News
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket tests engines for first launch and landing of the new decade
SpaceX has successfully fired up a Falcon 9 rocket for the first time in 2020, setting the company up for the first of potentially dozens of Starlink launches over the next 12 months.
On the afternoon of January 4th, SpaceX loaded Falcon 9 with hundreds of tons of liquid oxygen, refined kerosene (RP-1), nitrogen, and helium and ultimately ignited all nine of the booster’s Merlin 1D engines, briefly producing some 7600 kN (1.7 million lbf) of thrust in a routine test known as a wet dress rehearsal (WDR) and static fire. As is tradition, SpaceX confirmed that the test looked successful just a handful of minutes after it was completed and verified that the rocket is now scheduled to launch 60 new Starlink satellites as early as 9:19 pm ET, January 6th (02:19 UTC, Jan 7).
Set to lift off from its LC-40 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) launch pad, SpaceX’s first launch of the new year and decade hints at what is expected to follow over the course of 2020. In simple terms, the company’s ambitions have never been higher and anywhere from 36 to 38 orbital launches are scheduled between now and 2021 – some 65% of which will likely be internal Starlink missions.
If SpaceX manages to launch even half as many Starlink missions as it says it wants to this year, the company will be heading into 2021 with an operational internet satellite constellation nearly a thousand spacecraft strong – almost enough to ensure uninterrupted global coverage. Already, if SpaceX’s January 6th launch – known as Starlink V1 L2 (the second launch of v1.0 satellites) – goes as planned, the company will almost certainly become the owner of the world’s largest commercial satellite constellation less than eight months after it began launching its unique flat-packed spacecraft.
In a classic SpaceX move, the company’s Starlink satellite bus is a radical departure from all other commercial spacecraft, opting for a table-like rectangular shape that is extremely flat. While the rectangular shape – likely chosen for the extreme ease of manufacturing it should allow – significantly decreases packing efficiency, Starlink’s flat design and unique deployment mechanism means that SpaceX can fit an unprecedented 60 satellites (each weighing more than 250 kg or 550 lb) into a single lightly-modified Falcon 9 payload fairing.
Ultimately, SpaceX also design its Starlink satellites to be dramatically more robust than any comparable commercial spacecraft, meaning that they are meant to tolerate the violent acoustic launch environment without foam sound suppression panels that otherwise take up space inside Falcon 9’s fairing. Additionally, they are meant to survive the odd collision during their bizarre deployment, in which Falcon 9’s upper stage spins itself like a fan and releases the entire 60-satellite stack at once. Further, this means that Starlink satellites can be transported from their Washington state factory to Cape Canaveral, Florida far more easily and cheaply than almost any other spacecraft of a similar size and weight.
Falcon 9’s second fourth flight
It’s a mouthful, but SpaceX’s Starlink-2 mission will technically mark Falcon 9’s second fourth flight, meaning that it will be the second time a single Falcon 9 booster launches (and optimally lands) for the fourth time. Thrice-flown Falcon 9 booster B1049 has been assigned to support the launch.
The fourth completed Falcon 9 Block 5 booster, B1049 debuted on September 10th, 2018 on the Telstar 18V satellite launch, followed by a second flight (Iridium-8) in January 2019 and its third and most recent launch in May 2019. B1049’s most recent mission happened to be the very first dedicated Starlink launch, placing 60 Starlink v0.9 spacecraft in orbit in a sort of massive beta test of SpaceX’s cutting-edge satellite technology and design.
In support of Starlink V1 L1, the first launch of finalized Starlink v1.0 satellites, Falcon 9 booster B1048 became the first SpaceX rocket to successfully launch and land four times in November 2019, safely returning to shore aboard drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) a few days later. With (hopefully) two (and soon three) recovered boosters with four flights each under their belts, SpaceX will have a relative wealth of data it can then use to plot the way forward to fifth flights of boosters and beyond – halfway to the minimum Block 5 design goal of 10 launches apiece.
Teslarati photographer Richard Angle (@RDanglePhoto) will be on-site to capture SpaceX’s first Falcon 9 launch and booster recovery of the 2020s. Stay tuned for more details and photos as the launch nears!
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk teases massive new Tesla-xAI joint project known as ‘Digital Optimus’
It is the latest move by a Musk company to automate, streamline, and reduce the manual, monotonous, and tedious work currently performed by humans through AI and robotics development. Digital Optimus will be capable of processing and actioning the past five seconds of a real-time computer screen video and keyboard and mouse actions.
Elon Musk teased a massive new project, to be developed jointly by Tesla and xAI, called “Digital Optimus” or “Macrohard,” the first development under Tesla’s investment agreement with xAI.
Musk announced on X that Digital Optimus will “be capable of emulating the function of entire companies.”
Macrohard or Digital Optimus is a joint xAI-Tesla project, coming as part of Tesla’s investment agreement with xAI.
Grok is the master conductor/navigator with deep understanding of the world to direct digital Optimus, which is processing and actioning the past 5 secs of…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 11, 2026
It is the latest move by a Musk company to automate, streamline, and reduce the manual, monotonous, and tedious work currently performed by humans through AI and robotics development. Digital Optimus will be capable of processing and actioning the past five seconds of a real-time computer screen video and keyboard and mouse actions.
Essentially, it will be an AI version of a desk worker in many capacities, including accounting, HR tasks, and others.
Musk said:
“Grok is the master conductor/navigator with deep understanding of the world to direct digital Optimus, which is processing and actioning the past 5 secs of real-time computer screen video and keyboard/mouse actions. Grok is like a much more advanced and sophisticated version of turn-by-turn navigation software. You can think of it as Digital Optimus AI being System 1 (instinctive part of the mind) and Grok being System 2. (thinking part of the mind).”
Its key applications would be used for enterprise automation, simulating entire companies, high-volume repetitive tasks, and potentially, future hybrid use with the Optimus robot, which would handle physical tasks, while Digital Optimus would handle the clerical work.
The creation of a digital AI suite like Digital Optimus would help companies save time and money, as well as become more efficient in their operations through massive scalability. However, there will undoubtedly be concerns from people who are skeptical of a fully-integrated AI workhorse like this one.
From an energy consumption perspective and just a general concern for the human workforce, these types of AI projects are polarizing in nature.
However, Digital Optimus would be a great digital counterpart to Tesla’s physical Optimus robot, as it would be a hyper-efficient addition to any company that is looking for more production for less cost.
Musk maintains that there is no other company on Earth that will be able to do this.
Elon Musk
Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai
The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.
Tesla China sold 58,599 vehicles wholesale in February, reflecting strong year-over-year growth. The figure includes both domestic deliveries in China and vehicles exported to international markets.
The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.
Tesla’s February wholesale result represents a 91% increase year over year, compared with 30,688 vehicles in February 2025. Month over month, the result was down 15.2% from January, when Tesla China recorded 69,129 wholesale units.
The February total reflects combined sales of the Model 3 and Model Y produced at Gigafactory Shanghai. The facility produces the two vehicles for both domestic sales and exports.
Gigafactory Shanghai continues to serve as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub, supplying vehicles to markets across Asia and Europe. Data compiled by Tesla watchers shows that 18,485 vehicles were sold domestically in China in January 2026, while exports accounted for 50,644 units during the same period.
Tesla has also been extending financing programs in China as it pushes to strengthen domestic demand. The company recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing programs through March 31, marking the second extension of the promotion this year.
The financing initiative was first introduced on January 6 as a strategy aimed at offsetting higher ownership costs ahead of China’s planned 5% NEV purchase tax in 2026. The promotion was originally scheduled to expire at the end of January before being extended to February and then again through the end of the first quarter.
Tesla’s efforts come amid growing competition in China’s EV market. According to data compiled by CNEV Post, Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China reached 625,698 vehicles, representing a 4.78% year-over-year decline. Part of that decline was linked to the Model Y changeover to its updated variant in early 2025, which temporarily reduced deliveries during the transition period.
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 teases massive new Tesla-xAI joint project known as ‘Digital Optimus’
Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai
