean, the Chief Scientist for Google DeepMind, said on X:
“I don’t think Tesla has anywhere near the volume of rider-only autonomous miles that Waymo has (96M for Waymo, as of today). The safety data is quite compelling for Waymo, as well.”
Musk replied:
“Waymo never really had a chance against Tesla. This will be obvious in hindsight.”
Waymo never really had a chance against Tesla. This will be obvious in hindsight.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2025
Tesla stands to have a much larger fleet of vehicles in the coming years if it chooses to activate Robotaxi services with all passenger vehicles. A simple Over-the-Air update will activate this capability, while Waymo would likely be confined to the vehicles it commissions as Robotaxis.
Tesla adds 15th automaker to Supercharger access in 2025
Tesla adds new feature that will be great for crowded parking situations
