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SpaceX's next Starship rapidly coming together as Elon Musk shares latest progress
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has shown off a rarely-seen phase of Starship construction, further confirming that the next full-scale rocket ship is rapidly coming together after operator error destroyed its predecessor on April 3rd.
Around 5 am local time (10:00 UTC) on April 5th, Musk shared a photo of a smaller secondary tank’s installation inside Starship SN4’s full-size liquid methane tank. The photo is the first time SpaceX or its CEO has offered a glimpse inside this lesser-known part of Starship production and assembly and simultaneously offers insight into a design that’s been a mystery for months. Over the last few weeks, local residents-turned-unofficial-SpaceX-photographers have captured several photos of an internal Starship header tank design far removed from the nosecone tank Musk has previously discussed.
Those header tanks are a necessity to enable Starship’s ability to quickly, reliably, and safely reignite its Raptor engines for recovery and landing-related burns. For a ship like Starship SN4, those header tanks are a sign that SpaceX may want to use the ship to perform Starship’s most crucial test short of orbit — a ~20 km (12.5 mi) flight test meant to demonstrate a skydiver-style landing maneuver. While that skydiver landing test remains several consecutive milestones distant, Musk’s April 5th photo confirms that Starship SN4 is making significant progress towards final assembly.
Known as header tanks, SpaceX’s large Starship launch vehicle upper stage and orbital spacecraft requires smaller, secondary tanks aside from the main liquid oxygen and methane propellant tanks that make up the bulk of its body. In these early stages of prototype development, those tanks serve one main purpose: reserve a small portion of pressurized propellant for Starship landing burns.
While Starship’s main tanks still need to be pressurized at all times to ensure the rocket’s structural integrity, smaller header tanks make it much easier to safely feed Raptor engines fuel during even the most chaotic of aerial maneuvers. For rocket engines, even the slightest introduction of pressurization gas or voids into the combustion process can lead to immediate destruction — a bit like how a tiny air bubble can be almost instantly fatal for humans. Starship header tanks thus ensure that only a fraction of the overall tank volume is in play during the ship’s most critical maneuvers.
Requiring both a fuel and oxidizer, Starships thus need two header tanks. Currently, Starship’s design places the liquid methane header tank directly inside the main methane tank itself. The liquid oxygen header tank, however, is situated in the very tip of Starship’s nose section, a location chosen to optimize the vehicle’s center of gravity for stability during a radical skydiver-style landing maneuver.
Musk’s April 5th photo and caption revealed that SpaceX began installing Starship SN4’s methane header tank just an hour or two after it had flipped the ship’s partially-completed liquid methane tank dome. Thanks to SpaceX’s more efficient use of a common dome design in their Falcon and Starship rockets, that dome also serves as the upper dome of the ship’s larger liquid oxygen tank. After the methane header tank is installed, a funnel-like sump will be the last addition needed to finish the section.
With the majority of Starship SN4 already in work around SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas rocket factory, the ship could be just a week or less away from kicking off the stacking phase of assembly. Stay tuned!
Tesla announced its Spring 2026 software update, and it’s the most feature-dense seasonal release the company has put out. The update covers twelve named changes spanning FSD, voice AI, safety lighting, dashcam storage, and pet display customization, among other things.
The centerpiece for owners with AI4 hardware is a redesigned Self-Driving app. The new interface lets owners subscribe to Full Self-Driving with a single tap and view ongoing FSD usage stats directly in the vehicle.
Grok gets its biggest in-car upgrade yet. The update adds a “Hey Grok” hands-free wake word along with location-based reminders, so a driver can now say “remind me to pick up groceries when I get home” without touching the screen. Grok first arrived in vehicles in July 2025, but each update has pushed it closer to genuine daily utility. Musk framed the broader vision clearly at Davos in January, saying Tesla is “really moving into a future that is based on autonomy.”
On safety, the update introduces enhanced blind spot warning lights that integrate directly with the cabin’s ambient lighting, building on the blind spot door warning that arrived in update 2026.8.
Dog Mode has been renamed Pet Mode and now lets owners choose a dog, cat, or hedgehog icon and add their pet’s name to the display.
Dashcam retention now extends up to 24 hours, up from the previous one-hour rolling loop, with a permanent save option for any clip. Weather maps now show rain and snow with better color differentiation and include the past hour of precipitation data along the route.
Tesla has now established a clear rhythm of two major OTA pushes per year. As with last year’s Spring update, that cycle started taking shape in 2025 with adaptive headlights and trunk customization. The 2025 Holiday Update then added Grok to the vehicle for the first time. This Spring follows that structure: the Holiday update introduces new architecture, and the Spring update broadens it across the fleet.
Two notable features still did not make it. IFTTT automations, which launched in China earlier this year, were held back from this North American release for unknown reasons, and Apple CarPlay remains absent, reportedly still delayed by iOS 26 and Apple Maps compatibility issues.
Below is the full list of feature updates released by Tesla.
— Tesla (@Tesla) April 13, 2026
News
Tesla launches new Model Y interior option
Produced at Gigafactory Shanghai, the update applies to all five-seat Premium Model Y configurations and started being seen on customer deliveries this week. The move marks the first major interior refresh for the compact crossover since its global debut.
Tesla has rolled out a striking new interior choice for its best-selling Model Y in China, replacing the long-familiar white cabin with a fresh option: Zen Grey.
Produced at Gigafactory Shanghai, the update applies to all five-seat Premium Model Y configurations and started being seen on customer deliveries this week. The move marks the first major interior refresh for the compact crossover since its global debut.
The Zen Grey interior swaps the classic black-and-white contrast for a softer, more unified palette. Seats, door panels, and center console trim now feature a warm light-grey tone that covers far more surface area than before.
Previously, black accents on the console, door handles, and lower dashboard are now color-matched in the same pebbled vegan leather, creating a brighter, less clinical cabin.
Tesla describes the material as durable and easy to maintain while delivering a noticeably more premium feel. Early photos and videos from Chinese owners show the new shade reflecting natural light beautifully, giving the spacious Model Y an even airier, more inviting atmosphere without sacrificing the minimalist design customers expect:
🚨 First look at Tesla’s new Zen Grey interior, which differs slightly in tone and in placement compared to the now discontinued White Interior https://t.co/rRRuEOrbm4 pic.twitter.com/p7uyNfO3xY
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) April 13, 2026
The change is not an added-cost upgrade but a direct replacement for the discontinued white interior on Shanghai-built vehicles. Customers configuring a new Model Y in China, Hong Kong, or Macau now see Zen Grey as the default light-colored choice.
The update also flows to export markets supplied by Giga Shanghai, including Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. Tesla has used its Chinese factory as an innovation hub before, and executives appear to be testing broader appeal with this subtler, warmer tone that avoids the high-maintenance reputation sometimes associated with bright white leather.
Beyond the interior, the refreshed Model Y from Shanghai includes minor exterior tweaks such as blacked-out badges on some trims and optional dark 20-inch wheels.
These changes arrive as Tesla faces stiff competition from domestic EV makers in its largest market. By refreshing the Model Y’s cabin without raising prices, the company is signaling continued commitment to value and constant improvement.
With over 1.2 million Model Y units already on Chinese roads, the Zen Grey launch gives existing owners a fresh talking point and new buyers another reason to choose Tesla. As deliveries ramp up this month, the updated interior is expected to become the dominant light-colored choice across the Asia-Pacific region.
Tesla has not yet confirmed whether the Zen Grey will reach Fremont, Austin, or Berlin-built Model Ys, but Shanghai’s track record suggests the option could spread quickly if customer feedback remains strong.
Elon Musk
Tesla launches 200mph Model S “Gold” Signature in invite-only purchase
Tesla’s final 350-unit Signature Edition closes the book on two cars that changed everything.
Tesla has announced a super limited Signature Edition run of 250 Model S Plaid and 100 Model X Plaid units as an invite only purchase in a bid to give its original flagship vehicles a proper send-off.
When the Model S first launched in 2012, the first 1,000 units sold were “Signature” editions that required a $40,000 deposit and cost nearly $100,000 each. Those early buyers were Tesla’s first real believers. This new Signature Edition deliberately echoes that moment, bookending a 14-year run with numbered collector hardware.
Both models are finished in an exclusive Garnet Red paint not available on any current Tesla production vehicle, with gold Tesla T badges up front, a gold Plaid badge and Signature badge at the rear, and a white Alcantara interior featuring gold Plaid seat badges, gold piping, Signature-marked door sills, and a numbered dash plate. The Model S adds carbon ceramic brakes with gold calipers. Every unit ships with Tesla’s Luxe Package, bundling Full Self-Driving (Supervised), four years of Premium Service, free lifetime Supercharging, and a Signature Edition key fob. Both are priced at $159,420, a roughly $35,000 premium over standard Plaid inventory.
The discontinuation is part of a broader strategic shift. At Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call, Musk described the decision as “slightly sad” but necessary, saying: “It’s time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end with an honorable discharge, because we’re really moving into a future that is based on autonomy.”
The Fremont factory floor that built these cars is being converted to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots, with a target of one million units annually.
Tesla 2026 Spring Update drops 12 new features owners have been waiting for
Tesla launches new Model Y interior option
