

News
SpaceX launches back-to-back Falcon 9 missions over the weekend
SpaceX successfully launched the Transporter 9 mission from California and a pair of O3b mPower communications satellites from Florida over the weekend as the company prepares for another round of Starlink missions and the potential for Starship Integrated Flight Test 2.
The Transporter 9 mission saw 113 payloads deployed into various orbits following the launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This mission also featured the return of the stubby stage 2 engine nozzle on the Merlin 1D vacuum engine, which saves weight when SpaceX doesn’t need as much performance capabilities as when using the full nozzle.
The Falcon 9 that launched the Transporter 9 mission was Booster 1071 and completed its 12th flight to space and back. Following stage separation, B1071 performed a boostback burn and landed at Landing Zone 4 just 1,400 ft away from the launch pad.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on Landing Zone 4 pic.twitter.com/Vl9WAOoTY4
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 11, 2023
Just over 24 hours later, on the opposite coast, another Falcon 9 took flight to deliver the O3b mPower 5 & 6 communications satellites to Medium Earth orbit. The two satellites were successfully deployed just over 2 hours after lift-off. These were the 3rd pair of mPower satellites launched by a Falcon 9.
For this flight, SpaceX assigned Booster 1076, which, after a successful touchdown on the droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’, completed its 9th flight.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/7xuJd88TOZ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 12, 2023
SpaceX also sent out recovery ships on each coast to recover the payload fairings from the missions. The company has seemingly perfected the refurbishment process on the fairings, regularly reusing flight-proven fairings beyond just Starlink missions.
Next up for the company is another set of back-to-back Starlink launches from Florida and California. As of writing, the first one on the range is from SLC-40 in Florida at 11:00 pm ET, followed shortly after with a launch from SLC-4E at 11:38 pm PT. As always, launch times can change, especially with the Starship IFT 2 tentatively scheduled for the morning of November 17th.
Questions or comments? Shoot me an email at rangle@teslarati.com, or Tweet me @RDAnglePhoto.
Cybertruck
Tesla gives big hint that it will build Cyber SUV, smaller Cybertruck
“Those are definitely things we’ve considered. Wait & see is probably the best way I can answer that. We’re working on so many innovative & fun things.”

Tesla appears to have given a significant hint that it plans to build two highly anticipated and requested vehicles: the Cyber SUV and a smaller Cybertruck. This potentially indicates that two new cars could be added to the lineup soon.
For some time, Tesla fans have been requesting two things: a true SUV and a more compact Cybertruck. The SUV has been on the minds of fans and owners for some time, as Tesla does not currently build a full-size SUV that competes with vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe or Ford Expedition.
Tesla’s longer Model Y did not scale back requests for this vehicle type from fans
Meanwhile, the compact and smaller Cybertruck has been teased for years, especially since the all-electric pickup seems to be a viable option for international markets; however, its size does not seem ideal for the tight roadways in other regions.
Lately, there have been more hints than ever that Tesla is finally considering these two vehicles. It’s all but confirmed, but Tesla has always left breadcrumbs for fans to find and speculate over.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen said that the company has considered these two vehicles for its lineup, but he would not give a definitive “yes” or “no” regarding their development:
“Those are definitely things we’ve considered. Wait & see is probably the best way I can answer that. We’re working on so many innovative & fun things.”
Recently, the speculation regarding the Cyber SUV has been well-fueled, as a recent promotional video Tesla released seemed to show a mock-up design hiding in plain sight:

Credit: Tesla
Interestingly, Tesla said in a regulatory filing early this year that it would not adopt the Cybertruck’s stainless steel exoskeleton for new vehicles. However, it could still launch a design inspired by the Cybertruck, but using different materials.
Very, very interesting observation here.
Tesla said in its Q4 Shareholder Deck that it would not utilize the Stainless Steel Exoskeleton in future vehicles.
Fans have been calling for a full-size SUV in the Tesla lineup.
It would probably do very well. Cost has to be right. https://t.co/VryCVQxEC9 pic.twitter.com/APxeYmF6ew
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 1, 2025
As far as the more compact Cybertruck design, this would enable fans in Europe and Asia to purchase the all-electric pickup.
There have been concerns from a regulatory perspective in some countries outside of North America, as the sheer size and sharp edges have caused some concern for other governments:
Tesla Cybertruck gets pushback in Europe, increasing need for ‘international’ version
However, back in 2019, just after the Cybertruck’s unveiling, CEO Elon Musk admitted that there was a place for a smaller version.
News
Tesla Robotaxi is headed to a new U.S. state following latest approval
“Only a trained employee, contractor, or other person authorized by the company can operate or monitor the vehicles.”

Tesla Robotaxi is headed to a new U.S. state following its latest approval, which was revealed on Friday night.
Tesla has been operating its Robotaxi platform in Texas and California, with Austin being the first city where the company could test a ride-hailing platform without anyone in the driver’s seat.
First launching in Austin in late June, Tesla’s focus has been expanding its service area, its fleet of Robotaxi vehicles, and its rider population, which has grown most recently due to its public launch.
However, Tesla is also filing applications in states where these autonomous driving programs can operate, aiming to expand to all 50 states eventually. CEO Elon Musk said earlier this year that the company should be able to offer Robotaxi rides to roughly half of the U.S. population.
Alongside Texas and California, Tesla recently gained permission to test its Robotaxi in Nevada, marking the third state where it had some form of regulatory permission to perform rides using an unreleased version of the Full Self-Driving suite.
Tesla adjusts one key detail of Robotaxi operations in Austin
Now, Tesla has gained another approval in a new state, its fourth, marking a significant step in its expansion across the U.S.
In Arizona, Tesla gained regulatory approval to begin testing autonomous vehicles on public roads.
BREAKING: Tesla has officially received approval from the Arizona Department of Transportation to start testing autonomous vehicles on public roads.
Today, I confirmed directly with the Arizona DOT that @Tesla has met requirements to begin testing its autonomous vehicles in… pic.twitter.com/kjgFnKEcJF
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 20, 2025
The vehicles in Austin and the Bay Area of California both use what Tesla has been referring to as “Safety Monitors” in the cars. During city operation in Texas, the Safety Monitor sits in the passenger’s seat. When the route takes the car on the highway, the Safety Monitor jumps into the driver’s seat.
Tesla explains why Robotaxis now have safety monitors in the driver’s seat
In California, the Safety Monitor is always in the driver’s seat.
In Arizona, Tesla will also utilize what a communication said was “Safety Drivers,” insinuating that the monitor would be in the driver’s seat. However, another line in the email states:
“Only a trained employee, contractor, or other person authorized by the company can operate or monitor the vehicles.”
It sounds as if there is the potential for the Safety Monitor to be in either seat, much like Tesla’s process in Austin. However, this is currently unconfirmed.
The new approval marks a drastic step forward for Tesla as it has received two new approvals in just two weeks. Regulatory hurdles seem to still be the biggest bottleneck for Tesla in terms of gaining permissions to operate in new states, but things seem to be moving along pretty well so far.
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says this common issue is ‘major area of focus’
Tesla, like any other company, goes through hardware issues with its vehicles, but some are more publicized than others.

Elon Musk said this afternoon on X that a commonly reported issue with the Tesla vehicles is a “major area of focus” for the company.
Tesla, like any other company, goes through hardware issues with its vehicles, but some are more publicized than others.
However, the simple yet annoying issues that owners encounter through thousands of miles of driving do not receive as much attention, even though they are likely more pertinent and frequently encountered by owners.
One of those problems is with the central windshield Full Self-Driving camera, which sits inside a housing at the top of the glass, enabling Tesla Vision to have an uninterrupted view of the traffic and surroundings ahead of the vehicle.
Many owners have reported that their vehicles alert them when Full Self-Driving is unavailable due to an obstruction with this camera. Commonly, it is caused by a buildup of condensation, which creates a haze on the camera and obstructs its view.
Tesla suggests a quick cleaning of the housing and cameras, which resolves the problem. Still, owners are not necessarily ecstatic about having to do this themselves.
Tesla developing more comprehensive Cybertruck camera cleaning system
Musk says that Tesla is attempting to fix the issue, and said in response to one owner who performed the maintenance that it was a “major area of focus” for the company:
This is a major area of focus
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 19, 2025
While many were enthusiastic about the potential fix, but some complained that their cars had been in for service many times for the issue, inhibiting their ability to utilize FSD and truly enjoy the full experience of owning a Tesla.
Constantly fighting mine. Every single time I use FSD it shows me an image and tells me the camera is dirty and needs to be cleaned and yet it’s not dirty and has been cleaned. I’ve had it into Tesla six times. Had the camera even replaced. Still happening. It’s frustrating
— Stop Lying (@Michael46116047) September 19, 2025
It will likely be a hardware fix that will be implemented through a service appointment, but knowing Tesla, they could have something up their sleeve through a software update to resolve the issue.
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