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SpaceX rolls Inspiration4 Falcon 9 rocket to the pad for historic launch

YouTube/Reddit user whiterice98 caught SpaceX transporting its Inspiration4 Falcon 9 rocket to the launch pad last week. (YouTube - whiterice98)

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SpaceX has rolled the Falcon 9 rocket that will launch the historic Inspiration4 private astronaut mission to its NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launch facilities.

Part of a vistor’s center bus tour of the NASA center, Reddit and YouTube user whiterice98 caught the SpaceX rocket in motion as it was transported from a brand new processing facility to historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) – better known as Pad 39A. The same site that supported the inaugural launch of Saturn V and the Space Shuttle and every single crewed mission to the Moon, Pad 39A’s next mission doesn’t carry quite the same gravity but will still be a milestone in the history of spaceflight.

Scheduled to launch no earlier than 8pm EDT on September 14th (00:00 UTC 15 Sept), Inspiration4 will be the first mission in history to send a crew of solely private astronauts into orbit. While only possible thanks to the patronage and resources of billionaire and mission commander Jared Isaacman, the hope is that Inspiration4 will mark the start of a new age of spaceflight – one where virtually anyone can feasibly dream of reaching orbit and experiencing Earth from hundreds of miles above.

Along for the ride with Isaacman will be Ph.D. geologist and science communicator Sian Proctor, engineer Christopher Sembroski (standing in for a friend), and physician’s assistant and childhood cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux. Isaacman is a long-time private pilot with substantial flight experience but none of the four have any prior experience with spaceflight and will have a few months of training at most when they lift off together later this month. While Isaacman’s success as a businessman and founder is the sole enabler behind Inspiration4, it’s likely that none of the three passengers he chose would have ever had the resources or wherewithal to reach orbit (or even a minute or two of “space” with Virgin Galactic or Blue Origin) on their own.

SpaceX’s first fully-private crew of astronauts stand in front of their ride to orbit, a Dragon fitted with a brand new kind of spacecraft window. (SpaceX)

Save for teacher Christina McAuliffe’s doomed 1986 mission aboard the Space Shuttle, one that never reached space or orbit, Inspiration4 will arguably be unique and inspiring for that alone. Set to fly on a twice-flown Falcon 9 booster and in a once-flown Crew Dragon capsule, SpaceX’s first fully private astronaut launch will also be reaping the fruits of the company’s decade-long pursuit of reusability.

Unlike the Shuttle, which was largely designed by politicians and committees and engineered retroactively, SpaceX has always been working on rocket and spacecraft reusability with the intention of actually making the practice more efficient and affordable than the expendable alternative. Over the course of the program’s history, Shuttle ultimately proved to be a dramatic downgrade from the highly successful Saturn V rocket NASA killed to fund it while still being less reliable, about as expensive, and several times deadlier.

Crew Dragon C207 (Resilience) will carry the world’s first private astronaut crew into orbit on its second flight. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Falcon 9 booster B1062 launched for the second time on June 17th. Up next, Inspiration4. (Richard Angle)

With a little luck and far more skill, expertise, and hindsight, Inspiration4 will hopefully prove that Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon are what the Space Shuttle never could be – the key to orbit for professional and civilian astronauts alike.

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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 is launching a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates

This week, Tesla launched its in-house Rental program that will give people a vehicle for between three to seven days, with prices varying and starting at just $60 per day.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla is launching a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates, giving people the opportunity to borrow a vehicle in the company’s lineup with an outrageous number of perks.

This week, Tesla launched its in-house Rental program that will give people a vehicle for between three to seven days, with prices varying and starting at just $60 per day.

However, there are additional perks that make it a really great deal, including Free Supercharging and Free Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for the duration of the rental.

There are no limits on mileage or charging, although the terms do not allow you to leave the state you are renting.

Tesla wrote in an email advertising the program:

“Rent a Tesla and see how it makes every errand, commute, and road trip more fun. While it’s yours, try Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and control and monitor your vehicle with the Tesla app. 

Schedule your rental for three to seven days starting at $60 per day (plus taxes and fees) and charge for free at any Tesla-owned Supercharger.

Order your own Tesla within seven days of your rental to get up to a $250 credit toward your purchase.”

Tesla has long adopted the mentality that butts in seats will sell cars, and for the most part, it is a great strategy. Driving a Tesla is different from owning and driving a combustion engine vehicle; it truly feels as if you are in a car from the past when you get back in an ICE car.

This strategy could be looked at as more of a way for people to experience Tesla ownership than anything.

Although some might use it as a typical rental program that will see it be a cool way to drive without putting miles on a personal car, most will use it as the 48-hour test drive was designed for, which is a short-term way to experience EV ownership.

Tesla is only offering this program at a handful of locations currently, including San Diego and Costa Mesa, California.

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Tesla makes online ordering even easier

Tesla has a great trade-in program that allows you to give the company your vehicle in exchange for cash, even if it’s not an EV. Their trades are mostly fair, but the company seems to undervalue its own vehicles, and there have been plenty of complaints over offers in the past.

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(Credit: Tesla Asia | X)

Tesla has adjusted its Online Design Studio to make for an easier trade-in process, reflecting the details of the exchange for a more accurate reflection of payment terms.

Tesla has a great trade-in program that allows you to give the company your vehicle in exchange for cash, even if it’s not an EV. Their trades are mostly fair, but the company seems to undervalue its own vehicles, and there have been plenty of complaints over offers in the past.

Trade-ins are usually given by submitting vehicle details, then Tesla sends an email with an offer. Offers are non-negotiable, but do adjust over time, although the latest offer is valid for 30 days.

I traded my ICE vehicle for a Tesla Model Y: here’s how it went

Knowing your new Tesla’s cash price, leasing or loan details, and monthly payment information used to be done by the car buyer. From personal experience, I simply subtracted my trade-in from the cash price of the Tesla Model Y, and I plugged those numbers into the payment calculator.

Now, Tesla is implementing the trade-in process directly into the Design Studio. It will adjust the price of the car and the different monthly payment methods automatically:

The change is already noticed in a handful of states, including California, but it has not rolled out across the board quite yet. It will be implemented in all of the U.S., as well as Canada, this coming week.

The trade-in process is very simple, and after you accept your offer, you simply drop your vehicle off during the delivery process. Making this simple change will be greatly appreciated by owners.

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Tesla confirms Robotaxi is heading to five new cities in the U.S.

After launching in Austin, Texas, in late June and the Bay Area of California just a few weeks later, Tesla has been attempting to expand its Robotaxi suite to new states and cities in the U.S., and even outside of the country.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Robotaxi will hit five new cities in the United States in the coming months, the company confirmed.

After launching in Austin, Texas, in late June and the Bay Area of California just a few weeks later, Tesla has been attempting to expand its Robotaxi suite to new states and cities in the U.S., and even outside of the country.

The Robotaxi suite is a ride-hailing service Tesla offers, but the details of it change with each jurisdiction, as regulations vary. For example, in Austin, Tesla can operate the Robotaxi suite without anyone in the driver’s seat, as long as the vehicle does not enter a freeway.

Credit: Tesla

In the Bay Area, a Safety Monitor rides in the driver’s seat, essentially acting as the vehicle operator with Full Self-Driving controlling the car.

The local regulations and how Tesla handles them will continue to be a relevant part of the discussion, especially as the company aims to expand the Robotaxi program to different areas. This has been a primary focus of the company for several months, especially within the United States.

CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla was aiming to launch Robotaxi in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. However, the company detailed five specific cities where it will launch Robotaxi next during the Annual Shareholder Meeting on Thursday.

Tesla will launch Robotaxi in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, and Miami next, broadening its Service Area for the suite to more major cities across the U.S.

It has said it plans to offer the service to half of the U.S. population by the end of the year, but it does not seem as if it will expand to more than a handful of cities this year, which is still tremendous progress, all things considered.

As far as autonomy is concerned, Tesla has always had lofty expectations and has made some even loftier statements.

At the Shareholder Meeting, Musk said that the company would likely be able to enable vehicle owners to text while the vehicle drives, alleviating them from potentially having some of the responsibility they have behind the wheel.

Tesla says texting and driving capability is coming ‘in a month or two’

It is not confirmed that Tesla will roll this out in the next few months, but Musk said there is a possibility.

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