Connect with us

News

SpaceX’s rapid pace continues, 16th Falcon 9 launch set for Monday

Published

on

SpaceX is deep into preparations for its 16th launch of 2017 and is scheduled to carry KT Sat’s Koreasat 5A communications satellite into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) at 3:34 p.m. EDT October 30.

As is routine for SpaceX, the Falcon 9 booster performed a brief ~3 second static fire of its 9 Merlin 1D engines at its LC-39A pad on Thursday, Oct. 26. However, SpaceX’s static fire procedure is better described as a complete launch rehearsal that includes everything except the rocket’s liftoff. This serves to thoroughly test Falcon 9’s mission-critical avionics and hardware and thus catch any latent bugs that managed to slip through quality assurance checks in the Hawthorne, CA factory and similar static fire procedures conducted at SpaceX’s McGregor, TX test facilities.

Koreasat 5A, Falcon 9’s Halloween payload of choice, is a geostationary communications satellite owned by the Korean satellite operator KT Sat, a subsidiary of KT Corporation. Manufactured by Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer Thales Alenia Space, the satellite is estimated to weigh approximately 3500 kg or 7500 lb, and will thus allow Falcon 9’s first stage, numbered 1042, to be recovered aboard the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You some 650 miles off the coast of Florida. While the vessel’s friendly robot companion and several onboard components were thoroughly roasted in a small fire that followed the recovery of SES-11’s booster stage, SpaceX’s exceptional recovery crew managed to rapidly conduct repairs of OCISLY in time to catch Falcon 9 1042 tomorrow afternoon. Roomba/Optimus Prime has been removed from the drone ship indefinitely, but there is hope that the robot will be able to return to its boat garage after some thorough refurbishment.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaRGO3tH5Sg/

Regardless of recent trauma, OCISLY is marching straight back into the line of fire and is likely already at its holding position, ready to catch yet another Falcon 9. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the relatively lightweight commsat being launched will permit SpaceX to notch its 19th successful recovery of a Falcon 9. This is an incredible accomplishment, given that the company achieved its first successful recovery less than two years ago, on December 21 2015.

Advertisement
-->

2017 has been a year of milestones after milestones, including a major internal launch cadence record, the first three commercial reflights of Falcon 9s, the first commercial reuse of an orbital spacecraft (Cargo Dragon), and even an updated strategy for the colonization of Mars. The year is not over yet, however, and SpaceX may have one or two additional milestones to check off before 2018 arrives.

While a link to the launch’s livestream has not yet been provided, you can expect to be able to follow along live tomorrow afternoon (3:34 p.m. EDT, 12:34 p.m PDT) on YouTube or Facebook as SpaceX continues to make the extraordinary look ordinary.

Join us on Instagram as we share behind the scenes live action directly from the Kennedy Space Center, courtesy of launch photographer Tom Cross.

Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

Advertisement
Comments

Elon Musk

Tesla Full Self-Driving pricing strategy eliminates one recurring complaint

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s new Full Self-Driving pricing strategy will eliminate one recurring complaint that many owners have had in the past: FSD transfers.

In the past, if a Tesla owner purchased the Full Self-Driving suite outright, the company did not allow them to transfer the purchase to a new vehicle, essentially requiring them to buy it all over again, which could obviously get pretty pricey.

This was until Q3 2023, when Tesla allowed a one-time amnesty to transfer Full Self-Driving to a new vehicle, and then again last year.

Tesla is now allowing it to happen again ahead of the February 14th deadline.

The program has given people the opportunity to upgrade to new vehicles with newer Hardware and AI versions, especially those with Hardware 3 who wish to transfer to AI4, without feeling the drastic cost impact of having to buy the $8,000 suite outright on several occasions.

Advertisement
-->

Now, that issue will never be presented again.

Last night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on X that the Full Self-Driving suite would only be available in a subscription platform, which is the other purchase option it currently offers for FSD use, priced at just $99 per month.

Tesla is shifting FSD to a subscription-only model, confirms Elon Musk

Having it available in a subscription-only platform boasts several advantages, including the potential for a tiered system that would potentially offer less expensive options, a pay-per-mile platform, and even coupling the program with other benefits, like Supercharging and vehicle protection programs.

While none of that is confirmed and is purely speculative, the one thing that does appear to be a major advantage is that this will completely eliminate any questions about transferring the Full Self-Driving suite to a new vehicle. This has been a particular point of contention for owners, and it is now completely eliminated, as everyone, apart from those who have purchased the suite on their current vehicle.

Advertisement
-->

Now, everyone will pay month-to-month, and it could make things much easier for those who want to try the suite, justifying it from a financial perspective.

The important thing to note is that Tesla would benefit from a higher take rate, as more drivers using it would result in more data, which would help the company reach its recently-revealed 10 billion-mile threshold to reach an Unsupervised level. It does not cost Tesla anything to run FSD, only to develop it. If it could slice the price significantly, more people would buy it, and more data would be made available.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominates U.S. EV market in 2025

The figures were detailed in Kelley Blue Book’s Q4 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Report.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y continued to overwhelmingly dominate the United States’ electric vehicle market in 2025. New sales data showed that Tesla’s two mass market cars maintained a commanding segment share, with the Model 3 posting year-to-date growth and the Model Y remaining resilient despite factory shutdowns tied to its refresh.

The figures were detailed in Kelley Blue Book’s Q4 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Report.

Model 3 and Model Y are still dominant

According to the report, Tesla delivered an estimated 192,440 Model 3 sedans in the United States in 2025, representing a 1.3% year-to-date increase compared to 2024. The Model 3 alone accounted for 15.9% of all U.S. EV sales, making it one of the highest-volume electric vehicles in the country.

The Model Y was even more dominant. U.S. deliveries of the all-electric crossover reached 357,528 units in 2025, a 4.0% year-to-date decline from the prior year. It should be noted, however, that the drop came during a year that included production shutdowns at Tesla’s Fremont Factory and Gigafactory Texas as the company transitioned to the new Model Y. Even with those disruptions, the Model Y captured an overwhelming 39.5% share of the market, far surpassing any single competitor.

Combined, the Model 3 and Model Y represented more than half of all EVs sold in the United States during 2025, highlighting Tesla’s iron grip on the country’s mass-market EV segment.

Advertisement
-->

Tesla’s challenges in 2025

Tesla’s sustained performance came amid a year of elevated public and political controversy surrounding Elon Musk, whose political activities in the first half of the year ended up fueling a narrative that the CEO’s actions are damaging the automaker’s consumer appeal. However, U.S. sales data suggest that demand for Tesla’s core vehicles has remained remarkably resilient.

Based on Kelley Blue Book’s Q4 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Report, Tesla’s most expensive offerings such as the Tesla Cybertruck, Model S, and Model X, all saw steep declines in 2025. This suggests that mainstream EV buyers might have had a price issue with Tesla’s more expensive offerings, not an Elon Musk issue. 

Ultimately, despite broader EV market softness, with total U.S. EV sales slipping about 2% year-to-date, Tesla still accounted for 58.9% of all EV deliveries in 2025, according to the report. This means that out of every ten EVs sold in the United States in 2025, more than half of them were Teslas. 

Q4 2025 Kelley Blue Book EV Sales Report by Simon Alvarez

Advertisement
-->
Continue Reading

News

Tesla Model 3 and Model Y earn Euro NCAP Best in Class safety awards

“The company’s best-selling Model Y proved the gold standard for small SUVs,” Euro NCAP noted.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East

Tesla won dual categories in the Euro NCAP Best in Class awards, with the Model 3 being named the safest Large Family Car and the Model Y being recognized as the safest Small SUV.

The feat was highlighted by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official account on social media platform X.

Model 3 and Model Y lead their respective segments

As per a press release from the Euro NCAP, the organization’s Best in Class designation is based on a weighted assessment of four key areas: Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Vulnerable Road User, and Safety Assist. Only vehicles that achieved a 5-star Euro NCAP rating and were evaluated with standard safety equipment are eligible for the award.

Euro NCAP noted that the updated Tesla Model 3 performed particularly well in Child Occupant protection, while its Safety Assist score reflected Tesla’s ongoing improvements to driver-assistance systems. The Model Y similarly stood out in Child Occupant protection and Safety Assist, reinforcing Tesla’s dual-category win. 

“The company’s best-selling Model Y proved the gold standard for small SUVs,” Euro NCAP noted.

Advertisement
-->

Euro NCAP leadership shares insights

Euro NCAP Secretary General Dr. Michiel van Ratingen said the organization’s Best in Class awards are designed to help consumers identify the safest vehicles over the past year.

Van Ratingen noted that 2025 was Euro NCAP’s busiest year to date, with more vehicles tested than ever before, amid a growing variety of electric cars and increasingly sophisticated safety systems. While the Mercedes-Benz CLA ultimately earned the title of Best Performer of 2025, he emphasized that Tesla finished only fractionally behind in the overall rankings.

“It was a close-run competition,” van Ratingen said. “Tesla was only fractionally behind, and new entrants like firefly and Leapmotor show how global competition continues to grow, which can only be a good thing for consumers who value safety as much as style, practicality, driving performance, and running costs from their next car.”

Continue Reading