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SpaceX to launch ninth batch of Iridium NEXT satellites
Iridium Communications has chosen SpaceX to launch one last batch of its NEXT communications satellites, rounding out the constellation with up to five more on-orbit spares.
The company says that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will launch those satellites as part of a rideshare mission that is scheduled to lift off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) no earlier than mid-2023.
Iridium and SpaceX have had a close relationship for as long as Falcon 9 has been flying. In 2010, days after Falcon 9’s first successful launch, the company – led by CEO Matt Desch – awarded SpaceX a head-turning contract worth almost $500 million for the launch of the entire Iridium NEXT constellation. SpaceX kicked off Iridium NEXT launches in early 2017, returning to flight after a Falcon 9 rocket exploded on the launch pad just four months prior.
Less than two years later, SpaceX had completed eight Falcon 9 launches for Iridum and successfully deployed the full 75-satellite NEXT constellation (up from initial plans for 72 satellites) in polar orbit. Now, after what will be a four-and-a-half-year hiatus of joint activities, Iridium wants SpaceX to launch up to five of the six remaining NEXT spares, meaning that Falcon 9 will likely be responsible for launching all but one satellite of the constellation.
When SpaceX completed its eighth and (at the time) final Iridium launch in January 2019, the communications provider was left with nine NEXT satellite spares in orbit and six spares on the ground – all ready to take over (or be launched) in the event of an anomaly. Built by Thales Alenia Space, those satellites – built and launched for approximately $2.9 billion – have proven exceptionally reliable. Close to six years after the first launch, none of the 75 satellites currently in orbit have failed.
Iridium isn’t launching the six remaining ground spares because it needs them, in other words. On top of nixing the cost of storing satellites for years, Iridium’s CEO says that launching those spares now will “make [the NEXT] network even more resilient.” Prior to the September 8th announcement, Iridium’s Q2 2022 earnings report revealed a $35 million contract to launch five of the six remaining NEXT spares – almost certainly referring to its ninth SpaceX launch. Accounting for inflation, Iridium paid SpaceX approximately $8.9 million in 2022 dollars for each of the first 75 NEXT satellites it launched. For its ninth SpaceX launch, Iridium will pay $7 million – 21% less.
In 2020, Iridium signed a nonbinding agreement with startup Relativity Space to potentially launch all six spares on its 3D-printed Terran 1 rocket. Two years later, it appears that Iridium has mostly changed its mind, and no longer wants to worry about launching its NEXT spares “on an as-needed basis.” With a list price of $12 million, Terran 1 would only be able to launch one 860-kilogram (1900 lb) Iridium NEXT satellite at a time, translating to at least $72 million for all six. As is common for new launch vehicles, Terran 1 has also run into many delays, although Relativity says it could debut as soon as October 2022. It’s possible that Terran 1 could still launch the last Iridium NEXT ground spare, but statements published on Twitter by CEO Matt Desch do not inspire confidence.
Ultimately, Iridium seems to have elected to launch most or all of the remaining spares at once, simultaneously saving tens of millions of dollars and adding additional resiliency to its communications services.
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Tesla FSD successfully completes full coast-to-coast drive with zero interventions
Tesla community members celebrated the milestone on X, and the feat earned praise from some of the electric vehicle maker’s executives.
A Tesla owner has successfully completed a full coast-to-coast drive across the United States on Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised. The trip was accomplished with zero interventions.
Tesla community members celebrated the milestone on X, and the feat earned praise from some of the electric vehicle maker’s executives.
FSD Coast-to-Coast
The coast-to-coast feat was accomplished by Tesla owner Davis Moss, who drives a stealth gray Model 3 with AI4 hardware. Based on data from the FSD database and a community tracker, the last 10,638.8 miles Moss drove in his Model 3 were completed using FSD 100% of the time. His vehicle is equipped with FSD v14.2.1.25, which was installed 12 days ago.
As per Moss in a celebratory post on X, his Model 3 was able to complete a full coast-to-coast drive across the United States in 2 days and 20 hours. His trip started at the Tesla Diner in Los Angeles, CA, and it ended in Myrtle Beach, SC. Overall, his trip spanned 2,732.4 miles.
“This was accomplished with Tesla FSD V14.2 with absolutely 0 disengagements of any kind even for all parking including at Tesla Superchargers,” Moss stated in his post. He also added in later comments that there were zero close calls during the trip.
Tesla community celebrates
The FSD milestone trip was widely lauded by members of the Tesla community, especially since a coast-to-coast drive with zero interventions has been cited by Elon Musk as a target since October 2016, when Autopilot 2.0 was unveiled. At the time, Musk initially estimated that a coast-to-coast drive across the United States should be possible by the end of 2017. Considering Moss’ feat in his Model 3, it appears that Elon Musk’s estimate was not impossible at all. It was just late.
Musk himself celebrated the milestone on X, and so did Tesla VP of AI Software Ashok Elluswamy, who wrote “World’s first fully autonomous coast-to-coast drive, done with Tesla self-driving v14. Congrats and thank you @DavidMoss!” in a post on X. The official Tesla North America account also celebrated the feat, writing “First Tesla to drive itself from coast to coast w/ FSD Supervised. 0 interventions, all FSD” on X.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk: Tesla Model Y is world’s best-selling car for 3rd year in a row
The Model Y has now established an impressive streak that would otherwise have been impossible before Tesla.
Elon Musk has announced that the Tesla Model Y has become the world’s best-selling car by volume for the third consecutive year, capping 2025 with another dominant performance.
The Model Y has now established an impressive streak that would otherwise have been impossible before Tesla.
Three years in a row
Musk posted on X: “Tesla Model Y is now officially the world’s best-selling car for the third year in a row!” The CEO’s comment echoed an update that Tesla included in its 2025 recap, which highlighted, among other things, the Model Y’s incredible streak.
The Model Y has held the title since 2023, outperforming traditional leaders like the Toyota RAV4 and Corolla thanks to its bang-for-the-buck nature and its stellar combination of practicality, performance, and tech. The Model Y is also lauded as one of the safest vehicles on the road, making it an ideal choice for families in key markets such as China.
An impressive 2025
The Model Y’s sales feat in 2025 is especially impressive considering the introduction of the vehicle’s new variant. Tesla’s changeover to the new Model Y across its global factories resulted in sales being paused for some time in the first quarter. As per Tesla’s Q1 2025 vehicle delivery and production report, “the changeover of Model Y lines across all four of our factories led to the loss of several weeks of production in Q1.”
This suggests that the Model Y’s sales remained strong in 2025 to the point where it could still claim the title of the world’s best-selling vehicle by volume, even with its sales being throttled during the first quarter of the year. It would then be interesting to see just how far the Model Y can go in 2026, especially considering the rollout of new variants like the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y L, the affordable Model Y Standard, and the top-tier Model Y Performance.
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Tesla shares epic 2025 recap video, confirms start of Cybercab production
The cinematic montage, posted by the official Tesla account on X, celebrated the company’s progress in EVs, energy, and Robotaxi development.
Tesla has released an epic year-in-review video for 2025, recapping some of its major achievements from refreshed models to autonomy breakthroughs and production ramps.
The cinematic montage, posted by the official Tesla account on X, celebrated the company’s progress in EVs, energy, and Robotaxi development while looking ahead to an even bigger 2026.
Tesla’s 2025 highlights recap
Tesla has had a busy 2025, as highlighted in the recap video. The video opened with Elon Musk explaining the company’s pursuit of sustainable abundance. A number of milestones were then highlighted, such as the rollout of FSD v14, Optimus’ numerous demos, the opening of the Tesla Diner in Hollywood, LA, the completion of the world’s first autonomous car delivery, and the launch of the Robotaxi network in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Tesla also highlighted several of its accomplishments over the year. As per the company, the Model Y was the year’s best-selling vehicle globally again, and Teslas became more affordable than ever thanks to the Model 3 and Model Y Standard. Other key models were also rolled out, such as the refreshed Model S and X, as well as the new Model Y, the new Model Y Performance, and the six-seat, extended wheelbase Model Y L.
The Megablock was also unveiled during the year, and the Supercharger Network grew by 18%. Over 1 million Powerwalls were also installed during the year, and the Cybertruck became the first EV truck to get both an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award and an NHTSA 5-Star safety rating.
Cybercab production confirmed
Interestingly enough, Tesla also confirmed in its 2025 recap video that the production of the Cybercab has started. This bodes well for the vehicle, as it could result in the vehicle really being mass-produced in the first half of 2026. Elon Musk confirmed during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting that Cybercab production should earnestly start around April 2026.
Musk has also noted that the Cybercab will be Tesla’s highest-volume vehicle yet, with the company aiming for an annual production rate of about 2 million units. “If you’ve seen the design of the Cybercab line, it doesn’t look like a normal car manufacturing line,” Musk said earlier this year. “It looks like a really high-speed consumer electronics line. In fact, the line will move so fast that actually people can’t even get close to it.”
Tesla FSD successfully completes full coast-to-coast drive with zero interventions
Elon Musk: Tesla Model Y is world’s best-selling car for 3rd year in a row
