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SpaceX releases video of world’s most powerful rocket ready for liftoff

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Just a few days after its first-ever rollout to Launch Complex 39A, SpaceX has published its official photos of the historic moment, capturing Falcon Heavy poised and ready at the launch pad that could host its inaugural flight as soon as January 15th.

These photos offer the first glimpses of the complete, integrated Falcon Heavy, now with Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster payload and second stage attached to the massive rocket. While SpaceX has not yet revealed specific details regarding the Roadster’s actual destination, it can be assumed that Falcon Heavy and its second stage will attempt to place it into an extremely stabled orbit around the sun, with one side close to the orbit of Mars. In this configuration, it’s unlikely that there will be any possibility of in-space photo opportunities with the Tesla and Mars. Musk has confirmed that its orbit will be extremely stable, and Roadster will likely remain in its final space journey for hundreds of millions or even billions of years.

While Falcon Heavy’s inaugural launch will apparently see the vehicle operating at only 92% thrust, this performance would still easily catapult the rocket above all other operational launches vehicles by nearly a factor of two.

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At a total of 5 million pounds of thrust (22.8 kN), the rocket would be able to lift a fully-fueled 747 passenger jet into low Earth orbit (LEO) in an expendable configuration. Its performance with full recovery of its three first stages is not public, on the other hand, but SpaceX will nevertheless be attempting to recover all first stages alongside the inaugural launch. Approximately 30 seconds before Falcon 9’s usual main engine cut-off (MECO) point, Falcon Heavy’s twin side boosters will separate from the center core (essentially a complete Falcon 9) with the help of some form of mechanical actuators designed to gently push those boosters away from the center.

Quite frankly, the intense aerodynamic forces present at the point of side booster separation mean that it is entirely possible that they may not survive, and could even be drawn back in to impact the center core, an eventuality that would likely bring the mission to a premature end. Typically, rockets with a similar triple booster first stage (Titan IV, Delta IV Heavy) have used relatively powerful separation rockets to more sternly force the side boosters away from the main stage, generally with great success. However, the sort of single-use separation motors would run counter to SpaceX’s primary pursuit of completely reusable rockets.

Risks aside, if all goes well, the side cores will separate and return to the land-based Landing Zone-1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and will likely land simultaneously and offer nearby Floridans a double dose of sonic booms as they slow down from speeds well above Mach 3. Meanwhile, the center stage will throttle up and continue on as if it were a Falcon 9. The core stage will finally separate from the second stage and Roadster payload and power back down to Earth to attempt a recovery aboard the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You. Given SpaceX’s previous history of rather exceptional live coverage of both their Falcon 9 launches and landings, fans can expect a truly stunning tour-de-force of a show if the launch goes as planned.

Even then, a failure would still be quite a spectacle and is undeniably a real possibility for any new form or iteration of a rocket. However, it is rather implausible that SpaceX would choose to take unreasonable risks with one of its invaluable launch pads, particularly LC-39A – tasked with supporting SpaceX’s upcoming Commercial Crew demonstration missions no earlier than August 2018. Musk’s hyperbole aside, he can be taken at his word when he in the past commented that the launch would be a spectacle one way or another. The massive vehicle’s first static fire attempt, the final step ahead of launch, is to occur no earlier than January 6th, 2018.

Follow along on Instagram as Teslarati’s launch photographer and correspondent Tom Cross provides behind-the-scenes live coverage of both the launch of Zuma (NET January 5) and the final operations ahead of Falcon Heavy’s first launch.

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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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Tesla ramps production of its ‘new’ models at Giga Texas

The vehicles are being built at Tesla Gigafactory Texas in Austin, and there are plenty of units being built at the factory, based on a recent flyover by drone operator and plant observer Joe Tegtmeyer.

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla is ramping up production of its ‘new’ Model Y Standard at Gigafactory Texas just over a week after it first announced the vehicle on October 7.

Earlier this month, Tesla launched the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y “Standard,” their release of what it calls its affordable models. They are priced under $40,000, and although there was some noise surrounding the skepticism that they’re actually “affordable,” it appears things have been moving in the right direction.

The vehicles are being built at Tesla Gigafactory Texas in Austin, and there are plenty of units being built at the factory, based on a recent flyover by drone operator and plant observer Joe Tegtmeyer:

The new Standard Tesla models are technically the company’s response to losing the $7,500 EV tax credit, which significantly impacts any company manufacturing electric vehicles.

However, it seems the loss of the credit is impacting others much more than it is Tesla.

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As General Motors and Ford are scaling back their EV efforts because it is beginning to hurt their checkbooks, Tesla is moving forward with its roadmap to catalyze annual growth from a delivery perspective. While GM, Ford, and Stellantis are all known for their vehicles, Tesla is known for its prowess as a car company, an AI company, and a Robotics entity.

Elon Musk was right all along about Tesla’s rivals and EV subsidies

Tesla should have other vehicles coming in the next few years, especially as the Cybercab is evidently moving along with its preliminary processes, like crash testing and overall operational assessment.

It has been spotted at the Fremont Factory several times over the past couple of weeks, hinting that the vehicle could begin production sometime next year.

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Tesla set to be impacted greatly in one of its strongest markets

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tesla norway
Credit: Robert O. Akander-Lima/LinkedIn

Tesla could be greatly impacted in one of its strongest markets as the government is ready to eliminate a main subsidy for electric vehicles over the next two years.

In Norway, EV concentrations are among the strongest in the world, with over 98 percent of all new cars sold in September being electric powertrains. This has been a long-standing trend in the Nordic region, as countries like Iceland and Sweden are also highly inclined to buy EVs.

Tesla Model Y leads sales rush in Norway in August 2025

However, the Norwegian government is ready to abandon a subsidy program it has in place, as it has effectively achieved what it set out to do: turn consumers to sustainability.

This week, Norway’s Finance Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, said it is time to consider phasing out the benefits that are given to those consumers who choose to buy an EV.

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Stoltenberg said this week (via Reuters):

“We have had a goal that all new passenger cars should be electric by 2025, and … we can say that the goal has been achieved. Therefore, the time is ripe to phase out the benefits.”

EV subsidies in Norway include reduced value-added tax (VAT) on cheaper models, lower road and toll fees, and even free parking in some areas.

The government also launched programs that would reduce taxes for companies and fleets. Individuals are also exempt from the annual circulation tax and fuel-related taxes.

In 2026, changes will already be made. Norway will lower its EV tax exemption to any vehicle priced at over 300,000 crowns ($29,789.40), down from the current 500,000, which equates to about $49,500.

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Tesla Superchargers most liked by Norway EV drivers

This would eliminate each of the Tesla Model Y’s trim levels from tax exemption status. In 2027, the VAT exemptions will be completely removed. Not a single EV on the market will be able to help owners escape from tax-exempt status.

There is some pushback on the potential loss of subsidies and benefits, and some groups believe that the loss of the programs will regress the progress EVs have made.

Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian EV Association, said:

“I worry that sudden and major changes will make more people choose fossil-fuel cars again, and I think everyone agrees that we don’t want to go back there.”

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Elon Musk was right all along about Tesla’s rivals and EV subsidies

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Credit: @Gf4Tesla/Twitter

With the loss of the $7,500 Electric Vehicle Tax Credit, it looks as if Tesla CEO Elon Musk was right all along.

As the tax credit’s loss starts to take effect, car companies that have long relied on the $7,500 credit to create sales for themselves are starting to adjust their strategies for sales and their overall transition to electrification.

On Tuesday, General Motors announced it would include a $1.6 billion charge in its upcoming quarterly earnings results from its EV investments.

Ford said in late September that it expects demand for its EVs to be cut in half. Stellantis is abandoning its plan to have only EVs being produced in Europe by 2030, and Chrysler, a brand under the Stellantis umbrella, is bailing on lofty EV sales targets here in the U.S.

How Tesla could benefit from the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that axes EV subsidies

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The tax credit and EV subsidies have achieved what many of us believed they were doing: masking car companies from the truth about their EV demand. Simply put, their products are not priced attractively enough for what they offer, and there is no true advantage to buying EVs developed by legacy companies.

These tax credits have helped companies simply compete with Tesla, nothing more and nothing less. Without them, their products likely would not have done as well as they have. That’s why these companies are now suddenly backtracking.

It’s something Elon Musk has said all along.

Back in January, during the Q4 and Full Year 2024 Earnings Call, Musk said:

“I think it would be devastating for our competitors and for Tesla slightly. But, long term, it probably actually helps Tesla, that would be my guess.”

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In July of last year, Musk said on X:

“Take away all the subsidies. It will only help Tesla.”

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Over the past few years, Tesla has started to lose its market share in the U.S., mostly because more companies have entered the EV manufacturing market and more models are being offered.

Nobody has been able to make a sizeable dent in what Tesla has done, and although its market share has gotten smaller, it still holds nearly half of all EV sales in the U.S.

Tesla’s EV Market Share in the U.S. By Year

    • 2020 – 79%
    • 2021 – 72%
    • 2022 – 62%
    • 2023 – 55%
    • 2024 – 49%

As others are adjusting to what they believe will be tempered demand for their EVs, Tesla has just reported its strongest quarter in company history, with just shy of half a million deliveries.

Will Tesla thrive without the EV tax credit? Five reasons why they might

Although Tesla benefited from the EV tax credit, particularly last quarter, some believe it will have a small impact since it has been lost. The company has many other focuses, with its main priority appearing to be autonomy and AI.

One thing is for sure: Musk was right.

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