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SpaceX Falcon Heavy to launch Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster into Mars orbit
While it initially appeared to be an Ambien-induced Twitter troll from the famous CEO, Elon Musk has announced that the inaugural launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, now aiming for January 2018, will carry his personal cherry red Tesla Roadster as cargo.
Musk’s classic embellishments and hyperbole triggered some understandable skepticism, claiming that the Tesla would head to Mars while playing David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” and would remain in deep space for “a billion years” if it survived the launch.
Payload will be my midnight cherry Tesla Roadster playing Space Oddity. Destination is Mars orbit. Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn’t blow up on ascent.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 2, 2017
While the Mars and “Space Oddity” aspects have yet to be verified, SpaceX’s head of new product introduction, Joy Dunn, subtweeted Musk’s original announcement, assuaging any doubts about the claim’s legitimacy. Much remains unknown, but the information from Dunn and Musk points to a humorous heavy payload being placed into a high Earth orbit, if not on a trajectory to Mars, and will feature plenty of camera coverage in space.
@beeberunner @nextspaceflight oh this is legit and of course there will be cameras!
— Darby Dunn (@RocketJoy) December 2, 2017
In all fairness, sending a Roadster to Mars would be par for the course for Musk and SpaceX, who in a frankly underappreciated turn of events sent a massive wheel of cheese into orbit with the first launch of a Dragon spacecraft.
SpaceX intends to attempt recovery of all three first stages of the first Falcon Heavy, with the two side boosters landing at Cape Canaveral’s LZ-1, and the center core landing aboard the Of Course I Still Love You droneship. The attempted recovery of all three cores would appear to preclude the possibility of a Mars mission, as it is understood that Falcon Heavy’s payload to Mars in its fully reusable configuration would be ~4000kg. Sending a 1500kg Roadster, especially one stripped of its battery, is still within the realm of possibility, but the burden would be on Falcon 9’s second stage to survive the several month long coast period between Earth and Mars.
Elon Musk with a comical grin while sitting in his red Tesla Roadster. (SFGate)
In the meantime, we can speculate with all due haste as to what the first space-faring Tesla Roadster (confirmed to be Roadster 1.0) will carry on its exceptional journey.
One can imagine that the footage garnered along the way would be all the advertising material Tesla could ever possibly need for the indefinite future, particularly for the company’s next generation Roadster.
Many giddy Twitter and Reddit users almost immediately let loose a stream of potential ridiculous slogans: “the first production car to orbit Mars,” “new Tesla Roadster upgrade has a range of 54 million kilometers,” “Fastest production car,” etcetera. Comic relief aside, the sheer shock value of orbital sunrise or even Mars from the cockpit of a Tesla Roadster certainly can’t be denied outright, even if the absurdity is rather high.
Time will tell if SpaceX has chosen to risk a more productive use of Falcon Heavy’s inaugural launch, perhaps as soon as next month. While it was later removed at the request of SpaceX, a photo taken Thursday by California-based space journalist Sandy Mazza showed Falcon Heavy’s second stage and all three first stage boosters preparing for launch inside the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) at LC-39A. The public will almost undoubtedly get its first view of an integrated Falcon Heavy within the next few weeks, certainly before Christmas if things go as planned.
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Tesla sues California DMV over Autopilot and FSD advertising ruling
The complaint seeks to remove the agency’s conclusion that Tesla falsely promoted the capabilities of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.
Tesla has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in an effort to overturn a prior ruling that found the automaker engaged in false advertising related to its driver-assistance systems.
The complaint seeks to remove the agency’s conclusion that Tesla falsely promoted the capabilities of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.
Tesla’s legal action follows a decision by California’s Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), which concluded that Tesla’s earlier marketing of “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” violated state law, as noted in a CNBC report.
While the DMV opted not to suspend Tesla’s license after determining the company had updated its marketing language for its advanced driver-assistance systems, Tesla is asking the court to go further and reverse the agency’s conclusion.
In its Feb. 13 complaint, Tesla’s attorneys argued that the DMV “wrongfully and baselessly” labeled the company a false advertiser for its Autopilot and FSD systems. The filing argued that regulators failed to demonstrate that consumers were actually misled about the capabilities of Tesla’s systems.
According to Tesla’s complaint, the DMV “never proved consumers in the state had been confused about whether its cars were safe to drive without a human at the wheel.”
Tesla’s legal team further stated: “It was impossible to buy a Tesla equipped with either Autopilot or Full Self-Driving Capability, or to use any of their associated features, without seeing clear and repeated statements that they do not make the vehicle autonomous.”
Tesla now promotes its driver-assistance system as “Full Self-Driving (Supervised),” a name that overemphasizes the need for active driver attention.
Tesla’s autonomous driving program is a pivotal part of the company’s future, with CEO Elon Musk stating that self-driving technology will truly be the solution that will push Tesla into its full potential. The company is currently operating a Robotaxi pilot in Austin and the Bay Area, and the company recently announced that it has produced the first Cybercab from Giga Texas’ production line.
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Tesla is making two big upgrades to the Model 3, coding shows
According to coding found in the European and Chinese configurators, Tesla is planning to make two big upgrades: Black Headliner offerings and a new 16-inch QHD display, similar to that on the Model Y Performance.
Tesla is making two big upgrades to the Model 3, one of which is widely requested by owners and fans, and another that it has already started to make on some trim levels of other models within the lineup.
The changes appear to be taking effect in the European and Chinese markets, but these are expected to come to the United States based on what Tesla has done with the Model Y.
According to coding found in the European and Chinese configurators, Tesla is planning to make two big upgrades: Black Headliner offerings and a new 16-inch QHD display, similar to that on the Model Y Performance.
These changes in the coding were spotted by X user BERKANT, who shared the findings on the social media platform this morning:
🚨 Model 3 changes spotted in Tesla backend
• New interior code: IN3PB (Interior 3 Premium Black)
• Linked to Alcantara-style black headliner
• Mapped to 2026 Model 3 Performance and Premium VINs• EPC now shows: “Display_16_QHD”
• Multiple 2026 builds marked with… pic.twitter.com/OkDM5EdbTu— BERKANT (@Tesla_NL_TR) February 23, 2026
It appears these new upgrades will roll out with the Model 3 Performance and Tesla’s Premium trim levels of the all-electric sedan.
The changes are welcome. Tesla fans have been requesting that its Model 3 and Model Y offerings receive a black headliner, as even with the black interior options, the headliner is grey.
Tesla recently upgraded Model Y vehicles to this black headliner option, even in the United States, so it seems as if the Model 3 will get the same treatment as it appears to be getting in the Eastern hemisphere.
Tesla has been basically accentuating the Model 3 and Model Y with small upgrades that owners have been wanting, and it has been a focal point of the company’s future plans as it phases out other vehicles like the Model S and Model X.
Additionally, Tesla offered an excellent 0.99% APR last week on the Model 3, hoping to push more units out the door to support a strong Q1 delivery figure at the beginning of April.
Elon Musk
SpaceX secures FAA approval for 44 annual Starship launches in Florida
The FAA’s environmental review covers up to 44 launches annually, along with 44 Super Heavy booster landings and 44 upper-stage landings.
SpaceX has received environmental approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct up to 44 Starship-Super Heavy launches per year from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A in Florida.
The decision allows the company to proceed with plans tied to its next-generation launch system and future satellite deployments.
The FAA’s environmental review covers up to 44 launches annually, along with 44 Super Heavy booster landings and 44 upper-stage landings. The approval concludes the agency’s public comment period and outlines required mitigation measures related to noise, emissions, wildlife, and airspace management.
Construction of Starship infrastructure at Launch Complex 39A is nearing completion. The site, previously used for Apollo and space shuttle missions, is transitioning to support Starship operations, as noted in a Florida Today report.
If fully deployed across Kennedy Space Center and nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Starship activity on the Space Coast could exceed 120 launches annually, excluding tests. Separately, the U.S. Air Force has authorized repurposing Space Launch Complex 37 for potential additional Starship activity, pending further FAA airspace analysis.
The approval supports SpaceX’s long-term strategy, which includes deploying a large constellation of satellites intended to power space-based artificial intelligence data infrastructure. The company has previously indicated that expanded Starship capacity will be central to that effort.
The FAA review identified likely impacts from increased noise, nitrogen oxide emissions, and temporary airspace closures. Commercial flights may experience periodic delays during launch windows. The agency, however, determined these effects would be intermittent and manageable through scheduling, public notification, and worker safety protocols.
Wildlife protections are required under the approval, Florida Today noted. These include lighting controls to protect sea turtles, seasonal monitoring of scrub jays and beach mice, and restrictions on offshore landings to avoid coral reefs and right whale critical habitat. Recovery vessels must also carry trained observers to prevent collisions with protected marine species.
Tesla sues California DMV over Autopilot and FSD advertising ruling
Tesla is making two big upgrades to the Model 3, coding shows
