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SpaceX transports fifth Starship prototype to the launch pad
SpaceX has at long last transported its fifth full-scale Starship prototype to a nearby launch pad, kicking off a week of busy pre-test preparations while the sixth rocket is already nipping at its heels.
Starship SN5’s move to the pad ends the longest gap between full-scale prototype testing since Starship Mk1 was destroyed in November 2019, a partially-expected failure that began a more than three-month period of infrastructure upgrades. The first upgraded Starship (SN1) rolled to the pad on February 25th, followed by SN3 on March 29th and SN4 on April 23rd, indicative of a fairly consistent monthly cadence of Starship production (and destruction).
Almost exactly two months after its predecessor headed from the factory to SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas launch facilities, Starship SN5 has taken its place on a brand new launch mount. The cause of that month-long delay is fairly simple. When Starship SN4 exploded on May 29th, it damaged the existing launch mount and some additional ground support equipment (GSE), forcing SpaceX to scrap the destroyed mount and build a new one from scratch. In a matter of weeks, SpaceX’s crack team of pad engineers and technicians have done exactly that.
While, judging from several sets of canceled road closure days, the new mount wasn’t built quite as quickly as someone high up in SpaceX would have hoped, the speed of the recovery from SN4’s destructive demise is still extremely impressive. For full-scale operations, SpaceX needs a strong metal structure capable of providing a Starship prototype the propellant, power, and communications links it needs to perform tests, as well as standing up to the weight of a full-loaded Starship (>1000 metric tons) and preventing the rocket from flying away during static Raptor engine tests. Additionally, the launch mount will eventually need to survive the fury of one and even three Raptor engines once Starships graduated to flight testing.
As of June 3rd, the replacement launch mount was partially-completed steel skeleton.
Barely two weeks later, SpaceX had flipped that skeleton, installed it on the actual launch mount table, finished all structural work, installed a conical frame to enable hydraulic ram testing to simulate Raptor engine thrust, and outfitted the mount with a wide variety of complex plumbing, wiring, and fixtures. The current design is about as simple as it can get but is still relatively complicated, with a wide range of systems that must work perfectly together throughout an equally wide range of temperatures and other stressful conditions.
Starship SN5’s installation on that replacement mount serves as a final confirmation that the new structure is more or less complete. Now SpaceX will be faced with the different challenges of christening the new launch mount and ensuring that it’s functioning as planned at the same time as Starship SN5 is attempting to do the same thing. The company also appears to have taken the previous launch mount’s demise as an opportunity to implement some minor design changes, all of which will also need to be tested and verified.
Delays are quite likely but Starship SN5 is currently scheduled to kick off its first test campaign as early as June 29th. SpaceX will likely begin with an ambient pressure test to check for leaks, followed by a cryogenic proof test with liquid nitrogen to confirm that SN5 performs as expected while subjected to the ultra-cold temperatures its liquid methane and oxygen propellant will be kept at. SN5 would then move into wet dress rehearsals (WDR) with live propellant and one or several static fires with a single Raptor engine. Finally, if that complex series of tests goes a little bit better than it did with SN4, Starship SN5 will become the first full-scale prototype to attempt controlled flight, hopping to at least 150m (~500 ft).
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Elon Musk
Tesla investors will be shocked by Jim Cramer’s latest assessment
Jim Cramer is now speaking positively about Tesla, especially in terms of its Robotaxi performance and its perception as a company.

Tesla investors will be shocked by analyst Jim Cramer’s latest assessment of the company.
When it comes to Tesla analysts, many of them are consistent. The bulls usually stay the bulls, and the bears usually stay the bears. The notable analysts on each side are Dan Ives and Adam Jonas for the bulls, and Gordon Johnson for the bears.
Jim Cramer is one analyst who does not necessarily fit this mold. Cramer, who hosts CNBC’s Mad Money, has switched his opinion on Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) many times.
He has been bullish, like he was when he said the stock was a “sleeping giant” two years ago, and he has been bearish, like he was when he said there was “nothing magnificent” about the company just a few months ago.
Now, he is back to being a bull.
Cramer’s comments were related to two key points: how NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang describes Tesla after working closely with the Company through their transactions, and how it is not a car company, as well as the recent launch of the Robotaxi fleet.
Jensen Huang’s Tesla Narrative
Cramer says that the narrative on quarterly and annual deliveries is overblown, and those who continue to worry about Tesla’s performance on that metric are misled.
“It’s not a car company,” he said.
He went on to say that people like Huang speak highly of Tesla, and that should be enough to deter any true skepticism:
“I believe what Musk says cause Musk is working with Jensen and Jensen’s telling me what’s happening on the other side is pretty amazing.”
Tesla self-driving development gets huge compliment from NVIDIA CEO
Robotaxi Launch
Many media outlets are being extremely negative regarding the early rollout of Tesla’s Robotaxi platform in Austin, Texas.
There have been a handful of small issues, but nothing significant. Cramer says that humans make mistakes in vehicles too, yet, when Tesla’s test phase of the Robotaxi does it, it’s front page news and needs to be magnified.
He said:
“Look, I mean, drivers make mistakes all the time. Why should we hold Tesla to a standard where there can be no mistakes?”
It’s refreshing to hear Cramer speak logically about the Robotaxi fleet, as Tesla has taken every measure to ensure there are no mishaps. There are safety monitors in the passenger seat, and the area of travel is limited, confined to a small number of people.
Tesla is still improving and hopes to remove teleoperators and safety monitors slowly, as CEO Elon Musk said more freedom could be granted within one or two months.
News
Tesla launches ultra-fast V4 Superchargers in China for the first time
Tesla has V4 Superchargers rolling out in China for the first time.

Tesla already has nearly 12,000 Supercharger piles across mainland China. However, the company just initiated the rollout of the ultra-fast V4 Superchargers in China for the first time, bringing its quick-charging piles to the country for the first time since their launch last year.
The first batch of V4 Superchargers is now officially up and running in China, the company announced in a post on Chinese social media outlet Weibo today.
The company said in the post:
“The first batch of Tesla V4 Superchargers are online. Covering more service areas, high-speed charging is more convenient, and six-layer powerful protection such as rain and waterproof makes charging very safe. Simultaneously open to non-Tesla vehicles, and other brands of vehicles can also be charged. There are more than 70,000 Tesla Superchargers worldwide. The charging network layout covers 100% of the provincial capitals and municipalities in mainland China. More V4 Superchargers will be put into use across the country. Optimize the charging experience and improve energy replenishment efficiency. Tesla will accompany you to the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas with pure electricity!”
The first V4 Superchargers Tesla installed in China are available in four cities across the country: Shanghai, Zhejiang, Gansu, and Chongqing.

Credit: Tesla China
Tesla has over 70,000 Superchargers worldwide. It is the most expansive and robust EV charging network in the world. It’s the main reason why so many companies have chosen to adopt Tesla’s charging connector in North America and Europe.
In China, some EVs can use Tesla Superchargers as well.
The V4 Supercharger is capable of charging vehicles at speeds of up to 325kW for vehicles in North America. This equates to over 1,000 miles per hour of charging.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk hints at when Tesla could reduce Safety Monitors from Robotaxi
Tesla could be reducing Safety Monitors from Robotaxi within ‘a month or two,’ CEO Elon Musk says.

Elon Musk hinted at when Tesla could begin reducing Safety Monitors from its Robotaxis. Safety Monitors are Tesla employees who sit in the front passenger seat during the driverless rides, and are there to ensure safety for occupants during the earliest rides.
Tesla launched its Robotaxi fleet in Austin last Sunday, and after eight days, videos and reviews from those who have ridden in the driverless vehicles have shown that the suite is safe, accurate, and well coordinated. However, there have been a few hiccups, but nothing that has put anyone’s safety in danger.
A vast majority — close to all of the rides — at least according to those who have ridden in the Robotaxi, have been performed without any real need for human intervention. We reported on what was the first intervention last week, as a Safety Monitor had to step in and stop the vehicle in a strange interaction with a UPS truck.
Watch the first true Tesla Robotaxi intervention by safety monitor
The Tesla and UPS delivery truck were going for the same street parking space, and the Tesla began to turn into it. The UPS driver parallel parked into the spot, which was much smaller than his truck. It seemed to be more of an instance of human error instead of the Robotaxi making the wrong move. This is something that the driverless cars will have to deal with because humans are aggressive and sometimes make moves they should not.
The Safety Monitors have not been too active in the vehicles. After all, we’ve only seen that single instance of an intervention. There was also an issue with the sun, when the Tesla braked abnormally due to the glare, but this was an instance where the car handled the scenario and proceeded normally.
With the Robotaxi fleet operating impressively, some are wondering when Tesla will begin scaling back both the Safety Monitors and Teleoperators that it is using to ensure safety with these early rides.
CEO Elon Musk answered the inquiry by stating, “As soon as we feel it is safe to do so. Probably within a month or two.”
As soon as we feel it is safe to do so.
Probably within a month or two. We continue to improve the Tesla AI with each mile driven.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025
Musk’s response seems to confirm that there will be fewer Teleoperators and Safety Monitors in the coming months, but there will still be some within the fleet to ensure safety. Eventually, that number will get to zero.
Reaching a point where Tesla’s Robotaxi is driverless will be another significant milestone for the company and its path to fully autonomous ride-sharing.
Eventually, Tesla will roll out these capabilities to consumer-owned vehicles, offering them a path to generate revenue as their car operates autonomously and completes rides.
For now, Tesla is focusing on perfecting the area of Austin where it is currently offering driverless rides for just $4.20 to a small group of people.
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