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SpaceX set for its most important launch ever as skies, seas threaten delays
SpaceX remains on track for an inaugural NASA astronaut launch that will arguably be the most important single mission in the company’s history, although Florida’s summer weather continues to conspire to delay it.
Heavily dependent on Atlantic Ocean weather conditions, skies (and seas) thankfully appear to be clearing up on the home stretch to Crew Dragon’s Demo-2 astronaut debut. Set to be the first time NASA has launched its own astronauts in nearly a decade and the first time SpaceX (or any private company) has launched humans into orbit, the stakes have never been higher for the 18-year-old Elon Musk venture.
If successful, it will catapult the company into an unprecedented era, proving countless traditional aerospace naysayers wrong and beating the likes of Boeing to the punch — all with a self-built reusable rocket and spacecraft that are dramatically cheaper than their closest competitors. It will be the single most encouraging step SpaceX has taken towards the permanent settlement of the solar system. On the other side of the double-edged sword, if things go south, it’s hard to exaggerate the scale of the setback and road to retribution that would face the pioneering spaceflight company.
Yeah, Atlantic weather review tomorrow morning will determine if we can launch— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 27, 2020
For two interconnected reasons, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon astronaut missions are going to be extraordinarily sensitive to weather restrictions come launch day, a fact that has come to partially dominate the tone of Demo-2 preparations over the last few days. First and foremost, NASA’s single highest priority for crewed Commercial Crew Program (CCP) launches is and will continue to be astronaut safety.
If things go according to plan, Crew Dragon’s Demo-2 mission will also be the first time NASA astronauts have splashed down in the ocean since July 1975, when the space agency completed the last launch of an Apollo Command and Service Module (CSM). Recovering crewed spacecraft from the ocean carries numerous challenges and constraints with it, many of which involve specific spacecraft characteristics. For SpaceX and NASA, Crew Dragon will have fairly strict requirements for sea states and weather during astronaut splashdowns. Additionally, thanks to SpaceX’s innovative inclusion of a built-in abort system in the Crew Dragon capsule, the spacecraft will be able to abort at any point during launch, from before liftoff all the way to orbit.
As a direct result of that significant safety improvement, SpaceX and NASA are ironically going to have a more challenging time launching Crew Dragon as dozens of possible abort splashdown locations stretching across the Atlantic Ocean will have to be constantly monitored for weather violations. SpaceX Vice President of Build and Reliability Hans Koenigsmann described the method of weighing those dozens of sites as an extremely complex algorithm, suggesting that unacceptable weather in certain spots might not fully delay a launch opportunity.
Still, adding in the need for SpaceX to attempt to recover Falcon 9 boosters on ocean-based drone ships like Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY), which carries its own weather restrictions, the company’s astronaut launches are going to be extraordinarily sensitive to environmental factors. As of now, SpaceX’s inaugural astronaut launch remains technically on track to lift off at 4:33 pm EDT (20:33 UTC) on May 27th. The latest forecasts predict a 60% chance of favorable weather on Wednesday, up from 40% around 24 hours ago.
A backup window on May 30th shows a 70% chance of favorable weather, with both days primarily challenged by the likelihood of thunderstorms in and around Cape Canaveral. That forecast, however, doesn’t account for the dozens of locations in the Atlantic Ocean that will also need some level of favorable weather. To quantify the scale of weather-related challenges, Koenigsmann revealed in a prelaunch briefing that the weather component of the flight readiness review (FRR) alone involved a presentation with more than 60 slides. According to Elon Musk, NASA and SpaceX will decide later this morning whether the Atlantic Ocean is calm enough to proceed with Crew Dragon’s historic launch attempt.
SpaceX and NASA will both host livestreams of the Demo-2 mission beginning around noon EDT (16:00 UTC). Stay tuned for updates as we close in on the momentous occasion.
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Elon Musk
Tesla Model Y outsells all EV rivals in Europe in 2025 despite headwinds
The result highlights the Model Y’s continued strength in the region.
The Tesla Model Y was Europe’s most popular electric car in 2025, leading all EV models by a wide margin despite a year marked by production transition, intensifying competition, and anti-Elon Musk sentiments.
The result highlights the Model Y’s continued strength in the region even as Volkswagen overtook Tesla as the top-selling EV brand overall.
As per data compiled by JATO Dynamics and reported by Swedish outlet Allt om Elbil, the Tesla Model Y recorded 149,805 registrations across Europe in 2025. That figure placed it comfortably at No. 1 among all electric car models in the region.
The Model Y’s performance in Europe is particularly notable given that registrations declined 28% year-over-year. The dip coincided with Tesla’s Q1 2025 transition to the updated Model Y, a changeover that temporarily affected output and deliveries in several markets. Anti-Elon Musk sentiments also spread across several European countries amidst the CEO’s work with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Even with these disruptions, the Model Y outsold its nearest rival by more than 50,000 units. Second place went to the newly launched Skoda Elroq with 93,870 registrations, followed by the Tesla Model 3 at 85,393 units. The Model 3 also recorded a 24% year-over-year decline. Renault’s new electric Renault 5 placed fourth with 85,101 registrations.
Other top performers included the Volkswagen ID.4, ID.3, and ID.7, along with the BMW iX1 and Kia EV3, many of which posted triple-digit growth from partial-year launches in 2024.
While the Model Y dominated individual model rankings, Volkswagen overtook Tesla as Europe’s top EV brand in 2025. Volkswagen delivered 274,278 electric cars in the region, a 56% increase compared to 2024. Much of that growth was driven by the Volkswagen ID.7. Tesla, by contrast, sold 236,357 electric vehicles in Europe, representing a 27% year-over-year decline.
JATO Dynamics noted that “Tesla’s small and aging model range faces fierce competition in Europe, both from traditional European automakers and a growing number of Chinese competitors.”
Despite intensifying competition and brand-level shifts, however. the Model Y’s commanding lead demonstrates that Tesla’s bestselling crossover remains a dominant force in Europe’s fast-evolving EV landscape.
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Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee for stable and reliable internet access
The company said it plans to “rapidly integrate Starlink into its fleet,” and that the first Starlink-equipped aircraft will enter service this Summer.
SpaceX’s Starlink, the satellite internet program launched by Elon Musk’s company, has gotten its latest airline adoptee, offering stable and reliable internet to passengers.
Southwest Airlines announced on Wednesday that it would enable Starlink on its aircraft, a new strategy that will expand to more than 300 planes by the end of the year.
The company said it plans to “rapidly integrate Starlink into its fleet,” and that the first Starlink-equipped aircraft will enter service this Summer.
Tony Roach, Executive Vice President, Chief Customer and Brand Officer for the airline, said:
“Free WiFi has been a huge hit with our Rapid Rewards Members, and we know our Customers expect seamless connectivity across all their devices when they travel. Starlink delivers that at-home experience in the air, giving Customers the ability to stream their favorite shows from any platform, watch live sports, download music, play games, work, and connect with loved ones from takeoff to landing.”
Southwest also said that this is just one of the latest upgrades it is making to provide a more well-rounded experience to its aircraft. In addition to Starlink, it is updating cabin designs, offering more legroom, and installing in-seat power to all passengers.
Southwest became one of several airlines to cross over to Starlink, as reviews for the internet provider have raved about reliability and speed. Over the past year, Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, airBaltic, Air France, JSX, Emirates, British Airways, and others have all decided to install Starlink on their planes.
This has been a major move away from unpredictable and commonly unreliable WiFi offerings on planes. Starlink has been more reliable and has provided more stable connections for those using their travel time for leisure or business.
Jason Fritch, VP of Starlink Enterprise Sales at SpaceX, said:
“We’re thrilled to deliver a connectivity experience to Southwest Airlines and its Customers that really is similar, if not better, than what you can experience in your own home. Starlink is the future of connected travel, making every journey faster, smoother, and infinitely more enjoyable.”
Starlink recently crossed a massive milestone of over 10 million subscribers.
Elon Musk
Tesla nears closure of Full Self-Driving purchasing option
The move to bring FSD to this type of purchasing program comes after CEO Elon Musk noted in January that Tesla would move away from the outright purchase option.
Tesla is nearing the closure of its Full Self-Driving outright purchasing option, which will be removed on February 14, meaning Saturday will be the last time it can be bought as a non-subscription.
Tesla is aiming to move its Full Self-Driving suite to a subscription-only platform, a move that will enable people to only pay monthly for the semi-autonomous driving functionality.
The move to bring FSD to this type of purchasing program comes after CEO Elon Musk noted in January that Tesla would move away from the outright purchase option.
It is currently priced at $8,000 for the outright option to use Full Self-Driving, a substantial decrease compared to the $15,000 it was priced at one time. For the monthly subscription, it is just $99 per month, but that price will change, likely increasing as things get more advanced.
Tesla is overhauling its Full Self-Driving subscription for easier access
We say it will likely increase because there is no indication of how Tesla will price FSD. There has been some speculation that Tesla could utilize a tiered system to price FSD, which would potentially allow owners to pick and choose a set of features that would be most ideal for them.
This would potentially introduce an even more affordable option for FSD use, but this is unconfirmed. The reason many say this could be an option for Tesla is the fact that if the price goes up further, the take rate, which is currently around 12 percent at its most recent estimate, could be lower.
Musk needs 10 million active Full Self-Driving subscriptions to unlock one of the tranches of his newest compensation package.
The move to a subscription-only platform has its positives and negatives, and owners have been more than vocal about these since Musk confirmed the move.
Positives
- Lower barrier to entry and higher potential adoption
- Financially better for many users
- Easier transfers and brand loyalty
- Predictable recurring revenue for Tesla
- Access to the latest features
Negatives
- Higher long-term cost for loyal/long-term owners
- No true “ownership” or permanence
- Risk of future price hikes or even deactivation
- Perceived as of less value
- Impact on resale and used market
Overall, there is a split among the Tesla community in terms of what they see as the “right” way to handle this. Tesla is likely to shed more details on what its plans for the subscription-only platform will be, including pricing, in the coming weeks.
Tesla Model Y outsells all EV rivals in Europe in 2025 despite headwinds
Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee for stable and reliable internet access
