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SpaceX’s recovery boat Mr Steven has a new net to catch Falcon 9 fairings
While photographer Pauline Acalin just barely missed a toasty Cargo Dragon returning to roost earlier that morning, a routine checkup on SpaceX’s Port of Los Angeles facilities revealed a hefty new net installed on the recovery boat Mr. Steven, as well as noteworthy activity at the huge tent currently harboring the rocket company’s BFR tooling.
After completing a thrillingly routine International Space Station resupply mission (SpaceX’s fourteenth) and spending a month on orbit, the commercial spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere at a respectable 7.5 km/s before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean for the second time. Currently, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is the only operational spacecraft capable of returning an appreciable amount of cargo from the ISS, and Capsule 110 (1 referring to Dragon 1, 10 referring to the tenth integrated spacecraft) returned even more cargo (nearly 2 mT) than it delivered to the ISS, including the space robot Robonaut 2, various completed experiments, and expired hardware. As of CRS-12, SpaceX has effectively ended production of new Cargo Dragon capsules, and has since flown two additional missions using refurbished capsules, perhaps paving the way for the first-ever triple reuse of an orbital commercial spacecraft. CRS-15, Dragon’s next flight, is currently scheduled for early July.
Here’s the SpaceX Dragon capsule that came back to Earth over the weekend being unloaded in San Pedro’s Outer Harbor this morning. Photo by Chuck Bennett. pic.twitter.com/GBypff51MW
— Megan Barnes (@meg_barnes) May 7, 2018
Although Pauline missed the battle-scarred capsule’s second return to Port of San Pedro, her travels were not for naught. Berthed at SpaceX’s leased dock space, SpaceX recovery technicians appeared to have installed and rigged a brand new net aboard fairing recovery vessel Mr. Steven in the several days between her visits. While he has yet to catch a fairing out of the sky (the ultimate goal of the program), the vessel has returned to land two of three largely intact fairing halves, the only payload fairings to have ever been recovered in one piece after an operational rocket launch. The first successful recovery followed PAZ, and although – per sources familiar with the matter – that particular half experienced catastrophic cracking while being hoisted from the ocean onto Mr. Steven’s deck, it appears that the second intact half (following Iridium-5) did not meet the same fate. It’s probable that – assuming Musk does mean to conduct helicopter drop tests – the structurally-intact Iridium-5 half is thus a prime candidate for air drop tests to perfect the system’s accuracy, as fairings immersed in saltwater are not candidates for operational reuse.
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- It’s good to first remember just how huge Falcon payload fairings are. (NASA, 2018)
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- Soon after parafoil deployment, a payload fairing is captured gliding gently ahead of a soft ocean landing. (Elon Musk)
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- PAZ’s recovered fairing half sadly cracked beyond repair while being hauled aboard Mr Steven. (Pauline Acalin)
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- The Iridium-5 half, however, is not believed to have suffered any significant structural damage during recovery ops. (Pauline Acalin)
Meanwhile, several thousand miles to the East, SpaceX nailed their first intact recovery of a fairing half in the Atlantic following the historic and successful launch of NASA’s TESS, an exoplanet observatory that will more than fill the boots soon to be left empty by forlorn Kepler. Likely to discover thousands upon thousands more planets orbiting other stars, it is perhaps fitting that the mission also featured a successful Falcon 9 booster recovery and the first-ever (more or less…) intact recovery of both halves of a payload fairing. One half was absolutely shredded, but USLaunchReport reported that the half not caught on video was in comparatively perfect condition.
Returning to Mr. Steven’s visibly-upgraded catcher’s mitt, the newly-installed net is by all appearances magnitudes larger, heavier, and stronger than the minimal mesh specimen it is clearly replacing. Given the fact that SpaceX thus far has self-admittedly failed to catch a gliding fairing half in the net, it seems unlikely that such a drastic upgrade would be necessitated by any field-testing that occurred since Mr. Steven’s debut late last year. Rather, a significantly more capable net seems to more readily fit alongside CEO Elon Musk’s tweet reveal three weeks prior that SpaceX would attempt to close the final major loop of Falcon reusability by recovering the orbital upper stage (S2). Estimated to weigh approximately 4000 kilograms empty, the upper stage is a minimum of four times heavier than Falcon 9’s payload fairing halves, Mr Steven’s current meal of choice. Judging from the new net’s beefy rigging, broader bars, and general appearance, one could safely argue that it looks at least several times stronger than the mesh net before it. One could also argue that the absolutely massive metal arms installed on Mr. Steven are far larger than what might be required to catch the extremely low mass-to-area ratio payload fairings, with structural heft and bulky netting more reminiscent of safety nets present on naval vessels that are designed to catch aircraft and helicopters weighing five metric tons or more.
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- Although both halves clearly attempted soft-landings with parafoils (evidenced by the black metal bars sticking up here), only one of them made it back intact. (USLaunchReport)
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- The half not pictured in these photos was reportedly more or less intact, successfully landing in the ocean after launching NASA’s TESS. (USLaunchReport)
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- Mr Steven is currently undergoing arm surgery (upgrades) at SpaceX’s future BFR factory lot, known as Berth 240. (Elon Musk)
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- Mr Steven and his fancy net 2.0, caught on May 7. Bright yellow…for style. (Pauline Acalin)
Currently scheduled to liftoff around 4:12 p.m. EST May 10 from SpaceX’s LC-39A Florida launch pad, the company’s next mission will send Bangladesh’s first communications satellite – Bangabandhu-1 – to a geostationary transfer orbit. Equally significant, it will hopefully become the successful inaugural flight of Falcon 9 Block 5, a highly reliable and reusable collection of upgrades to the workhorse SpaceX rocket. Soon after, SpaceX will likely aim to complete two additional launches in late May, one from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base (Iridium-6/GRACE-FO) and the other from LC-40 in Cape Canaveral (SES-12). While the latter two launches – per their flight-proven boosters – will be expended, the first Block 5 booster (B1046) will attempt to land aboard drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, already on station in the Atlantic.
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News
Tesla hints toward Premium Robotaxi offering with Model S testing
Why Tesla has chosen to use a couple of Model S units must have a reason; the company is calculated in its engineering and data collection efforts, so this is definitely more than “we just felt like giving our drivers a change of scenery.”
Tesla Model S vehicles were spotted performing validation testing with LiDAR rigs in California today, a pretty big switch-up compared to what we are used to seeing on the roads.
Tesla utilizes the Model Y crossover for its Robotaxi fleet. It is adequately sized, the most popular vehicle in its lineup, and is suitable for a wide variety of applications. It provides enough luxury for a single rider, but enough room for several passengers, if needed.
However, the testing has seemingly expanded to one of Tesla’s premium flagship offerings, as the Model S was spotted with the validation equipment that is seen entirely with Model Y vehicles. We have written several articles on Robotaxi testing mules being spotted across the United States, but this is a first:
🚨 Tesla is using Model S vehicles fitted with LiDAR rigs to validate FSD and Robotaxi, differing from the Model Ys that it uses typically
Those Model Y vehicles have been on the East Coast for some time. These Model S cars were spotted in California https://t.co/CN9Bw5Wma8 pic.twitter.com/UE55hx5mdd
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 11, 2025
Why Tesla has chosen to use a couple of Model S units must have a reason; the company is calculated in its engineering and data collection efforts, so this is definitely more than “we just felt like giving our drivers a change of scenery.”
It seems to hint that Tesla could add a premium, more luxury offering to its Robotaxi platform eventually. Think about it: Uber has Uber Black, Lyft has Lyft Black. These vehicles and services are associated with a more premium cost as they combine luxury models with more catered transportation options.
Tesla could be testing the waters here, and it could be thinking of adding the Model S to its fleet of ride-hailing vehicles.
Reluctant to remove the Model S from its production plans completely despite its low volume contributions to the overall mission of transitioning the world to sustainable energy, the flagship sedan has always meant something. CEO Elon Musk referred to it, along with its sibling Model X, as continuing on production lines due to “sentimental reasons.”
However, its purpose might have been expanded to justify keeping it around, and why not? It is a cozy, premium offering, and it would be great for those who want a little more luxury and are willing to pay a few extra dollars.
Of course, none of this is even close to confirmed. However, it is reasonable to speculate that the Model S could be a potential addition to the Robotaxi fleet. It’s capable of all the same things the Model Y is, but with more luxuriousness, and it could be the perfect addition to the futuristic fleet.
News
Rivian unveils self-driving chip and autonomy plans to compete with Tesla
Rivian, a mainstay in the world of electric vehicle startups, said it plans to roll out an Autonomy+ subscription and one-time purchase program, priced at $49.99 per month and $2,500 up front, respectively, for access to its self-driving suite.
Rivian unveiled its self-driving chip and autonomy plans to compete with Tesla and others at its AI and Autonomy Day on Thursday in Palo Alto, California.
Rivian, a mainstay in the world of electric vehicle startups, said it plans to roll out an Autonomy+ subscription and one-time purchase program, priced at $49.99 per month and $2,500 up front, respectively, for access to its self-driving suite.
CEO RJ Scaringe said it will learn and become more confident and robust as more miles are driven and it gathers more data. This is what Tesla uses through a neural network, as it uses deep learning to improve with every mile traveled.
He said:
“I couldn’t be more excited for the work our teams are driving in autonomy and AI. Our updated hardware platform, which includes our in-house 1600 sparse TOPS inference chip, will enable us to achieve dramatic progress in self-driving to ultimately deliver on our goal of delivering L4. This represents an inflection point for the ownership experience – ultimately being able to give customers their time back when in the car.”
At first, Rivian plans to offer the service to personally-owned vehicles, and not operate as a ride-hailing service. However, ride-sharing is in the plans for the future, he said:
“While our initial focus will be on personally owned vehicles, which today represent a vast majority of the miles to the United States, this also enables us to pursue opportunities in the rideshare space.”
The Hardware
Rivian is not using a vision-only approach as Tesla does, and instead will rely on 11 cameras, five radar sensors, and a single LiDAR that will face forward.
It is also developing a chip in-house, which will be manufactured by TSMC, a supplier of Tesla’s as well. The chip will be known as RAP1 and will be about 50 times as powerful as the chip that is currently in Rivian vehicles. It will also do more than 800 trillion calculations every second.
Meet the Rivian Autonomy Processor.
Fast, smart, scalable and purpose-built for autonomous driving and the world of physical AI. Hitting the open road in 2026. pic.twitter.com/0wYXi5WKy7
— Rivian (@Rivian) December 11, 2025
RAP1 powers the Autonomy Compute Module 3, known as ACM3, which is Rivian’s third-generation autonomy computer.
ACM3 specs include:
- 1600 sparse INT8 TOPS (Trillion Operations Per Second).
- The processing power of 5 billion pixels per second.
- RAP1 features RivLink, a low-latency interconnect technology allowing chips to be connected to multiply processing power, making it inherently extensible.
- RAP1 is enabled by an in-house developed AI compiler and platform software
As far as LiDAR, Rivian plans to use it in forthcoming R2 cars to enable SAE Level 4 automated driving, which would allow people to sit in the back and, according to the agency’s ratings, “will not require you to take over driving.”
More Details
Rivian said it will also roll out advancements to the second-generation R1 vehicles in the near term with the addition of UHF, or Universal Hands-Free, which will be available on over 3.5 million miles of roadway in the U.S. and Canada.
More than any other feature, our owners have asked for more hands-free miles.
With Universal Hands-Free, you can now enjoy hands-free assisted driving on any road with clearly defined lanes. That’s roughly 3.5 million miles in the U.S. and Canada.
Look for it in our next… pic.twitter.com/ZFhwVzvt6b
— Rivian (@Rivian) December 11, 2025
Rivian will now join the competitive ranks with Tesla, Waymo, Zoox, and others, who are all in the race for autonomy.
News
Tesla partners with Lemonade for new insurance program
Tesla recently was offered “almost free” coverage for Full Self-Driving by Lemonade’s Shai Wininger, President and Co-founder, who said it would be “happy to explore insuring Tesla FSD miles for (almost) free.”
Tesla owners in California, Oregon, and Arizona can now use Lemonade Insurance, the firm that recently said it could cover Full Self-Driving miles for “almost free.”
Lemonade, which offered the new service through its app, has three distinct advantages, it says:
- Direct Connection for no telematics device needed
- Better customer service
- Smarter pricing
The company is known for offering unique, fee-based insurance rates through AI, and instead of keeping unclaimed premiums, it offers coverage through a flat free upfront. The leftover funds are donated to charities by its policyholders.
On Thursday, it announced that cars in three states would be able to be connected directly to the car through its smartphone app, enabling easier access to insurance factors through telematics:
Lemonade customers who own @Tesla vehicles in California, Oregon, and Arizona can now connect their cars directly to the Lemonade app! ⚡🚘
Direct connection = no telematics device needed 📵
Better customer experience 💃
Smarter pricing with Lemonade 🧠This is a game-changer… pic.twitter.com/jbabxZWT4t
— Lemonade (@Lemonade_Inc) December 11, 2025
Tesla recently was offered “almost free” coverage for Full Self-Driving by Lemonade’s Shai Wininger, President and Co-founder, who said it would be “happy to explore insuring Tesla FSD miles for (almost) free.”
The strategy would be one of the most unique, as it would provide Tesla drivers with stable, accurate, and consistent insurance rates, while also incentivizing owners to utilize Full Self-Driving for their travel miles.
Tesla Full Self-Driving gets an offer to be insured for ‘almost free’
This would make FSD more cost-effective for owners and contribute to the company’s data collection efforts.
Data also backs Tesla Full Self-Driving’s advantages as a safety net for drivers. Recent figures indicate it was nine times less likely to be in an accident compared to the national average, registering an accident every 6.36 million miles. The NHTSA says a crash occurs approximately every 702,000 miles.
Tesla also offers its own in-house insurance program, which is currently offered in twelve states so far. The company is attempting to enter more areas of the U.S., with recent filings indicating the company wants to enter Florida and offer insurance to drivers in that state.
Tesla hints toward Premium Robotaxi offering with Model S testing
Rivian unveils self-driving chip and autonomy plans to compete with Tesla
