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SpaceX completes Falcon 9 test fire, space station supply mission up next
After almost exactly 15 months of dormancy, SpaceX’s Launch Complex 40 (LC-40) came to life with the roar of nine Merlin 1D rocket engines as Falcon 9 1035 conducted its second pre-launch static fire in preparation for the company’s 13th Commercial Resupply Services mission, CRS-13. Previously tasked with the launch of the CRS-11 Cargo Dragon, the booster completed its mission and returned safely to Landing Zone-1 (LZ-1) on June 3 2017. The path towards LC-40’s reactivation has delayed the launch approximately one week, but December 6th’s successful static fire bodes well for the current launch date, 11:46 AM on December 12.
Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete—targeting launch of CRS-13 on December 12 from Pad 40, followed by launch of Zuma from Pad 40 in early January.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 6, 2017
On September 6 2016, LC-40 was effectively destroyed over the course of the Amos-6 failure. In months that followed, SpaceX reactivated LC-39A in order to continue chipping away at the company’s launch manifest, but also began the slow process of damage assessment and reconstruction of LC-40. It is safe to assume that almost every single component of the ground support equipment (GSE) was completely replaced, and interviews with Cape Canaveral’s 45th Space Wing commander suggest that SpaceX went further still, transforming the painful situation into an opportunity.
In an exclusive and frank conversation between Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith and Florida Today’s Emre Kelly, the commander suggested that extensive design changes and additional hardening measures implemented during reconstruction are expected to make LC-40 exceptionally resilient to the rigors of rocket launches. Most tellingly, if perhaps overly optimistic, Monteith estimated that a second vehicle failure on the order of Amos-6 might only take two months to recover from, compared to the 15 months that followed Amos-6. He attributed this claim to GSE that is now largely buried underground, theoretically protecting the vast apparatus of hand-welded piping necessary to fuel the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The replacement Transporter/Erector/Launcher (TEL) tasked with supporting Falcon 9 during integration and launch also appears to have been modernized, and will likely end up looking quite similar to the monolithic white TEL that resides at LC-39A.
-->Rocket and spacecraft for CRS-13 are flight-proven. Falcon 9’s first stage previously launched SpaceX’s eleventh resupply mission for @NASA, and Dragon flew to the @Space_Station in support of our sixth cargo resupply mission. pic.twitter.com/RY4F2TrWO2
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 6, 2017
With CRS-13’s static fire now complete, the mission is set to become the fifth operational reuse of a flight-proven Falcon 9 booster in 2017, thanks to NASA’s unusually rapid acceptance of the new practice. Further still, if Iridium-4’s December 22 launch date holds, and it does look to be stable for the moment, SpaceX will rather incredibly have conducted five commercial reuses of a Falcon 9 in its first year of operations, meaning that one third of SpaceX’s 2017 missions will have launched aboard flight-proven boosters. Also impressive is SpaceX’s full-stop move towards the reuse of Cargo Dragon capsules, and the company stated over the summer that it was hoping to almost completely redirect Cargo Dragon’s manufacturing facilities towards Dragon 2, also known as Crew Dragon. This was most recently reiterated several months ago and is presumed to still be the company’s goal moving forward, and CRS-12 is believed to have been the last “new” Cargo Dragon that will fly. CRS-13’s Dragon previously flew the CRS-6 mission in April 2015.
Photos shared privately with the author show CRS-13’s Falcon 9 to be covered in a graceful layer of soot from its previous recovery, similar in appearance to Falcon 9 1021 seen above. (Instagram/bambi_mydear)
In a December 6 tweet, SpaceX further confirmed that the deeply secretive Zuma mission, previously delayed from an early-November launch as a result of concerns about fairing defects, has now been moved from LC-39A to LC-40 and is understood to be targeting January 4 2018. This will give SpaceX approximately three weeks after the launch of CRS-13 to verify that everything is functioning nominally in what is essentially a new pad.
Meanwhile, with Zuma now officially moved to 40, LC-39A is completely free from routine operations, meaning that SpaceX’s ground crew can now work at will to ready the pad for the inaugural launch of Falcon Heavy, now aiming for early 2018. Aside from Falcon Heavy, recent FCC filings point to two additional SpaceX launches aiming for January, although slips are probable in light of CRS-13’s minor delays. Regardless, December and January are likely to be thrilling months for followers of the intrepid space exploration outfit.
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News
Tesla’s new Holiday perk is timed perfectly to make FSD a household name
Tesla AI4 owners get FSD (Supervised) through Christmas, New Year’s Eve and well into the post-holiday travel season.
Tesla quietly rolled out a free Full Self-Driving (Supervised) trial for roughly 1.5 million HW4 owners in North America who never bought the package, and the timing could very well be genius.
As it turns out, the trial doesn’t end after 30 days. Instead, it expires January 8, 2026, meaning owners get FSD (Supervised) through Christmas, New Year’s Eve and well into the post-holiday travel season. This extended window positions the feature for maximum word-of-mouth exposure.
A clever holiday gift
Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt first spotted the detail after multiple owners shared screenshots showing the trial expiring on January 8. He confirmed with affected users that none had active FSD subscriptions before the rollout. He also observed that Tesla never called the promotion a “30-day trial,” as the in-car message simply reads “You’re Getting FSD (Supervised) For the Holidays,” which technically runs until after the new year.
The roughly 40-day period covers peak family travel and gatherings, giving owners ample opportunity to showcase the latest FSD V14’s capabilities on highway trips, crowded parking lots and neighborhood drives. With relatives riding along, hands-off highway driving and automatic lane changes could become instant conversation starters.
Rave reviews for FSD V14 highlight demo potential
FSD has been receiving positive reviews from users as of late. Following the release of FSD v14.2.1, numerous owners praised the update for its smoothness and reliability. Tesla owner @LactoseLunatic called it a “huge leap forward from version 14.1.4,” praising extreme smoothness, snappy lane changes and assertive yet safe behavior that allows relaxed monitoring.
-->Another Tesla owner, @DevinOlsenn, drove 600 km without disengagements, noting his wife now defaults to FSD for daily use due to its refined feel. Sawyer Merritt also tested FSD V14.2.1 in snow on unplowed New Hampshire roads, and the system stayed extra cautious without hesitation. Longtime FSD tester Chuck Cook highlighted improved sign recognition in school zones, showing better dynamic awareness. These reports of fewer interventions and a more “sentient” drive could turn family passengers into advocates, fueling subscriptions come January.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk predicts AI and robotics could make work “optional” within 20 years
Speaking on entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath’s podcast, Musk predicted that machines will soon handle most forms of labor, leaving humans to work only if they choose to.
Elon Musk stated that rapid advances in artificial intelligence and robotics could make traditional work unnecessary within two decades.
Speaking on entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath’s podcast, Musk predicted that machines will soon handle most forms of labor, leaving humans to work only if they choose to.
Work as a “hobby”
During the discussion, Musk said the accelerating capability of AI systems and general-purpose robots will eventually cover all essential tasks, making human labor a choice rather than an economic requirement. “In less than 20 years, working will be optional. Working at all will be optional. Like a hobby,” Musk said.
When Kamath asked whether this future is driven by massive productivity growth, Musk agreed, noting that people will still be free to work if they enjoy the routine or the challenge. He compared future employment to home gardening, as it is something people can still do for personal satisfaction even if buying food from a store is far easier.
“Optional” work in the future
Elon Musk acknowledged the boldness of his claim and joked that people might look back in 20 years and say he was wrong. That being said, the CEO noted that such a scenario could even happen sooner than his prediction, at least if one were to consider the pace of the advancements in AI and robotics.
-->“Obviously people can play this back in 20 years and say, ‘Look, Elon made this ridiculous prediction and it’s not true,’ but I think it will turn out to be true, that in less than 20 years, maybe even as little as ten or 15 years, the advancements in AI and robotics will bring us to the point where working is optional,” Musk said.
Elon Musk’s comments echo his previous sentiments at Tesla’s 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, where he noted that Optimus could ultimately eliminate poverty. He also noted that robots like Optimus could eventually provide people worldwide with the best medical care.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reiterates why Tesla will never make an electric motorcycle
Tesla CEO Elon Musk preemptively shut down speculations about a Tesla road bike once more.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk preemptively shut down speculations about a Tesla road bike once more, highlighting that the electric vehicle maker has no plans to enter the electric motorcycle market.
Musk posted his clarification in a post on X.
Musk’s reply to a fun AI video
X user @Moandbhr posted an AI video featuring the Tesla CEO on the social media platform, captioning it with “Mr. Elon Musk Just Revealed the Game-Changing Tesla Motorcycle.” The short clip depicted Musk approaching a sleek, single-wheeled vehicle, stepping onto it, and gliding off into the distance amid cheers. The fun video received a lot of traction on X, gaining 3.1 million views as of writing.
Musk replied to the post, stating that a Tesla motorcycle is not going to happen. “Never happening, as we can’t make motorcycles safe. For Community Notes, my near death experience was on a road bike. Dirt bikes are safe if you ride carefully, as you can’t be smashed by a truck,” Musk wrote in his reply.
Musk’s Past Comments on Two-Wheelers
Musk also detailed his reservations about motorcycles in a December 2019 X post while responding to questions about Tesla’s potential ATV. At the time, he responded positively to an electric ATV, though he also opposed the idea of a Tesla road-going motorcycle. Musk did state that electric dirt bikes might be cool, since they do not operate in areas where large vehicles like Class 8 trucks are present.
-->“Electric dirt bikes would be cool too. We won’t do road bikes, as too dangerous. I was hit by a truck & almost died on one when I was 17,” Musk wrote in his post.
Considering Musk’s comments about dirt bikes, however, perhaps Tesla would eventually offer a road bike as a recreational vehicle. Such a two-wheeler would be a good fit for the Cybertruck, as well as future products like the Robovan, which could be converted into an RV.
Tesla’s new Holiday perk is timed perfectly to make FSD a household name
Elon Musk predicts AI and robotics could make work “optional” within 20 years
