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SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare will test the tools needed to build space stations in orbit

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A SpaceX customer has announced that one of a future Falcon 9 rideshare missions will carry a technology demonstrator designed to prove that space stations can one day be built in space by cannibalizing expended rocket upper stages.

https://twitter.com/NanoRacks/status/1196465388168589315

On November 18th, commercial space company Nanoracks revealed that it had manifested its first “In-Space Outpost” mission on one of SpaceX’s recently-announced Falcon 9 rideshare missions, scheduled to launch as early as Q4 2020. Known for its successful efforts to use the International Space Station’s capabilities to affordably deploy hundreds of commercial small satellites, Nanoracks has also branched out into organizing rideshare opportunities for smallsats on much larger launches, another method of lowering costs.

Most recently, however, Nanoracks began to pursue a new venture centered around building unprecedentedly affordable human-rated space stations in Earth orbit. While not fundamentally new, Nanoracks proposed a unique solution: modify expended launch vehicle upper stages already in orbit to build space stations in-situ.

https://twitter.com/NanoRacks/status/1196479182127161345

It’s anyone’s guess whether such a concept can actually produce safe, affordable space stations and do so more effectively than the obvious alternative of designing, building, and launching already-finished space station components. Nevertheless, Nanoracks has firmly decided to attempt the feat. The technical hurdles alone will require numerous in-space demonstrations of custom hardware, and the Outpost Nanoracks has manifested on a Q4 2020 Falcon 9 rideshare mission will be the first of those attempted demonstrations.

“As a member of the Outpost program team, Maxar will develop a new articulating robotic arm with a friction milling end-effector for this mission. This friction milling will use high rotations per minute melting our metal material in such a way that a cut is made, yet we anticipate avoiding generating a single piece of orbital debris.

The mission is targeting a Q4 2020 dedicated rideshare mission, will fly on an ESPA ring, and will activate after the deployment of all other secondary payloads is complete. As our mission commences, we will have 30 minutes to one hour to complete the cutting of three metal pieces that are representative of various vehicle upper stages, including the Centaur 3. Nanoracks plans to downlink photos and videos of the friction milling and cutting.”


Nanoracks, 11/18/19

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Nanoracks wants to use robot arms to cut and build space stations out of expended upper stages already in orbit. (Nanoracks)

As described above, the first Outpost test will focus on proving that the metal tanks of upper stages can be manipulated and cut in orbit with robotic arms to be built by Maxar. The experimental mission will reportedly take place while the payload is still attached to Falcon 9’s upper stage payload adaptor and will carry along three separate propellant tank coupons instead of attempted to mill and cut Falcon 9 itself.

As one of SpaceX’s proposed rideshare missions, Nanoracks will likely be just one of a few dozen other customers or spacecraft catching a ride, and the Outpost experiment will only begin after all other satellites have successfully deployed. Earlier this year, SpaceX announced that Smallsat Rideshare Program and rapidly modified it soon after, adding numerous new launch opportunities and lowering the base price to from ~$2.25M (150 kg) to $1M for 200 kg (440 lb) of spacecraft or experiments. Aside from 3-4 annual dedicated launches, SpaceX also plans to reserve some amount of space on certain Starlink launches, dozens of which are currently planned annually.

Nanoracks’ Outpost-1 mission is expected to launch no earlier than Q4 2020.

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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.

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Elon Musk’s Grokipedia surges to 5.6M articles, almost 79% of English Wikipedia

The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago.

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UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Elon Musk’s Grokipedia has grown to an impressive 5,615,201 articles as of today, closing in on 79% of the English Wikipedia’s current total of 7,119,376 articles. 

The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago. Needless to say, it would only be a matter of time before Grokipedia exceeds English Wikipedia in sheer volume.

Grokipedia’s rapid growth

xAI’s vision for Grokipedia emphasizes neutrality, while Grok’s reasoning capabilities allow for fast drafting and fact-checking. When Elon Musk announced the initiative in late September 2025, he noted that Grokipedia would be an improvement to Wikipedia because it would be designed to avoid bias. 

At the time, Musk noted that Grokipedia “is a necessary step towards the xAI goal of understanding the Universe.”

Grokipedia was launched in late October, and while xAI was careful to list it only as Version 0.1 at the time, the online encyclopedia immediately earned praise. Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger highlighted the project’s innovative approach, noting how it leverages AI to fill knowledge gaps and enable rapid updates. Netizens also observed how Grokipedia tends to present articles in a more objective manner compared to Wikipedia, which is edited by humans.

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Elon Musk’s ambitious plans

With 5,615,201 total articles, Grokipedia has now grown to almost 79% of English Wikipedia’s article base. This is incredibly quick, though Grokipedia remains text-only for now. xAI, for its part, has now updated the online encyclopedia’s iteration to v0.2. 

Elon Musk has shared bold ideas for Grokipedia, including sending a record of the entire knowledge base to space as part of xAI’s mission to preserve and expand human understanding. At some point, Musk stated that Grokipedia will be renamed to Encyclopedia Galactica, and it will be sent to the cosmos

“When Grokipedia is good enough (long way to go), we will change the name to Encyclopedia Galactica. It will be an open source distillation of all knowledge, including audio, images and video. Join xAI to help build the sci-fi version of the Library of Alexandria!” Musk wrote, adding in a later post that “Copies will be etched in stone and sent to the Moon, Mars and beyond. This time, it will not be lost.”

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Tesla Model 3 becomes Netherlands’ best-selling used EV in 2025

More than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/Twitter

The Tesla Model 3 became the most popular used electric car in the Netherlands in 2025, cementing its dominance well beyond the country’s new-car market. 

After years at the top of Dutch EV sales charts, the Model 3 now leads the country’s second-hand EV market by a wide margin, as record used-car purchases pushed electric vehicles further into the mainstream.

Model 3 takes a commanding lead

The Netherlands recorded more than 2.1 million used car sales last year, the highest level on record. Of those, roughly 4.8%, or about 102,000 vehicles, were electric. Within that growing segment, the Tesla Model 3 stood far ahead of its competitors.

In 2025 alone, 11,338 used Model 3s changed hands, giving the car an 11.1% share of the country’s entire used EV market. That means more than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3, Auto Week Netherlands reported. The scale of its lead is striking: the gap between the Model 3 and the second-place finisher, the Volkswagen ID3, is more than 6,700 vehicles.

Rivals trail as residual values shape rankings

The Volkswagen ID.3 ranked a distant second, with 4,595 used units sold and a 4.5% market share. Close behind was the Audi e-tron, which placed third with 4,236 registrations. As noted by Auto Week Netherlands, relatively low residual values likely boosted the e-tron’s appeal in the used market, despite its higher original price.

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Other strong performers included the Kia Niro, the Tesla Model Y, and the Hyundai Kona, highlighting continued demand for compact and midsize electric vehicles with proven range and reliability. No other model, however, came close to matching the Model 3’s scale or market presence.

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Tesla Model Y Standard Long Range RWD launches in Europe

The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.

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Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East/X

Tesla has expanded the Model Y lineup in Europe with the introduction of the Standard Long Range RWD variant, which offers an impressive 657 km of WLTP range. 

The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.

Model Y Standard Long Range RWD Details

Tesla Europe & Middle East highlighted some of the Model Y Standard Long Range RWD’s most notable specs, from its 657 km of WLTP range to its 2,118 liters of cargo volume. More importantly, Tesla also noted that the newly released variant only consumes 12.7 kWh per 100 km, making it the most efficient Model Y to date. 

The Model Y Standard provides a lower entry point for consumers who wish to enter the Tesla ecosystem at the lowest possible price. While the Model 3 Standard is still more affordable, some consumers might prefer the Model Y Standard due to its larger size and crossover form factor. The fact that the Model Y Standard is equipped with Tesla’s AI4 computer also makes it ready for FSD’s eventual rollout to the region. 

Top Gear’s Model Y Standard review

Top Gear‘s recent review of the Tesla Model Y Standard highlighted some of the vehicle’s most notable features, such as its impressive real-world range, stellar infotainment system, and spacious interior. As per the publication, the Model Y Standard still retains a lot of what makes Tesla’s vehicles well-rounded, even if it’s been equipped with a simplified interior.

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Top Gear compared the Model Y Standard to its rivals in the same segment. “The introduction of the Standard trim brings the Model Y in line with the entry price of most of its closest competition. In fact, it’s actually cheaper than a Peugeot e-3008 and costs £5k less than an entry-level Audi Q4 e-tron. It also makes the Ford Mustang Mach-E look a little short with its higher entry price and worse range,” the publication wrote. 

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