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SpaceX finishes stacking new Starship for the first time in six months

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3 years ago

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For the first time in more than half a year, SpaceX has stacked a new Starship prototype to its full height, hopefully marking the end of a period of relatively slow progress.

That period began when Starship S20 was stacked to its full height in early August 2021. Until very recently, Ship 20 was said and expected to be the prototype assigned to Starship’s first orbital test flight, making it exceptionally important. In an unusual change in attitude, SpaceX may have felt the same, which may explain why Starship S20’s first static fire test took place more than two months after it first left the factory. A year prior, Starships SN9, SN10, SN11, and SN15 all completed proof testing a matter of weeks after rollout.

That sudden change of pace relative to past development has meant that Ship 20 is the only Starship prototype SpaceX has tested since May 2021 and the only Starship to graduate from final assembly to testing in the last six months. In that period, Ship 20 has completed a few major cryogenic proof tests and four static fires – two of which ignited all six Raptor engines. While Ship 20’s six-engine tests were unprecedented and marked a major program milestone, SpaceX once static-fired Starship SN9 three times in one day in January 2021.

However, that period of sluggish prototype testing may finally be coming to an end. In August 2021, when SpaceX stacked Starship S20 and Super Heavy B4 for the first time, the general assumption was that the seemingly imminent march towards orbital flight testing would be similar to SpaceX’s attempts to land a Starship from medium altitude between December 2020 and May 2021 – lots of prototypes in flow and multiple back-to-back tests and launches, in other words. That was not the case.

Starship S21, for example, began final assembly in mid-October 2021 and its tank section and nose section were both fully stacked less than a month later. However, rather than stack them into a second complete ship, SpaceX has left those separate assemblies sitting around Starbase for the last three months. Simultaneously, while Ship 21’s apparent limbo seemed to imply that SpaceX was implementing another block upgrade and moving on to newer prototypes, the company actually started stacking Starship S22 about a week after S21’s separate sections were completed. Only three months later have SpaceX’s plans for those three sections finally become clear.

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On February 14th, 2022, Ship 22’s tank section followed Ship 21’s nose section into Starbase’s high bay assembly facility, where they were quickly stacked to form a full Starship prototype the same day. This raises the question: why?

Ship 21’s nose. (Richard Angle)
Ship 22’s tank section. (NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal)
Ship 21’s tank section (right) will probably be scrapped. (NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal)

Given that Starship S20 effectively completed qualification testing with three successful static fires in December 2021 and a fourth in early January 2022 and has been seemingly ready to fly ever since, its Super Heavy booster readiness – not ship readiness – that appears to be holding SpaceX back. Perhaps because of pad readiness issues, SpaceX has yet to perform a single Super Heavy static fire test – or even a less risky wet dress rehearsal – at the orbital launch site. As such, it’s hard to say why SpaceX has suddenly decided to finish Ship 22 instead of focusing on a newer version of Starship (S24) and Super Heavy (B7) – both of which are expected to debut upgrades.

It’s possible that Ship 22 is being completed merely as practice for the Starbase workforce, who have gone half a year without fully assembling another ship prototype, but then there would have been no reason not to install Ship 21’s nose on Ship 21’s tank section instead of withholding it for Ship 22. Ship 22 could also be a replacement for Ship 21 if appearances are misleading and SpaceX uncovered issues with the older prototype during testing but again, no booster is ready to launch either ship.

Regardless of the outcome or purpose of Ship 22, seeing any new Starship prototype completed is an exciting and interesting change of pace after half a year of following the windy paths of Ship 20, Booster 5, and Ship 21 to their uncertain goals.

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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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Elon Musk

Tesla confirms rollout of critical feature, but Cybertruck misses out

Tesla’s S3XY lineup will get the Adaptive Headlights, but Cybertruck will not.

Published

11 hours ago

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April 17, 2025

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Credit: @jojje167 on X

Tesla has confirmed the rollout of a new, critical feature that is coming to the United States for the first time.

However, the Cybertruck will unfortunately miss out on it.

Tesla has a distinct advantage among many automakers as their Over-the-Air updates make their vehicles better over time. While many automakers have the ability to roll out new features through these updates, Tesla has been shown to be one of the companies that can truly make things significantly better with their cars.

A new feature coming to the United States and now rolling out is Adaptive Headlights. This feature will be applied to Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y vehicles with the proper hardware.

Adaptive Headlights are different than your typical auto highbeams in the way that they can dim certain pixels of the bulb to keep visibility for the Tesla driver high, while eliminating glare for those who are in oncoming cars:

For the first time, Tesla is rolling out the feature to these vehicles in the United States. European Tesla owners were able to use the function several months back, but it was pending approval in the U.S.

At first, Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, said that the Cybertruck would have this feature. However, in late February, he confirmed that he was incorrect and the all-electric pickup will not have the ability to get Adaptive Headlights, as the company could not fit the correct hardware in the Cybertruck’s module:

The feature certainly makes visibility better for everyone on the road and will improve overall safety while eliminating the pesky and annoying feeling of being blinded by high beams.

The Adaptive Headlight feature for Tesla is part of the company’s Spring Update for 2025.

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Elon Musk

Tesla Model 3 wins ‘most economical EV to own’ title in new study

The Tesla Model 3 has captured another crown in a recent study showing the most cost-effective EVs

Published

15 hours ago

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April 17, 2025

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tesla model 3 driving on a wet road
(Credit: Tesla)

The Tesla Model 3 recently captured the title of “most economical electric vehicle to own” in a new study performed by research firm Zutobi.

Perhaps one of the biggest and most popular reasons people are switching to EVs is the cost savings. Combining home charging, lower maintenance costs, and tax credits has all enabled consumers to consider EVs as a way to save money on their daily drivers. However, there are some EVs that are more efficient and cost-effective than others.

Tesla police fleet saves nearly half a million in upkeep and repair costs

Zutobi‘s new study shows that EV cost-effectiveness comes at different levels. For example, some cars are simply better than others on a cost-per-mile basis. The study used a simple process to determine which EVs are more cost-effective than others by showing how much it would cost to drive 100 miles.

National averages for energy rates have been used to calculate the cost as they widely vary from state to state.

The Rear-Wheel Drive Tesla Model 3 was listed as the most economical vehicle in the study:

“The standard Tesla Model 3 is the most economical electric vehicle to drive in 2025. With a usable battery capacity of 57.5 kWh and a real-world range of 260 miles, it costs just $3.60 to drive 100 miles. That translates to an impressive 2,781 miles per $100 of electricity—making it the most efficient choice for EV owners nationwide.”

It had an estimated cost of just $3.60 to drive 100 miles.

The Tesla Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive was second, the study showed:

“Next is the Long Range version of the Model 3, which offers extended range and dual-motor all-wheel drive. With a larger 75 kWh battery and 325 miles of range, the cost to drive 100 miles is slightly higher at $3.75, still equating to a strong 2,665 miles per $100.”

This version of the Model 3 had a price of just $3.75 to drive 100 miles.

In third, the BMW i4 eDrive35 surprised us with a cost of just $4.12 to drive 100 miles:

“Rounding out the top three is the BMW i4 eDrive35, with a 67.1 kWh battery and a real-world range of 265 miles. Drivers can expect to pay $4.12 per 100 miles, which still allows for 2,429 miles per $100—a solid choice for those seeking luxury and efficiency.”

Several other Teslas made the list as well. The Model 3 Performance ($4.34 per 100 miles) was sixth and tied with the Volkswagen ID.3 Pure, the Tesla Model S Long Range ($4.35 per 100 miles) was 8th, and the Tesla Model Y Long Range was ninth ($4.36 per 100 miles).

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Elon Musk

Tesla offers new discounts on Cybertruck inventory

Tesla is knocking up to $10,550 off of Cybertruck units in inventory

Published

16 hours ago

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April 17, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is offering new discounts on Cybertruck units in inventory, giving customers a chance to snag a unit of the all-electric pickup for a slight reduction in price. Some are even coming with additional perks to make the offer even sweeter.

Tesla is now offering up to $10,550 off of Cybertruck inventory units across the United States. This is up from previous discounts of $6,000 on inventory Cybertrucks, and it will apply to 2024 model year vehicles.

Non-Foundation Series Cybertrucks are getting up to $10,550 off of their original prices, while Foundation Series pickups are getting up to $10,000 off. These are great deals and should help clear out some inventory from last year’s models.

Additionally, Foundation Series Cybertrucks purchased will receive free lifetime Supercharging, another great addition to make the deal even better than the $10,000 off.

The move comes as Tesla is still ramping Cybertruck production and is hoping to stimulate some additional demand for the vehicle, as it is holding on to these units. These are not Demo Drive units that have been driven by any number of people who were looking for a quick test drive.

Tesla launched a new configuration of the Cybertruck just last week with the Long Range Rear-Wheel-Drive, which undercuts the All-Wheel-Drive option by roughly $10,000.

Tesla released the Cybertruck RWD to make the AWD look like a deal

However, Tesla stripped the vehicle of several features, including Air Suspension, a tonneau cover, and interior features. For example, the Rear-Wheel-Drive trim of the Cybertruck has textile seats and no rear touchscreen, two things that come standard in the other trim levels.

The Cybertruck is the best-selling electric pickup in the United States, outperforming formidable competitors like the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado EV. However, Tesla is still working to get the vehicle to a lower price point that makes it more accessible to consumers, as its current pricing is a far cry from what was intended.

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