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SpaceX set to launch its first government spy satellite on April 30

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SpaceX is set to begin a new chapter in the company with its first launch of a government highly secretive spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) planned for April 30th at 07:00EDT (11:00UTC) from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Updated: SpaceX successfully completes hold-down static fire test ahead of Sunday’s classified mission

The NROL-76 launch will likely utilize version 1.2 of the Falcon 9 booster, taking flight from the historic Launch Complex 39A (LC39A) at the Kennedy Space Center. A static fire test is expected today. This will be the first NRO launch in history wherein a stage 1 booster will be recovered by landing on its own after successfully detaching from the second stage payload-carrying rocket.

This will be the first SpaceX launch for the Department of Defense which has been a long time in the making. Launching satellites for the DoD requires a special certification that SpaceX received from the U.S. Air Force in 2015 after an arduous verification process.

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) was previously the only company authorized for DoD missions and has been for the last 6 years during which it has established an impressive record of successful launches. The ULA is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space and Security and has largely monopolized the space launch industry until SpaceX began penetrating individual launch markets over the last 10 years.

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Dale Ketcham , Space Florida’s chief of strategic alliances shared with Phys.org that the competition between SpaceX and ULA is good for the industry, noting, “That will drive down prices and could result in it being cheaper to get into space, meaning more launches. Competition is a good thing.”

While the entrenched ULA might see things differently, SpaceX surely is not afraid of the challenge, as validated by the many spaceflights that resulted in historical milestones being set in spaceflight. SpaceX was the first company to launch and recover a stage 1 booster used in a commercial launch, the first company to re-launch a previously flown stage 1 booster and the first private space company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station.

I'm passionate about clean technology, sustainability and life. I've worked in manufacturing, IT, project management and environmental...and enjoy unpacking complex topics in layman's terms. TSLA investor. Find more of my words on my website or follow me on Twitter for all the latest. Tesla Referral link: http://ts.la/kyle623

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Tesla driver walks away from major accident with minor injuries

The driver sustained only minor injuries, and the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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Credit: CHP Los Banos (via Facebook)

The driver of a Tesla Model Y survived and walked away from a harrowing accident on Monday in California, only sustaining minor injuries despite the vehicle being impaled by a guardrail.

On Monday morning around 4:34 a.m., the Los Banos division of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) responded to the accident on I-5 near Panoche Road, involving a 23-year-old in a Tesla Model Y. According to a post on social media, the driver veered off the road for unknown reasons in the northbound lane, before crashing directly into the guardrail and impaling the vehicle.

You can read the full message and photos from Los Banos CHP below, as were shared in a Facebook post on Monday afternoon.

This morning a Tesla model y was traveling in the #1 northbound lane of I-5 north of Panoche Rd. For unknown reasons driver allowed V-1 to veer off the roadway, travel through a dirt center divide, and crashed into the fixed metal guardrail. Lucky for the driver he only sustained minor injuries and was able to walk away. Driving a vehicle requires 100% attention to the road. Avoid distractions and focus on driving.

Credit: CHP Los Banos (via Facebook)

Credit: CHP Los Banos (via Facebook)

Credit: CHP Los Banos (via Facebook)

In a statement to SFGate, CHP officer Myles Anderson said that the driver only sustained minor injuries, while no arrests are made and drugs and alcohol are not suspected to have been involved. The report also notes that Tesla’s “cruise control and lane assistance features” were activated, according to Anderson. However, it’s not entirely clear if this is referring to Supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD), or to the cruise control and lane assist features baked into Autopilot.

At the time of writing, CHP has not yet responded to Teslarati’s request for clarification and additional details on the matter.

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READ MORE ON TESLA SAFETY: Tesla rolls out crucial new safety feature aimed at saving children

The news comes after Tesla has touted its vehicles as incredibly safe for many years. In December, for example, the company highlighted receiving top safety scores from regulators on four different continents throughout the world, including from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) in the U.S.

Tesla has also listed the goal of making its vehicles the safest on the road throughout the years, both in the overall design of its vehicles and in its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) programs.

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Tesla Model 3 ranks as the safest new car in Europe for 2025, per Euro NCAP tests

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Investor's Corner

Cantor Fitzgerald maintains Tesla (TSLA) ‘Overweight’ rating amid Q2 2025 deliveries

Cantor Fitzgerald is holding firm on its bullish stance for the electric vehicle maker.

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Credit: Tesla China

Cantor Fitzgerald is holding firm on its bullish stance for Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), reiterating its “Overweight” rating and $355 price target amidst the company’s release of its Q2 2025 vehicle delivery and production report. 

Tesla delivered 384,122 vehicles in Q2 2025, falling below last year’s Q2 figure of 443,956 units. Despite softer demand in some countries in Europe and ongoing controversies surrounding CEO Elon Musk, the firm maintained its view that Tesla is a long-term growth story in the EV sector.

Tesla’s Q2 results

Among the 384,122 vehicles that Tesla delivered in the second quarter, 373,728 were Model 3 and Model Y. The remaining 10,394 units were attributed to the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck. Production was largely flat year-over-year at 410,244 units.

In the energy division, Tesla deployed 9.6 GWh of energy storage in Q2, which was above last year’s 9.4 GWh. Overall, Tesla continues to hold a strong position with $95.7 billion in trailing twelve-month revenue and a 17.7% gross margin, as noted in a report from Investing.com.

Tesla’s stock is still volatile

Tesla’s market cap fell to $941 billion on Monday amid volatility that was likely caused in no small part by CEO Elon Musk’s political posts on X over the weekend. Musk has announced that he is forming the America Party to serve as a third option for voters in the United States, a decision that has earned the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump. 

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Despite Musk’s controversial nature, some analysts remain bullish on TSLA stock. Apart from Cantor Fitzgerald, Canaccord Genuity also reiterated its “Buy” rating on Tesla shares, with the firm highlighting the company’s positive Q2 vehicle deliveries, which exceeded its expectations by 24,000 units. Cannacord also noted that Tesla remains strong in several markets despite its year-over-year decline in deliveries.

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Tesla Sweden responds to car magazine’s claims that Model 3 has deficient brakes

The company stated that it would be examining the two Model 3s that were used in the magazine’s test.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla Sweden has responded to a car magazine’s claims that the new Model 3 sedan has “deficient” brakes. The all-electric sedan was subjected to the publication’s tests, and its braking distance was reportedly found to be lacking. 

The car magazine’s tests

As noted in a report from Swedish car magazine Teknikens Värld, the new Model 3 Long Range’s braking distance proved subpar when it was tested, with the vehicle reportedly having a braking distance of a whopping 133.2 feet (40.6 meters). The magazine claimed that it repeated the test with another Model 3, and its results were only 5 feet (1.5 meters) better. 

The magazine noted that this was unacceptable since an acceptable braking distance is 124 feet (28 meters), which also happens to be the Model 3’s braking distance when it was tested by Edmunds in the United States. The publication also stated that the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer, which is equipped with drum brakes at the rear, had a braking distance that’s 16 feet (5 meters) shorter in its tests. 

Tesla Sweden’s response

Tesla Sweden responded to the car magazine’s claims, stating that the all-electric sedan’s alleged braking performance was not consistent with the company’s data, nor does it align with the Model 3’s safety ratings. The company also noted that it would be examining the two Model 3s that were used in the magazine’s test. 

“In the latest braking tests with Model 3, which were conducted by Teknikens Värld 2021, a braking distance of 36.5 meters was measured for Model 3 RWD and 36.7 meters for Model 3 Long Range AWD, so these results are not recognized or consistent with our internal tests.

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“We are examining the two specimens to find out why the braking distances differ. Safety is number one at Tesla. Model 3 comes with all safety features as standard. Independent crash safety organization Euro NCAP recently announced new crash results for cars tested in May 2025. Euro NCAP gives the upgraded Model 3 a 5 out of 5-star safety rating and an overall score of 90%, making Model 3 one of the safest vehicles tested under the latest and most stringent testing protocol ever,” Tesla Sweden stated.

Teknikens Värld digs its heels

While Tesla Sweden has responded to its allegations, the car magazine noted that it will nonetheless stand firm on its claim that the new Model 3 has deficient brakes. 

“The fact that the Model 3 previously passed the brake test is not relevant because today’s generation of the Model 3 is to be considered a new generation, as Tesla themselves often point out. Nor is the result in Euro NCAP relevant because they are different tests. We can therefore conclude that Tesla has deficient brakes on the new Model 3. It is good for everyone to know,” the car magazine wrote.

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