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SpaceX’s first high-altitude Starship a week away from completion, says Elon Musk
CEO Elon Musk says that SpaceX’s first high-altitude Starship prototype – built entirely out of a new steel alloy – will be fully assembled “about a week” from now.
On August 4th, SpaceX successfully hopped a full-scale Starship prototype (serial number 5 or SN5) for the first time, reaching the same 150m (~500 ft) apogee Starhopper soared to just shy of one year prior. On September 3rd, just 30 days later, Starship SN6 – an entirely different full-scale prototype with a different Raptor engine – completed an identical 150m hop, though Musk noted that it was “a much smoother & faster operation.” Indeed, the whole purpose of performing the same hop with two nearly identical ships was to develop and optimize the nascent process of Starship flight testing.
Musk’s indication that “several” short hops would be performed strongly implied that SN5, SN6, or both ships would fly a second time. Now, though, Musk – supported by a NASASpaceflight.com report – appears to be suggesting that the first high-altitude Starship (SN8) is up next on the docket.
According to NASASpaceflight, SpaceX is now working towards the first high-altitude launch of Starship SN8 as early as October. Prior to that ambitious test flight, though, several critical milestones stand in the way. Unmentioned, Starship test tank SN7.1 may be hours away from kicking off a cryogenic stress test crucial to the future of Starship SN8 and several of its successors. Built out of a steel alloy that is somewhat more ductile and pliable at cryogenic temperatures, a successful SN7.1 stress test would open the door for SN8 – the first full-scale prototype built out of the same new alloy – to begin testing immediately thereafter.
As with all tests, though, failure is a strong possibility and would likely require more analysis of the new steel alloy and some level of redesign for several affected Starship components. In that event, Starship SN8 would likely serve as a test tank instead of becoming the first high-altitude flight article. SN7.1’s trials are set to begin no earlier than (NET) 9pm CDT (UTC-5) on September 14th and could continue all the way up to September 23rd.
Meanwhile, SpaceX is working around the clock to outfit Starship SN8 and prepare the ship for the installation of a nosecone section and four aerodynamic control surfaces known as flaps. Unlike Starship Mk1, which was temporarily outfitted with flaps and a nosecone more as a full-size mockup than a flight article, there is a very real chance that Starship SN8 will actually perform a flight test with its nose and flaps installed.
Unlike the Space Shuttle or other proposed spaceplanes, SpaceX’s current Starship design incorporates flaps to ensure aerodynamic stability while free-falling belly-first through the atmosphere, akin to a skydiver using arms and legs to steer through the air.
If Musk’s schedule is accurate, Starship SN8 could be fully outfitted with a nosecone and flaps and ready to roll to the launch pad for testing as early as next week. Prior to the first 20 km (~12.5 mi) hop and skydiver-style landing attempt, Musk says that SpaceX will put SN8 through a static fire test (possibly the first with three Raptor engines). If it survives, the rocket will be carefully inspected before performing a second static fire test. If that second test is successful, SN8 will finally be cleared for Starship’s first high-altitude launch and landing attempt.
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Tesla has opened a new sweepstakes to allow the public to be one of the first to take one of the initial rides in a Cybercab, the all-electric, steering wheel-less and pedal-less vehicle that is the company’s centerpiece of its autonomous ride-hailing platform called Robotaxi.
There are two ways Tesla fans can get to Austin to take part in the first public rides of the Cybercab: by riding on the Robotaxi platform by August 23, or by mailing a very specific entry to their Headquarters at Gigafactory Texas.
Tesla announced the latter portion of the sweepstakes last night:
🚨 Want to win a trip to Austin to ride in one of the first Cybercab rides ever?
Here’s how:
Tesla has opened up a new sweepstakes to ride in a Cybercab upon its public launch. Here’s the details.
There are two methods of entry into the sweepstakes, and they are as follows:… pic.twitter.com/iJRd4evuWo
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 19, 2026
Tesla will give one entry into the sweepstakes if you mail a 3″ by 5″ piece of paper with your full name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, and date of birth to their address:
Tesla, Robotaxi Sweeps Event
1 Tesla Road,
Austin, TX 78725
There is a limit of one entry per stamped envelope. You can send as many as you’d like, but they must be in separate envelopes.
The company’s unique strategy to give people the opportunity to ride in a Cybercab before pretty much anyone else outside of the company is a hilarious but spot-on representation of how Tesla operates. In classic fashion, they had the perfect response to the event:
— Tesla (@Tesla) August 19, 2026
Cybercab will launch later this month, it appears, especially as it plans to announce the winners of the sweepstakes on August 25. The car has already been operating internally, as employees have been able to utilize the Cybercab for rides in some capacity, something it announced earlier this month.
Tesla weirdly confirms Cybercab employee rides, a huge milestone
Moving forward, the big goal is to get Cybercab out on the roads and integrated into the public Robotaxi fleet, one that will pick up real-world ride-hailers and give them a ride from Point A to Point B.
No matter which way you cut it, it appears Tesla is close to putting a vehicle with no steering wheel and no pedals on the road to help people travel autonomously.
You can ride along with us in our first Cybercab ride from the We, Robot event in October 2024. The video is embedded below:
🎥: Our FULL first ride in the @Tesla Cybercab pic.twitter.com/6gR7OgKRCz
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 11, 2024
Tesla has revealed plans through permit submissions for a massive Robotaxi charging hub in Austin, Texas.
Tesla plans to build the Supercharger hub in multiple phases, with the second phase potentially introducing wireless induction charging, something the company has been developing for the Robotaxi fleet.
Initially, 48 Tesla Robotaxi-geared Superchargers will be built on a lot just across from the St. Elmo, Texas, Service Center. There are about 80 additional spots that will not be impacted by phase 1 of the construction process.
Filings show that the second phase of the project will turn those 80 additional spots into wireless charging for Robotaxi, but it might be an error. The Key Notes state that item 3 is listed as “V4 Charging Cabinet to Support 80 Wireless Chargers in Phase 2. However, the drawings point to V3 Cabinets that are already tied to Superchargers:
There are roughly 128 total spots in the lot, but it is unclear if they will all be used for charging based on what appears to be some sort of typo in the blueprint.
A new Robotaxi fleet charging hub is coming soon to Austin, Texas!!
Permits have been filed for the installation of 48 (V3) stalls in a vehicle storage lot across the road from Tesla’s St Elmo service center. pic.twitter.com/xwRgSWDqht
— MarcoRP (@MarcoRPi1) August 18, 2026
This is among the first Robotaxi charging hubs Tesla has started to develop, as it currently has four others planned throughout various areas: one in Phoenix, one in San Antonio, another in Irving, which will serve the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and another in Las Vegas.
These projects are necessary as Tesla expands its Robotaxi program. Now that preparations have started for the public launch of Cybercab, Robotaxi will likely be expanding aggressively, especially over the next two to three years.
Last night, The Information reported that Tesla was planning to launch Cybercab as soon as the end of August. Hours later, Tesla then announced it was launching a competition for fans to potentially ride in Cybercab during its first public rides.
Tesla’s plan to expand its charging infrastructure in the regions where Robotaxi will initially operate is great preparation for the expanding service. There is still a lot to do, including launching the Cybercab on time.
Tesla got its largest order for the all-electric Class 8 Semi yet, a 500-unit order from Einride AB, a Swedish trucking company.
Einride made the announcement this morning following its second-quarter earnings call. The company said it plans to use 500 Tesla Semi units on its fleet intelligence platform, called Saga AI. The deployments will serve large companies like Amazon and will extend Einride’s electric freight network across logistics routes in California, New Jersey, Texas, Illinois, and Georgia.
🚨 Tesla has received a MASSIVE order from Swedish freight company Einride AB, which placed an order for 500 Tesla Semi trucks
Tesla’s biggest order for the Semi yet! pic.twitter.com/PrtLp5yzvh
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 18, 2026
The deployment is being carried out in several phases over the next two years as Tesla ramps production of the Semi at its dedicated production facility in Sparks, Nevada. Einride will receive its first Semi units in September.
Saga AI
Saga AI is Einride’s dedicated fleet intelligence platform. It enables scaled adoption of electric trucks for freight use and allows shippers to integrate electric capacity without the operational burden or capital risks of managing a fleet. This helps integrate cost-efficient logistics and makes budgeting and forecasting much more accurate.
Tesla Semi’s Adoption
The Tesla Semi is now gathering large-scale clients past those who have helped the company operate a Pilot Program to gain initial information and feedback from real-world drivers.
Perhaps the biggest and most notable is that of Frito-Lay and PepsiCo., who have worked with Tesla for the past several years to dial in the finer details of the truck, including its efficiency and operation-related components.
Tesla Semi gets strange-but-understandable comparison from Jay Leno
There has been tremendous progress in that time, and it even catalyzed Tesla to make some design changes, which were unveiled earlier this year.
But Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli says his company’s partnership with Tesla will continue to push those things forward:
“This deployment is yet another proof point that we can execute at the scale our customers demand. Working closely with Tesla to bring next-generation Semis into active operations quickly and at scale is a testament to the strength of that partnership, and how quickly this technology is maturing from promise to daily operations.”
Additionally, Dan Priestley, the Director of the Semi Program at Tesla, said the partnership is ideal due to Einride’s focus on sustainable transport:
“Einride is at the forefront of sustainable freight, and we are thrilled to deepen our relationship with them through this order of 500 Semis. EV heavy trucks provide lower costs per mile from fuel savings, reduced maintenance, and better uptime over diesel trucks. These savings increase further through operational efficiency when deploying EV trucks at scale, and we are excited that Einride recognizes this and look forward to supporting their deployments.”
Tesla opens Cybercab first public ride sweepstakes: how to enter
Tesla reveals plans for Robotaxi charging hub in Austin
