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SpaceX pushes Iridium launch date up by 4 days to June 25 from VAFB

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Satellite service provider Iridium announced that its next flight aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9  has been pushed up from June 29th to June 25th, after a new opening emerged at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The next Iridium launch is scheduled for June 25 at 1:24:59 p.m. local time (4:24:59 p.m. EDT).

The sudden jump-forward in the launch schedule by four days, just weeks ahead of the launch, shows SpaceX’s aggressive push to embark on a more frequent launch schedule. The Elon Musk-led space company has three launches scheduled for June and four in July.

The more frequent and drastic increase in schedule was made possible by the work the SpaceX team has done to recover its first stage Falcon 9 booster, test and validate the integrity of the booster, before re-use. In addition to enabling regular launches, reusability has the potential to cut the cost of each launch in half from nearly $200 million to just below $100 million per launch.

Looking forward, SpaceX is already pushing the next technological feat in its program with the first Falcon Heavy launch tentatively scheduled for the fall. Falcon Heavy is SpaceX’s most powerful rocket to date and equivalent to three Falcon 9 Stage 1 boosters strapped together. The 27 Merlin engines will be used for carrying large payloads into space.

Static fire testing of the individual boosters being used in the Falcon Heavy launch is already underway at the SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas in preparation for the launch. Falcon 9 will also take advantage of reused first stage boosters such as the one being tested below which was used in the Thaicom 8 mission 1 year ago on May 27th, 2016.

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Tesla launches new feature that cold climate drivers will love

Tesla’s steering wheels are getting better with this simple yet effective software update.

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Credit: Weibo (via YYDS on X)

Tesla is launching another new feature in its cars, this time it will cater to those in colder climates, and those drivers will love it.

Perhaps one of the best things about Teslas is that they routinely receive over-the-air software updates that either improve the ownership experience, add features, or make their performance more robust.

Every update offers some sort of bug fix or new feature that simply makes the cars better than they were before. For example, earlier this week, we reported on a new third-party charger latch release feature that will help those with non-Tesla home charging plugs.

Tesla adds useful Model 3/Y feature home chargers will love

Now, Tesla is releasing a new improvement to its heated steering wheel system, which has been around for several years. The new feature is one that will improve its performance and have your wheel nice and toasty the next time you get in, and it is a bit chilly outside.

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According to Not a Tesla App, Tesla rolled out the Heated Steering Wheel improvements with the 2024.14 software update:

“If the steering wheel heater is set to Auto, the steering wheel will now heat up based on the cabin temperature, even if the climate system is set manually.

Previously, the climate system needed to be set to Auto for the steering wheel heater to turn on automatically.”

The change impacts all five Tesla models, the release notes state.

The heated steering wheel is one of the features that Tesla has used to help cater the vehicle’s overall performance to those in colder climates.

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Tesla Model 3 with heated steering wheel begins US deliveries

Just as the air-conditioned and cooling seats are beneficial during the Summer months, the heated steering wheel is incredibly beneficial to those drivers in colder parts of the globe.

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Tesla announces massive new achievement with 8 million cars produced

Tesla’s 8 millionth car comes just 8 months after it built its 7 millionth car.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla announced a massive new achievement in relation to its automotive division as it has officially built 8 million cars globally.

The 8 millionth car rolled off production lines at Gigafactory Berlin on Friday, the company announced. The car was an Ultra Red Model Y, images show:

The car comes just about eight months after Tesla built its 7 millionth car at the Fremont Factory last October, a major accomplishment considering the claims of a lack of demand from the media.

Tesla celebrates 7 million vehicles produced

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Additionally, Tesla was able to achieve this major threshold with a stoppage in production at each of its four production facilities earlier this year. The manufacturing halt was attributed to a production line changeover for the new Model Y crossover.

The car has been the best-selling vehicle in the world for two consecutive years, and the company pausing production for two weeks, yet still managed to produce one million cars in eight months is impressive.

Tesla currently only produces the Model Y at Gigafactory Berlin, but the car is also manufactured at Gigafactory Shanghai, Gigafactory Texas, and the Fremont Factory.

It is the only model to be produced at all four of Tesla’s global manufacturing plants, which span across three different continents.

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Elon Musk and Donald Trump to speak with each other Friday: report

White House aides have scheduled a call between the CEO and U.S. President on Friday.

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
President Donald J. Trump purchases a Tesla on the South Lawn, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s feud seems to be thawing, at least to some degree.

As per a recent Politico report, White House aides have scheduled a call between the CEO and U.S. President on Friday.

Musk vs. Trump

Musk turned into a staunch critic of Trump amidst the administration’s efforts to pass the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which the CEO claimed would add trillions to the country’s deficit. Trump, for his part, claimed that Musk turned on him due to the adverse effects of the proposed bill on his companies.

The spat between the two powerful men became so notable that Musk called for the impeachment of Trump on X. He also claimed that Trump was in the Epstein list. The U.S. President, for his part, threatened to cancel billions of dollars worth of government contracts with Musk’s companies such as SpaceX.

Potential Truce

As per Politico, however, White House aides have stepped in to temper the tensions and broker peace between the two powerful men. When asked by the outlet about his ongoing feud with the CEO, Trump reportedly stated that “it’s okay” and that “it’s going very well, never done better.” The U.S. President also highlighted his favorability ratings, stating that his “numbers are through the roof.”

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While the CEO was very aggressive against Trump in his X posts, he did back down somewhat after some time. When hedge fund manager Bill Ackman argued that Trump and Musk should make peace for the benefit of the United States, the CEO responded with, “You’re not wrong.” Musk also walked back on his decision to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which is essential to NASA’s operations.

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