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SpaceX’s reusable rockets snag two more launch contracts

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SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rocket has secured another two launch contracts, this time from longtime customer and prolific satellite communications provider SES.

In 2016, SES acquired satellite operator and communications provider O3B Networks, inheriting a network of 12 O3B satellites that it would later shepherd into a full 20-satellite constellation. Built by contractor Thales Alenia Space, the O3B spacecraft design was ironically quite similar to the Starlink satellites SpaceX would begin to field several years later, weighing around 700 kg (1540 lb) and each offering bandwidth of ~16 gigabits per second (Gbps).

The original O3B constellation was ultimately launched on five separate Russian Soyuz rockets arranged by Arianespace. Now, some 16 months after the final O3B launch, SES’ latest announcement confirms that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets will launch the entirety of an upgraded constellation called O3B mPower – adding two more launches to the company’s busy manifest.

SpaceX and SES have a long and fruitful history of cooperation. (Teslarati)

Compared to O3B, O3B mPower will be a major upgrade, beating the original medium Earth orbit (MEO; ~8000 km/5000 mi) constellation’s overall bandwidth by at least a factor of 3. SES has yet to reveal much technical detail about each spacecraft but the implication is that the overall constellation – currently expected to be 11 satellites – will add several terabits per second (Tbps) of global communications capacity.

SES (and O3B prior to acquisition) had already ordered seven ~17O3B mPower satellites from Boeing and selected SpaceX for launch services. Now, the company has purchased four more Boeing-built satellites, launch services from SpaceX, and insurance for an eye-watering ~$570 million – more than $140 million apiece. For reference, based on statements made by CEO Elon Musk in the last ~18 months, SpaceX may have built and launched nearly 600 operational Starlink satellites – each offering ~20 Gbps of bandwidth and far lower latency – for roughly the same sum, assuming ~$20 million per Falcon 9 launch, $300,000 per satellite, and at least $150 million for initial development.

A general overview of Starlink’s bus, launch stack and solar array. (SpaceX)

Of course, for the money, SES will be getting a system that can do things SpaceX’s current generation of Starlink satellites can’t really compete with and will focus primarily on in-flight and maritime connectivity markets. Individual O3B mPower antenna beams will reportedly be capable of transmitting “multiple gigabits per second.”

Regardless, the strong, continued relationship between SES and SpaceX is not a huge surprise. SES has flown six times on Falcon 9 rockets and was both SpaceX’s first geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) launch customer in 2013 and the first company in history to launch on a flight-proven rocket booster in 2017. SES’ latest launch contracts ensure that that relationship is guaranteed to continue until 2024.

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SpaceX is now scheduled to launch four separate O3B mPower missions, beginning with three three-satellite Falcon 9 launches in Q3 2021, Q1 2022, and H2 2022 and culminating (for now) with a two-satellite launch no earlier than (NET) H2 2024.

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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.

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Tesla begins deliveries of its affordable Model Y Standard

The ‘Standard’ Model Y is now getting ready to fall into customer hands, according to some owners, who are preparing for or have already taken delivery of the new model.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially started deliveries of the affordable Model Y ‘Standard’ less than three weeks after the company launched it on October 8.

Following the loss of the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit, Tesla launched the Model 3 and Model Y ‘Standard’ trims, both coming in at sub-$40,000 starting prices, but being stripped of many of the features that come in the ‘Premium’ configuration levels.

Tesla launches two new affordable models with ‘Standard’ Model 3, Y offerings

The vehicles are Tesla’s answer to the loss of the tax credit, which was phased out by the Trump Administration. Tesla said it has been developing these models for over a year, as it revealed in early 2024 that it was working to create new vehicles that would be more affordable.

It also said it was developing vehicles to be built on a new-generation platform, which is a likely reference to the Cybercab, which has also been spotted at both Gigafactory Texas and the Fremont Factory.

The ‘Standard’ Model Y is now getting ready to fall into customer hands, according to some owners, who are preparing for or have already taken delivery of the new model:

Tesla slated deliveries for November when the two vehicles launched on October 8, but that seems to be an underpromise and overdeliver type of situation.

The new features for the Model Y include:

  • New athletically tuned exterior and new alloy wheels to improve aerodynamics
  • 15.4″ touchscreen in the front, the same as the other trims
  • Available in three colors: Stealth Grey (free), White ($1,oo0 extra), Diamond Black ($1,500 extra)
  • Textile and vegan leather interior
  • Range sits at 321 miles
  • New front fascia
  • Covered glass roof (textile on inside)
  • Windows are not acoustically laminated for a quieter cabin
  • Manual mirrors and seats
  • Smaller frunk
  • No rear infotainment screen
  • No basic Autopilot
  • 69 kWh battery
  • New 19″ Aperture wheels
  • 0-60 MPH in 6.8 seconds
  • 7 speaker stereo, down from 15 speakers in premium models
@teslarati 🚨 Tesla’s Affordable Models are here! Let’s talk about them! #tesla #fyp #viral #teslaev #elonmusk ♬ Natural Emotions – Muspace Lofi

 

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Tesla analyst says this common earnings narrative is losing importance

“Numbers are going down next year, but that’s ok because it’s all about autonomy.”

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(Credit: Tesla)

A Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) analyst is doubling down on the idea that one common earnings narrative is losing importance as the company continues to work toward new technologies and projects.

This week, Tesla will report earnings for the third quarter, and one thing people always pay attention to is deliveries. Although Tesla reveals its deliveries for the quarter well before it reports earnings, many investors will look for commentary regarding the company’s strategy for responding to the loss of the $7,500 tax credit.

Tesla has made a few moves already, including a lease deal that takes a substantial amount of money off, launching new Standard models, and cutting up to 23 percent off of lease pricing.

Tesla makes crazy move to spur short-term demand in the U.S.

However, analysts are looking at the company in a different light.

Aligning with the narrative that Tesla is not just a car company and has many different projects, Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management believes many investors need to look at another part of the business.

Munster said the delivery figures for Q3, which landed at 497,099, the highest in company history, were padded by customers rushing to showrooms to take advantage of the expiring tax credit.

He believes that deliveries will be more realistic in subsequent quarters, but investors should not worry because the focus on Tesla is not going to be on how many cars it hands over to customers:

“Numbers are going down next year, but that’s ok because it’s all about autonomy.”

Tesla has been working nonstop to roll out a dedicated Robotaxi platform in various cities across the United States, and has already launched in two states: Texas and California.

It has also received regulatory approvals to test driverless Robotaxis in Arizona and Nevada, while seeking permissions in Florida and other states, according to the company’s online job postings.

Munster continued:

“Most people are hyper-focused on the Robotaxi opportunity and not focused as much on FSD.”

While Robotaxi is incredibly important, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) suite is also extremely crucial moving forward, as it sets the stage for the company to roll out a formidable self-driving service.

Tesla rolled out its newest FSD software to more owners last night, and as it expands, the company is gaining valuable data to refine its performance.

Earnings will be reported tomorrow at market close.

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Tesla rolled out a new feature with FSD v14 to fix a major complaint

One of the most crucial cameras for FSD operation is located at the top of the windshield, and some owners have complained about condensation or other debris accumulating here, which impacts FSD’s availability during drives.

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Credit: The Kilowatts | X

Tesla rolled out a new feature with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14.1.3 in an effort to fix a major complaint from owners.

Tesla’s approach to self-driving is significantly different than other companies as it only relies on cameras for operation. Tesla Vision was launched several years ago and completely axed any reliance the suite had on sensors, as CEO Elon Musk’s strategy was unorthodox and went against the grain.

However, it has proven to be effective, as Tesla still operates the most refined semi-autonomous driving suite in the United States.

There are some drawbacks, though, and one of them has to do with the obvious: cameras get dirty and need to be cleaned somewhat regularly.

One of the most crucial cameras for FSD operation is located at the top of the windshield, and some owners have complained about condensation or other debris accumulating here, which impacts FSD’s availability during drives:

Tesla has been working to confront this issue, and in classic fashion, it used a software update to work on resolving it.

With the rollout of Full Self-Driving v14.1.3 and Software Version 2025.32.8.15, Tesla added a new feature that aims to clean the front camera efficiently without relying on the owner to do it manually.

Tesla Full Self-Driving’s new version officially gets a wider rollout

In its release notes for the suite, it said:

“Added automatic narrow field washing to provide rapid and efficient front camera self-cleaning, and optimize aerodynamics wash at higher vehicle speed.”

If the camera starts to have some issues with visibility, the car will automatically clean the front windshield camera to avoid any issues:

This new addition is a small but mighty change considering all things. It is a necessary process to keep things operational and avoid any disruptions in FSD performance. It is also a testament to how much better Tesla vehicles can get with a simple software update.

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