Connect with us

News

SpaceX shows off Starman helmet and Falcon Heavy to political VIPs

Published

on

In the wake of the rather odd second meeting of the US National Space Council (NSC), a NASA photographer stationed at Kennedy Space Center documented a number of tours given by some of the companies mentioned in the proceedings. VIPs who attended the NSC were allowed to get up close and personal to rocket hardware in facilities owned and operated by SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, the United Launch Alliance (ULA), and others, and in a few cases provided some unique views of those same facilities.

RELATED: SpaceX vs. Blue Origin: The bickering titans of new space

Humorously enough, those tours – at least as seen through the lenses of NASA photographer Kim Shiflett – acted as a generally accurate thematic representation of each company. ULA walked VIPs through their Delta IV Heavy integration facility, ready for the launch of a NASA spacecraft tasked with traveling closer to the sun than any vehicle before it – the impressive but oft-maligned rocket’s first launch in nearly two years.

Boeing displayed some of their Starliner hardware, hoped to carry their first crew to the International Space Station in very late 2018 or early 2019. Blue Origin showed off a massive factory – intended to eventually manufacture their orbital New Glenn rocket – that was, by all appearances, almost completely empty, aside from a flight-proven New Shepard and boilerplate capsule now on display in the lobby.

Advertisement

SpaceX, however, undertook the (admittedly less than titanic) feat of overshadowing its fellow aerospace companies. Something like 80% coincidence and 20% theatrics, SpaceX’s displays included two of the just-launched and just-landed Falcon Heavy boosters – one accessible by all at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center, the other recently shuttled into the company’s facilities at Pad 39A. While the company appears not to have opened their second LC-40 pad for tours this time around, Space Council VIPs were given a unique mass-tour of Pad 39A’s Horizontal Integration Facilities, chock full of flight-proven orbital rockets and components.

 

On display was the second Falcon Heavy side booster, a Falcon 9-equivalent first stage that took part in the inaugural launch of the massive rocket just two weeks before, as well as one of that booster’s highly valuable titanium grid fins, providing a unique sense of scale (spoiler: they’re colossal). Further, after what can only be described as Starman’s iconic global debut, SpaceX brought along the helmet of one of their slick internally-designed spacesuits, going so far as to let members of the tour – including the Secretary of the Air Force – briefly try it on for themselves.

Despite the baffling fact that none of the actual hardware developers that gave tours after had seats on either of the two panels that spoke before the Council, it’s great to see SpaceX flaunt at least a portion of its extraordinary and praiseworthy achievements in the last few months alone.

Whether or not you resent some of the politicking or the actors involved in the spectacle, the general theme of reducing and improving regulatory burdens on US aerospace companies is one of the very few places where there is actually some truth to the negativity. Jingoistic China-bashing and hyperbole aside, some of the panelists and councilmembers made reasonable points about the state of spaceflight regulation, and some of their recommendations may actually benefit companies like Blue Origin, ULA, and SpaceX – at least eventually.

Catch our live, behind-the-scenes coverage of these exciting events through the eyes of our amazing photographers on both coasts.

Advertisement

Teslarati   –   Instagram Twitter

Tom CrossTwitter

Pauline Acalin  Twitter

Eric Ralph Twitter

Advertisement

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

News

Tesla seeks approval to test FSD Supervised in new Swedish city

Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.

Published

on

Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.

As per local outlet Jönköpings-Posten, Tesla has contacted the municipality with a request to begin FSD (Supervised) tests in the city. The company has already received approval to test its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software in several Swedish municipalities, as well as on the national road network.

Sofia Bennerstål, Tesla’s Head of Public Policy for Northern Europe, confirmed that an application has been submitted for FSD’s potential tests in Jönköping.

“I can confirm that we have submitted an application, but I cannot say much more about it,” Bennerstål told the news outlet. She also stated that Tesla is “satisfied with the tests” in the region so far.

Advertisement

The planned tests in Jönköping would involve a limited number of Tesla-owned vehicles. Trained Tesla safety drivers would remain behind the wheel and be prepared to intervene if necessary.

Tesla previously began testing in Nacka municipality after receiving local approval. At the time, the company stated that cooperation between authorities, municipalities, and industry enables technological progress and helps integrate future transport systems into real-world traffic conditions, as noted in an Allt Om Elbil report.

If approved, Jönköping would become the latest Swedish municipality to allow local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing.

Tesla’s Swedish testing program is part of the company’s efforts to validate its supervised autonomous driving software in everyday traffic environments. Municipal approvals allow Tesla to gather data in urban settings that include roundabouts, complex intersections, and mixed traffic conditions.

Advertisement

Sweden has become an increasingly active testing ground for Tesla’s driver-assistance software in Europe, with regulatory coordination between local authorities and national agencies enabling structured pilot programs.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Microsoft partners with Starlink to expand rural internet access worldwide

The update was shared ahead of Mobile World Congress.

Published

on

Credit: Starlink/X

Microsoft has announced a new collaboration with Starlink as part of its expanding digital access strategy, following the company’s claim that it has extended internet connectivity coverage to more than 299 million people worldwide.

The update was shared ahead of Mobile World Congress, where Microsoft detailed how it surpassed its original goal of bringing internet access to 250 million people by the end of 2025.

In a blog post, Microsoft confirmed that it is now working with Starlink to expand connectivity in rural and hard-to-reach regions.

“Through our collaboration with Starlink, Microsoft is combining low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity with community-based deployment models and local ecosystem partnerships,” the company wrote.

Advertisement

The partnership is designed to complement Microsoft’s existing work with local internet providers and infrastructure companies across Africa, Latin America, and India, among other areas. Microsoft noted that traditional infrastructure alone cannot meet demand in some regions, making low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity an important addition.

Kenya was cited as an early example. Working with Starlink and local provider Mawingu Networks, Microsoft is supporting connectivity for 450 community hubs in rural and underserved areas. These hubs include farmer cooperatives, aggregation centers, and digital access facilities intended to support agricultural productivity and AI-enabled services.

Microsoft stated that 2.2 billion people globally remain offline, and that connectivity gaps risk widening as AI adoption accelerates.

Starlink’s expanding constellation, now numbering more than 9,700 satellites in orbit, provides near-global coverage, making it one of the few systems capable of delivering broadband to remote regions without relying on terrestrial infrastructure. 

Advertisement

Starlink is expected to grow even more in the coming years as well, especially as SpaceX transitions its fleet to Starship, which is capable of carrying significantly larger payloads compared to its current workhorse, the Falcon 9.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla expands US LFP battery supply with LG Energy Solution deal: report

The report was initially published by TheElec, citing industry sources.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

LG Energy Solution (LGES) will manufacture lithium iron phosphate (LFP) energy storage system (ESS) batteries for Tesla at its Lansing, Michigan facility. 

The report was initially published by TheElec, citing industry sources.

LG Energy Solution’s Lansing plant, formerly known as Ultium Cells 3, was previously operated as a joint venture with General Motors. LGES acquired GM’s stake in May 2025 and now fully owns the site. With a production capacity of 50 GWh per year, it is one of the company’s largest facilities in North America.

LG Energy Solution is converting part of the Lansing factory to produce LFP batteries for energy storage systems. Equipment orders for the new lines have already been placed, and mass production is reportedly expected to begin in the second half of next year.

Advertisement

Last July, LG Energy Solution disclosed a 5.94 trillion won battery supply agreement running from August 2027 to July 2030. While the company did not name the customer, industry sources pointed to Tesla as the buyer.

Tesla has primarily used CATL’s prismatic batteries for its Megapack systems. The move to source prismatic LFP cells from LG Energy Solution’s U.S. plant could then be seen as part of Tesla’s efforts to bolster its North American supply base for its energy storage business.

For the Lansing conversion, LG Energy Solution reportedly plans to use electrode equipment originally ordered under its Ultium Cells venture with General Motors. Suppliers reportedly include CIS and Hirano Tecseed for electrode systems, TSI for mixing equipment, CK Solution for heat exhaust systems, A-Pro for formation equipment, and Shinjin Mtech for assembly kits.

Tesla currently manufactures energy storage products at facilities in California and Shanghai, though another Megafactory that produces the Megapack is also expected to be built in Texas. As per recent reports, the Texas Megafactory recently advanced with a major property sale.

Advertisement
Continue Reading