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SpaceX's Falcon rockets might need a giant tower on wheels for US military launches
SpaceX reportedly plans to build a massive mobile gantry – effectively a tower on wheels – at one of its two Florida launch pads, a bid to meet obscure military launch criteria needed to secure highly lucrative Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch contracts from the US government.
Although this is not the first time that SpaceX and vertical integration have been thrown around in the same sentence, it is the first time that the company is reportedly close to actually finalizing its plans along those lines and constructing a real solution at one or more of its three orbital-class launch pads.
Throughout the entirety of its active launch operations, SpaceX has relied exclusively on horizontal integration for its Falcon 1, 9, and Heavy rockets and the satellites they launch. CEO Elon Musk and other executives have maintained a consistent rationale for that preference over the years: ensuring that rockets and payloads can be horizontally integrated is the best possible solution so long as SpaceX’s primary motivation is improving access to space and lowering the cost of launch. As such, SpaceX has one and only one major motivation to jerry-rig a vertical integration solution for its Falcon family of rockets: necessity by way of arcane US military launch contract requirements.
Spaceflight Now broke the latest news first on January 3rd, 2020, revealing that SpaceX was at long last taking a substantial step towards actually building its own vertical integration infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex 39A – a step that was long anticipated but has taken years to transpire into anything concrete. The gist is this: for a variety of seemingly shoehorned and far-from-obvious reasons, the secretive, ultra-expensive spy satellites that contractors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing build for the US Air Force (USAF) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) builds itself are designed in such a way that they apparently cannot be flipped horizontally in a rocket’s payload fairing.
Identical to the process depicted above for Blue Origin’s in-development New Glenn rocket, up to now, SpaceX has encapsulated all satellite payloads vertically, sealed the payload fairing, rotated that integrated fairing and payload, and then attached that assembly to horizontal Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. The rocket is then transported to the launch pad on a transporter erector (T/E), which – as the name suggests – raises the rocket and payload vertical before propellant loading and launch.
For certain USAF and NRO launch contracts, breakover (horizontal flip) is unacceptable and their preference is that the launch vehicle be brought vertical before the payload – also still vertical – is stacked on top. While it sounds simple in principle (i.e. “Just stick a crane out by the pad!”), vertical payload integration is exceptionally tedious unless you already have the infrastructure in place. Competitor United Launch Alliance (ULA), for example, already has that infrastructure – having held a decade-long monopoly over US military launches that only ended 5-7 years ago, depending on how it’s measured.
Both ULA’s Atlas V, Delta IV, and soon-to-be Vulcan Centaur rockets and the infrastructure used to launch them have all been designed around vertical payload integration – essentially requiring massive, expensive, and complicated buildings-on-wheels at each launch facility.
Per Spaceflight Now, SpaceX has plans to build a similar mobile tower at Pad 39A, currently dedicated Falcon 9/Crew Dragon missions for NASA and the occasional Falcon Heavy launch. That tower will ultimately roll up to Falcon 9 or Heavy rockets on the pad, fully covering the vehicles and giving technicians an array of work platforms and tools to support vertical payload integration, among other uses. SFN says that the mobile tower will be even taller than the existing Fixed Service Structure (FSS) tower at Pad 39A, measuring some 30 stories (100m/330ft) tall.
In line with a recent FSS redesign that saw that existing tower modified for Crew Dragon and outfitted with semi-transparent black glass or plastic and a black-and-white color scheme, the new mobile tower will apparently be built with a similar design language.
Ultimately, all of SpaceX’s plans for Starship – a massive next-generation, fully-reusable rocket – have relied on some form of vertical integration for Super Heavy boosters, Starships, and tankers. In a best-case scenario, all of those vehicles may one day land in reach of a giant crane situated at the launch pad, allowing SpaceX to lift them back to the pad and install ships and tankers on Super Heavy boosters just hours (maybe even minutes) after touchdown – truly rapid reuse.
For now, it’s unclear when exactly SpaceX wants to start cutting metal for its new Falcon 9/Heavy gantry, but it’s safe to say the company will move fast as usual once it begins.
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk pivots SpaceX plans to Moon base before Mars
The shift, Musk explained, is driven by launch cadence and the urgency of securing humanity’s long-term survival beyond Earth, among others.
Elon Musk has clarified that SpaceX is prioritizing the Moon over Mars as the fastest path to establishing a self-growing off-world civilization.
The shift, Musk explained, is driven by launch cadence and the urgency of securing humanity’s long-term survival beyond Earth, among others.
Why the Moon is now SpaceX’s priority
In a series of posts on X, Elon Musk stated that SpaceX is focusing on building a self-growing city on the Moon because it can be achieved significantly faster than a comparable settlement on Mars. As per Musk, a Moon city could possibly be completed in under 10 years, while a similar settlement on Mars would likely require more than 20.
“For those unaware, SpaceX has already shifted focus to building a self-growing city on the Moon, as we can potentially achieve that in less than 10 years, whereas Mars would take 20+ years. The mission of SpaceX remains the same: extend consciousness and life as we know it to the stars,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
Musk highlighted that launch windows to Mars only open roughly every 26 months, with a six-month transit time, whereas missions to the Moon can launch approximately every 10 days and arrive in about two days. That difference, Musk stated, allows SpaceX to iterate far more rapidly on infrastructure, logistics, and survival systems.
“The critical path to a self-growing Moon city is faster,” Musk noted in a follow-up post.
Mars still matters, but runs in parallel
Despite the pivot to the Moon, Musk stressed that SpaceX has not abandoned Mars. Instead, Mars development is expected to begin in about five to seven years and proceed alongside the company’s lunar efforts.
Musk explained that SpaceX would continue launching directly from Earth to Mars when possible, rather than routing missions through the Moon, citing limited fuel availability on the lunar surface. The Moon’s role, he stated, is not as a staging point for Mars, but as the fastest achievable location for a self-sustaining off-world civilization.
“The Moon would establish a foothold beyond Earth quickly, to protect life against risk of a natural or manmade disaster on Earth,” Musk wrote.
News
Elon Musk confirms Tesla Semi will enter high-volume production this year
Musk shared his update in a post on social media platform X.
Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla will begin high-volume production of the Class 8 all-electric Semi this year.
He shared his update in a post on social media platform X.
Musk confirms Tesla Semi production ramp
Tesla CEO Elon Musk reaffirmed on X that the Semi is finally moving into volume production, posting on Sunday that “Tesla Semi starts high volume production this year.”
The update comes as Tesla refreshed its Semi lineup on its official website, an apparent hint that the program is transitioning from limited pilots into wider commercial deployment. As per Tesla’s official website, two variants of the Semi will be offered to consumers: Standard and Long Range.
The Standard trim offers up to 325 miles of range with an energy consumption rating of 1.7 kWh per mile and a gross combination weight rating of 82,000 pounds. The Long Range version pushes driving range to 500 miles, with Tesla noting a higher curb weight of about 23,000 pounds, likely due to a larger battery pack.
Both trims support fast charging, with Tesla stating that the Semi can recover up to 60% of its range in 30 minutes using compatible charging infrastructure.
Broader Tesla Semi rollout
Tesla has already delivered production Semi units to select partners, including snack and beverage giant PepsiCo as well as logistics behemoth DHL, which confirmed that its truck operates daily in California, traveling roughly 100 miles per day and requiring charging just about once a week.
The company has also partnered with Uber Freight, as noted in a Benzinga report, with Tesla executives previously describing the agreement as a way for fleet operators to experience the Semi’s lower operating and maintenance costs firsthand.
With Musk now publicly committing to high-volume production, the Semi appears poised to move beyond pilot programs and into scaled commercial use, an important step in Tesla’s wider push to electrify heavy-duty and long-range trucking.
News
Tesla tops France reliability rankings, beating Toyota for the first time
The milestone was celebrated by CEO Elon Musk on social media platform X.
Tesla has overtaken Toyota to become France’s most reliable car brand in 2025, as per a new nationwide reliability ranking published by Auto Plus magazine.
The milestone was celebrated by CEO Elon Musk on social media platform X.
Tesla tops reliability ranking in France
Tesla ranked first overall in Auto Plus’ 2025 reliability study, surpassing long-time benchmark Toyota across all powertrain types, including gasoline, hybrid, and electric vehicles.
The ranking, published on February 6, 2026, evaluated early problems reported in 2025 on vehicles registered in France since January 1, 2018, with fewer than 150,000 kilometers on the odometer, as noted by a Numerama report. This marked Tesla’s first appearance in the magazine’s reliability rankings, which was enabled by the company’s growing vehicle population in the French market.
According to the publication, Tesla vehicles showed no recurring major defects beyond isolated suspension arm issues, which are covered under the company’s four-year or 80,000-kilometer warranty. Other reported issues were described as minor, including occasional screen glitches and door handle concerns.
Why this ranking differs from earlier criticism
Tesla’s top placement contrasts sharply with past assessments from the German Automobile Club (ADAC), which previously ranked the Model 3 and Model Y low in its technical inspection reports. Auto Plus noted that those inspections were focused heavily on factors such as brake disc wear, which are not necessarily the best benchmarks for overall vehicle reliability.
By focusing instead on real-world reliability data and early ownership issues, Auto Plus’ methodology offered a broader picture of how vehicles perform over time rather than how individual components age under inspection standards. The publication emphasized that electric vehicles, with far fewer moving parts than combustion-engine cars, are not inherently less reliable.
While the ranking supports the case that electric vehicles can match or exceed the reliability of traditional brands, the magazine acknowledged limitations in its analysis. Still, Tesla’s debut at the top of the list underscores how perceptions of EV durability are shifting as more long-term data becomes available in major automotive markets like France.
Elon Musk pivots SpaceX plans to Moon base before Mars
Elon Musk confirms Tesla Semi will enter high-volume production this year
