News
SpaceX prepares Falcon 9 booster for eleventh launch and landing [webcast]
SpaceX has confirmed that Falcon 9 is on track to launch another batch of Starlink satellites less than 48 hours after a successful United Launch Alliance Atlas V from a pad just two miles south.
Falcon 9 is now scheduled to launch Starlink 4-9 from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex 39A no earlier than (NET) 9:35 am EST (14:35 UTC) on Thursday, March 3rd. Oddly, unlike Starlink 4-8, which successfully launched 46 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) on February 21st, Starlink 4-9 – following a seemingly identical trajectory – will carry 47 satellites. The reason for the small difference is unclear.
Last month, SpaceX suffered a significant anomaly when a “geomagnetic storm” warmed Earth’s atmosphere, causing 38 of 49 just-launched Starlink 4-7 satellites to prematurely reenter and burn up. In response, while SpaceX hasn’t officially confirmed the change, it appears that all subsequent Starlink missions are being launched to slightly higher parking orbits. In comparison, Starlink 4-4 – a West Coast mission – launched 52 satellites into a 340 x 210 kilometer (210 x 130 mi) parking orbit in December 2021. Starlink 4-7, an East Coast mission, launched 49 satellites into a 336 x 210 km parking orbit on February 3rd, losing three satellites to account for extra performance needed to safely dodge the Bahamas.
Following Starlink 4-7’s space weather calamity, SpaceX – using an identical trajectory – launched 46 Starlink 4-8 satellites (three fewer than 4-7) from the East Coast into a higher 337 x 325 km parking orbit on February 21st. On February 25th, SpaceX also launched 50 Starlink 4-11 satellites (a reduction of two) from the West Coast into a higher 316 x 306 km parking orbit. In short, after Starlink 4-7, SpaceX appears to be sacrificing a few Starlink satellites to launch to parking orbits that are slightly higher and thus slightly more stable.
In theory, this should entirely prevent a repeat of the Starlink 4-7 anomaly while only marginally increasing the amount of time it should take dead-on-arrival satellites to reenter. While doing so increases the number of satellites Falcon 9 can launch, the main reason SpaceX launches Starlink satellites to such low orbits is to ensure that any failed satellites reenter a matter of days to a few weeks after launch instead of the years it could take at their operational ~550 km (~340 mi) orbits.
Of course, that doesn’t explain why Starlink 4-9 is projected to launch one more Starlink satellite than Starlink 4-8. It’s possible that SpaceX is refining its new insertion orbit on the fly and that Starlink 4-9 is headed to a slightly lower destination after data gathered from 4-8 and 4-11. It’s also possible that SpaceX is tweaking some other aspect of Falcon 9’s mission profile or even modifying Starlink satellites (i.e. adding or subtracting mass) – neither of which would be out of the ordinary for the company.
Regardless, Starlink 4-9 is interesting for a few more reasons. First, it will mark drone ship Just Read The Instruction’s (JRTI) first recovery mission since a mistake made by its onboard Octagrabber rocket nearly lead to the loss of an entire Falcon 9 booster in December 2021. That implies that SpaceX has fully determined and rectified the cause of that anomaly and repaired both the drone ship and its robot. To reach its full launch cadence potential, SpaceX needs at least two operational drone ships on the East Coast. Otherwise, in lieu of rare low-performance missions that allow Falcon 9 boosters to fly back to land, SpaceX can only launch one East Coast Falcon 9 mission every 10 or so days and can’t support Falcon Heavy launches that require two at-sea booster landings.
Additionally, SpaceX has confirmed that Falcon 9 B1060 will launch Starlink 4-9. The mission will be its 11th launch and landing attempt, hopefully making it the third Falcon 9 booster to successfully support 11 orbital-class launches after B1051 and B1058. Together, that means that 3 (15%) of the 19 Falcon 9 Block 5 boosters SpaceX has debuted will have singlehandedly supported 33 (37%) of the 89 Falcon 9 launches the company has completed since May 2018. It’s difficult to imagine a more resounding affirmation of SpaceX’s work on reusability.
Tune in to SpaceX Starlink 4-9 webcast around 9:20 am EST (14:20 UTC) on Thursday, March 3rd to watch the launch live.
News
Swedish unions consider police report over Tesla Megapack Supercharger
The Tesla Megapack Supercharger opened shortly before Christmas in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm.
Swedish labor unions are considering whether to file a police report related to a newly opened Tesla Megapack Supercharger near Stockholm, citing questions about how electricity is supplied to the site. The matter has also been referred to Sweden’s energy regulator.
Tesla Megapack Supercharger
The Tesla Megapack Supercharger opened shortly before Christmas in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm. Unlike traditional charging stations, the site is powered by an on-site Megapack battery rather than a direct grid connection. Typical grid connections for Tesla charging sites in Sweden have seen challenges for nearly two years due to union blockades.
Swedish labor union IF Metall has submitted a report to the Energy Market Inspectorate, asking the authority to assess whether electricity supplied to the battery system meets regulatory requirements, as noted in a report from Dagens Arbete (DA). The Tesla Megapack on the site is charged using electricity supplied by a local company, though the specific provider has not been publicly identified.
Peter Lydell, an ombudsman at IF Metall, issued a comment about the Tesla Megapack Supercharger. “The legislation states that only companies that engage in electricity trading may supply electricity to other parties. You may not supply electricity without a permit, then you are engaging in illegal electricity trading. That is why we have reported this… This is about a company that helps Tesla circumvent the conflict measures that exist. It is clear that it is troublesome and it can also have consequences,” Lydell said.
Police report under consideration
The Swedish Electricians’ Association has also examined the Tesla Megapack Supercharger and documented its power setup. As per materials submitted to the Energy Market Inspectorate, electrical cables were reportedly routed from a property located approximately 500 meters from the charging site.
Tomas Jansson, ombudsman and deputy head of negotiations at the Swedish Electricians’ Association, stated that the union was assessing whether to file a police report related to the Tesla Megapack Supercharger. He also confirmed that the electricians’ union was coordinating with IF Metall about the matter. “We have a close collaboration with IF Metall, and we are currently investigating this. We support IF Metall in their fight for fair conditions at Tesla,” Jansson said.
News
Tesla HW4.5 spotted in new Model Y, triggers speculation
Owners taking delivery of recent Model Y builds have identified components labeled “AP45.”
Tesla’s Hardware 4.5 computer appears to have surfaced in newly delivered Model Y vehicles, prompting fresh speculation about an interim upgrade ahead of the company’s upcoming AI5 chip.
Owners taking delivery of recent Model Y builds have identified components labeled “AP45,” suggesting Tesla may have quietly started rolling out revised autonomy hardware.
Hardware 4.5 appears in new Model Y units
The potential Hardware 4.5 sighting was first reported by Model Y owner @Eric5un, who shared details of a Fremont-built 2026 Model Y AWD Premium delivered this January. As per the Model Y owner, the vehicle includes a new front camera housing and a 16-inch center display, along with an Autopilot computer labeled “AP45” and part number 2261336-02-A.
The Tesla owner later explained that he confirmed the part number by briefly pulling down the upper carpet liner below the Model Y’s glovebox. Other owners soon reported similar findings. One Model Y Performance owner noted that their December build also appeared to include Hardware 4.5, while another owner of an Austin-built Model Y Performance reported spotting the same “AP45” hardware.
These sightings suggest that Tesla may already be installing revised FSD computers in its new Model Y batches, despite the company not yet making any formal announcements about Hardware 4.5.
What Hardware 4.5 could represent
Clues about Hardware 4.5 have surfaced previously in Tesla’s Electronic Parts Catalog. As reported by NotATeslaApp, the catalog has listed a component described as “CAR COMPUTER – LEFT HAND DRIVE – PROVISIONED – HARDWARE 4.5.” The component, which features the part number 2261336-S2-A, is priced at $2,300.00.
Longtime Tesla hacker @greentheonly has noted that Tesla software has contained references to a possible three-SoC architecture for some time. Previous generations of Tesla’s FSD computer, including Hardware 3 and Hardware 4, use a dual-SoC design for redundancy. A three-SoC layout could allow for higher inference throughput and improved fault tolerance.
Such an architecture could also serve as a bridge to AI5, Tesla’s next-generation autonomy chip expected to enter production later in 2026. As Tesla’s neural networks grow larger and more computationally demanding, Hardware 4.5 may provide additional headroom for vehicles built before AI5 becomes widely available.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia is getting cited by OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Some responses generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT have recently referenced information from Grokipedia.
Some responses generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT have recently referenced information from Grokipedia, an AI-generated encyclopedia developed by rival xAI, which was founded by Elon Musk. The citations appeared across a limited set of queries.
Reports about the matter were initially reported by The Guardian.
Grokipedia references in ChatGPT
Grokipedia launched in October as part of xAI’s effort to build an alternative to Wikipedia, which has become less centrist over the years. Unlike Wikipedia, which is moderated and edited by humans, Grokipedia is purely AI-powered, allowing it to approach topics with as little bias as possible, at least in theory. This model has also allowed Grokipedia to grow its article base quickly, with recent reports indicating that it has created over 6 million articles, more than 80% of English Wikipedia.
The Guardian reported that ChatGPT cited Grokipedia nine times across responses to more than a dozen user questions during its tests. As per the publication, the Grokipedia citations did not appear when ChatGPT was asked about high-profile or widely documented topics. Instead, Grokipedia was referenced in responses to more obscure historical or biographical claims. The pattern suggested selective use rather than broad reliance on the source, at least for now.
Broader Grokipedia use
The Guardian also noted that Grokipedia citations were not exclusive to ChatGPT. Anthropic’s AI assistant Claude reportedly showed similar references to Grokipedia in some responses, highlighting a broader issue around how large language models identify and weigh publicly available information.
In a statement to The Guardian, an OpenAI spokesperson stated that ChatGPT “aims to draw from a broad range of publicly available sources and viewpoints.” “We apply safety filters to reduce the risk of surfacing links associated with high-severity harms, and ChatGPT clearly shows which sources informed a response through citations,” the spokesperson stated.
Anthropic, for its part, did not respond to a request for comment on the matter. As for xAI, the artificial intelligence startup simply responded with a short comment that stated, “Legacy media lies.”
Swedish unions consider police report over Tesla Megapack Supercharger
Tesla HW4.5 spotted in new Model Y, triggers speculation
