NASA says SpaceX has finished encapsulating its DART asteroid redirection spacecraft inside Falcon 9’s fairing and opened up its West Coast launch pad hangar to give VIPs and mission team members a tour of their rocket.
Measuring 70m (230ft) tall, 550 metric tons (1.2M lb) fully fueled, and capable of producing more than 775 tons (1.71M lbf) of thrust at liftoff, Falcon 9 remains on track to launch NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission no earlier than 10:21 pm PST, Wednesday, November 23rd (06:21 UTC 24 Nov). While there are multiple conflicting reports of the spacecraft’s launch mass, it will likely weigh between 600 and 650 kg (1300-1450 lb) – a minuscule 0.1% of the rocket’s total mass at liftoff. In simpler terms, Falcon 9 launching DART is a bit like a semi-truck carrying a single piece of wood.
Nevertheless, just like that semi-truck scenario, it might not be the most efficient choice of vehicle but sometimes a one-size-fits-all rocket like Falcon 9 can make a lot of sense.
Notably, despite being outsized by at least a factor of 2-3, Falcon 9’s DART launch will ultimately cost NASA about $73M – about a quarter of the mission’s total ~$250M cost. Nominally headed to interplanetary space, there isn’t a smallsat launcher (i.e. Firefly Alpha, Relativity Terran-1, Virgin Orbit LauncherOne, ABL Space RS-1, etc.) currently in development that’s expected to be able to launch a ~600 kg payload onto the interplanetary trajectory Falcon 9 will send DART on. If there were, it might theoretically cost NASA just ~$20M to launch DART but it will also take years for any of the new small to midsize rockets that might have enough performance to establish a track record of reliability, meaning that NASA would have to accept significant risk for that potential discount.
It’s worth noting that based on several comments from executives indicating that a flight-proven Falcon 9 costs about $15-25M to launch, SpaceX could almost certainly charge NASA half as much to launch DART while still breaking even, with its routine reusability making the potential economic advantage of smaller rockets much murkier. Additionally, despite the potential to save another $30-50M, NASA is still likely saving at least $80-100 million by launching on a $73M Falcon 9 rocket rather than the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) cheapest Atlas V offering, which NASA has paid around $150-175M for in recent years.
While SpaceX has technically launched two similarly tiny NASA payloads to very high orbits ~300,000 and ~900,000 km (150,000-600,000 mi) away from Earth in 2015 and 2018, as well as CEO Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster on an Earth escape trajectory with Falcon Heavy, data from JPL recently confirmed that DART will be Falcon 9’s first truly interplanetary launch. After reaching a normal low Earth parking orbit, Falcon 9’s expendable upper stage will ultimately boost the small spacecraft free of Earth’s gravity, sending it into a heliocentric orbit that will eventually intersect with the binary Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system.
As early as September 2022, DART will slam into asteroid moon Dimorphos while traveling a staggering 6.6 kilometers per second (4.1 mi/s) in an attempt to shift its orbit around the larger Didymos asteroid. In effect, NASA is using the asteroid system a bit like an isolated sandbox to (hopefully) exaggerate any effects. If successful, DART will prove that kinetic impactors offer a viable way to change the course of asteroids and comets, potentially paving the way for the creation of a true planetary defense program.
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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.
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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Tesla launches another new Model Y trim at a bargain price with massive range
It is the second most-affordable Model Y trim level in China, trailing the base Rear-Wheel-Drive and coming in under the All-Wheel-Drive.
Tesla has launched yet another new Model Y trim level, but this time it is in China, and it is at a bargain price.
It also has an insane range rating.
On Friday, Tesla launched the new Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel-Drive in China, priced at 288,500 yuan ($40,500), an incredible deal considering it is not a stripped-down version of the vehicle like the Model Y Standard.
🚨🚨 Tesla’s new China-launched Model Y LR RWD offers 821 km (510 miles) CLTC range with 78.4 kWh CATL battery, beating AWD’s 750 km.
At 288,500 yuan ($40,500 USD), it fits between base RWD (593 km, 263,500 yuan) and AWD (313,500 yuan) for affordable long-range EVs.
CLTC… https://t.co/rhKVzvUWlu pic.twitter.com/ZOoelziJ8T
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 8, 2025
It is the second most-affordable Model Y trim level in China, trailing the base Rear-Wheel-Drive and coming in under the All-Wheel-Drive.
The big appeal with this new Model Y trim is obviously its price, but its range rating is also one of the best we’ve seen. Rated at 821 kilometers on the CLTC scale, it converts to 510 miles. It uses a 78.4 kWh CATL battery.
Converted to real-world range, however, that 821-kilometer range rated by the CLTC actually is equivalent to about 357 miles on the EPA scale, which is still a very respectable number and comes in at a higher range than the Long Range All-Wheel-Drive configuration that is available in the U.S.
Tesla has truly brought a wide variety of Model Y trims to the Chinese market, including a new Model Y L configuration that features a slightly longer wheelbase, as well as additional interior features like extended thigh legrests and captain’s chairs with armrests.
It is unclear whether Tesla will bring a Premium Rear-Wheel-Drive option of the Model Y to the U.S., especially as it has already rolled out four configurations of the all-electric crossover in the market. With the new Standard offerings, Tesla will likely keep its lineup as simple as possible.
However, the company has hinted that there is a slim possibility the Model Y L could come to the U.S. sometime late next year, but CEO Elon Musk said that it is not a guarantee.
Tesla is more concerned with self-driving efforts in the U.S., and despite calls from customers for larger vehicles, it does not seem concerned with making them available, at least not for now.
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Tesla Model Y Performance set for new market entrance in Q1
The lightning-fast trim level of the all-electric crossover packs a variety of new improvements, including more range and better acceleration, thanks to aerodynamic improvements and other performance-based changes.
Tesla’s new Model Y Performance is set to arrive in a new market in Q1 2026, a company executive confirmed on Friday.
The lightning-fast trim level of the all-electric crossover packs a variety of new improvements, including more range and better acceleration, thanks to aerodynamic improvements and other performance-based changes.
It was initially launched in Europe, and then it made its way to the United States. However, it will soon be available in a new market: Canada.
Raj Jegannathan, a Tesla executive, confirmed on Friday that the company would be bringing its Performance trim of the Model Y to the Canadian market early next year:
Q1
— Raj Jegannathan (@r_jegaa) November 8, 2025
Interestingly, the Model Y Performances that enter the Canadian market will likely come from Gigafactory Berlin and not Gigafactory Texas, even though it is logistically more advantageous.
There is a 25 percent tariff on U.S.-built vehicles currently, and Tesla has been sending Germany-built Model Y vehicles to Canada to avoid this and keep prices reasonable for customers.
Some Model Y owners in Canada have already confirmed that their units came from the German production facility, not the United States.
Model Y Performance deliveries have not yet started in the United States, but are slated for late November or early December.
Tesla refined the Model Y Performance’s exterior design with new front and rear fascia designs, a new performance carbon spoiler, 21″ Arachnid wheels and tires, and adaptive damping to help with better handling.
There are also new Drive Modes for better control during high-speed driving.
It also packs the same improvements as the new Model Y features over its predecessors, including acoustic glass and premium sound-damping materials for a quieter cabin, and heated and ventilated front sport seats.
In the United States, it is priced at $57,490. It will very likely be higher in Canada due to logistics costs and other factors.
Tesla confirms Robotaxi is heading to five new cities in the U.S.
Tesla launches another new Model Y trim at a bargain price with massive range
Tesla Model Y Performance set for new market entrance in Q1
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