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SpaceX’s odd Starbase propellant storage tank prototype passes first test
Likely to the relief of many, SpaceX appears to have successfully tested a prototype of the custom-built Starbase propellant storage tanks that will eventually hold thousands of tons of fuel and oxidizer.
For reasons unknown, SpaceX’s built its first ground support equipment (GSE) ‘test tank’ – a subscale prototype designed to quickly verify basic production quality and design goals – months after it began mass-producing operational storage tanks. In fact, of the seven total GSE tanks expected to be built, SpaceX has already completed seven, installed five, and scrapped one. Known as GSE4, SpaceX actually used modified parts of that scrapped tank to assemble the GSE test tank that first rolled to Starbase’s launch (and test) facilities on August 23rd.
Two days later, SpaceX subjected the small tank to its first test.
Given that SpaceX appears to have almost retroactively assembled the GSE4 test tank after building the final products, the results from its testing were always going to be significantly more anxiety-inducing than any of the more than half-dozen other tanks the company has tested in the last year and a half. Having already fabricated, assembled, or even installed six of seven planned GSE tanks, the discovery of major issues during testing could potentially cause months of delays by forcing SpaceX to perform lengthy repairs or even fully scrap all six existing tanks and start over.
Thankfully, at least for the time being, it appears that SpaceX can write off those potential worst-case scenarios. On August 25th, SpaceX took advantage of a test window initially believed to be for Starship S20 and put the cobbled-together GSE4 tank through its paces for the first time. As with previous test tanks, all SpaceX can really do is fill the prototype with liquid nitrogen (LN2), a non-flammable alternative to liquid oxygen or methane propellant that is approximately as cold and heavy. As a storage tank prototype, though, GSE4 has no need for hydraulic ram setups used to simulate the thrust of Raptor engines on several previous prototypes.
As such, one or several cryogenic proof tests were all that were ever really in GSE4’s future. On GSE4’s first test, SpaceX performed a more or less normal cryogenic proof, completely filling the tank with LN2, closing its vents, and then allowing the natural process of LN2 boiloff to raise the tank to the desired test pressure. However, unlike other test tanks, GSE4 never actually appeared to reopen its main vents. In fact, SpaceX may have never actually drained liquid nitrogen from the test tank, instead simply letting it slowly warm up and boil off into gas that was seemingly managed and vented by ground systems instead of the tank itself.
As a result, GSE4 stayed frosty (indicating a significant amount of remaining liquid nitrogen) for more than eight hours, strongly implying that it was either very slowly drained or simply allowed to warm up naturally. Given that large cryogenic storage tanks really don’t have to be significantly pressurized to complete their job, it’s possible that GSE4’s first test was primarily meant to verify the basic structural integrity of a tank that’s slightly different than those on Starship and, more importantly, test a different method of pressure and fluid management where most of that work is done by external, permanent systems on the ground.
That’s exactly what one might expect of rocket tankage slightly modified to serve as ground storage tanks. SpaceX’s GSE tanks never have to act as self-contained units and can instead rely almost entirely on separate systems.
Aside from verifying that that slightly different method of tank operations works as expected, GSE4’s first test likely also allowed SpaceX to better characterize the thermal properties of the thin steel skin and domes that are Starship and GSE tanks. Unlike GSE4, operational GSE tanks will be enclosed inside 12m (~40 ft) wide ‘cryo shells’ designed to insulate their cryogenic contents, but the insulative properties of the inner tanks (or the lack there of, rather) will still determine how well that insulation works and how much is actually needed to reach the desired boiloff rates. A contractor hired by SpaceX has already completed all seven cryo shells, so any results gathered from GSE4 will obviously be more of a check than a developmental test, but data is still data.
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Samsung’s Tesla AI5/AI6 chip factory to start key equipment tests in March: report
Samsung Electronics seems to be ramping its efforts to start operations at its Taylor, Texas semiconductor plant.
Samsung Electronics seems to be ramping its efforts to start operations at its Taylor, Texas semiconductor plant, which will produce Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip.
Preparing for Tesla’s AI5/AI6 chips
As per a report by Sina Finance, Samsung Electronics is looking to begin trial operations of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment at its Taylor facility in March. These efforts are reportedly intended to support the full production of Tesla’s AI5 chips starting in the latter half of 2026.
The Taylor factory, Samsung’s first wafer fabrication plant in the United States, covers roughly 4.85 million square meters and is nearing completion. Media reports, citing contractors, have estimated that about 7,000 workers now work on the factory, about 1,000 of whom are reportedly working from the facility’s office building.
Samsung is reportedly preparing to apply for a temporary occupancy permit, which would allow production to begin before the plant is fully completed.
Tesla’s aggressive AI chip roadmap
Elon Musk recently stated that Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip is nearly complete, while early development on its successor, AI6, is already underway. Musk shared the update in a post on X, which also happened to be a recruiting message for engineers.
As per Musk, Tesla is looking to iterate its in-house AI chips on an accelerated timeline, with future generations, including AI7, AI8, and AI9, targeting a roughly nine-month design cycle. He also stated that the rapid cadence could allow Tesla’s chips to become the highest-volume AI processors in the world.
Previous reports have indicated that Samsung Electronics would be manufacturing Tesla’s AI5 chip, alongside its rival, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). The two suppliers are expected to produce different versions of Tesla’s AI5 chip, with TSMC using a 3nm process and Samsung targeting 2nm production.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Boring Company studying potential Giga Nevada tunnel: report
The early-stage feasibility work was funded by a state-affiliated economic group as officials searched for alternatives to worsening traffic and accidents along Interstate 80.
Elon Musk’s tunneling startup, The Boring Company, has been studying a potential tunnel system connecting Reno to Tesla Gigafactory Nevada, as per documents obtained by Fortune. The early-stage feasibility work was funded by a state-affiliated economic group as officials searched for alternatives to worsening traffic and accidents along Interstate 80.
Potential Giga Nevada tunnel
Documents reviewed by Fortune showed that The Boring Company received $50,000 in October to produce conceptual designs and a feasibility report for a tunnel beneath a nine-mile stretch of highway leading to Gigafactory Nevada. The payment came from the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), a nonprofit that works with the state to attract and expand businesses.
The proposed tunnel was one of several transportation alternatives being explored to address rising congestion and accidents along Interstate 80, which serves the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center. The massive industrial park houses major employers, including Tesla and Panasonic, both of which had been in contact with the Nevada Governor’s Office regarding potential transportation solutions.
Emails obtained through public records requests showed that Tesla and Panasonic have also supported a separate commuter rail study that would use existing freight rail alongside the Interstate. It remains unclear if The Boring Company’s feasibility report had been completed, and key details for the potential project, including tunnel length, cost, and if autonomous Teslas would be used, were not disclosed.
Relieving I-80 congestion
Traffic and accidents along I-80 have increased sharply as data centers and new businesses moved into the 107,000-acre industrial center. State transportation data showed that the number of vehicles traveling certain stretches of the highway during peak hours doubled between January and July 2025 alone. Roughly 22,000 employees commute daily to the industrial park, with nearly 8,000 working for Tesla and more than 4,000 for Panasonic at the Giga Nevada complex.
Bill Thomas, who runs the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County, shared his thoughts about safety concerns in the area. “At this point in time, there’s about (one accident) every other day,” he said. He also noted that he is supportive of any projects that could alleviate traffic and accidents on the Interstate.
“We’re not paying for it. I’m not involved in it. But I understand there are conversations exploring whether that could be done. If there’s a private solution that helps the problem and improves safety, as far as I’m concerned, more power to them,” Thomas stated.
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Tesla might have built redundancies for Cybercab charging
When Tesla unveiled the Cybercab in 2024, the company noted that the autonomous two-seater would utilize wireless charging.
A newly spotted panel on Tesla’s Cybercab prototype may point to a practical backup for the vehicle’s wireless charging system as it nears mass production.
Tesla watchers have speculated that the panel could house a physical NACS port, which would ensure that the autonomous two-seater could operate reliably even before the company’s wireless charging infrastructure is deployed.
Cybercab possible physical charge port
The discussion was sparked by a post on X by Tesla watcher Owen Sparks, who highlighted a rather interesting panel on the Cybercab’s rear. The panel, which seemed to be present in the prototype units that have been spotted across the United States recently, seemed large enough to house a physical charge port.
When Tesla unveiled the Cybercab in 2024, the company noted that the autonomous two-seater would utilize wireless charging. Since then, however, Tesla has remained largely quiet about the system’s rollout timeline. With the Cybercab expected to enter production in a few months, equipping the vehicle with a physical NACS port would allow it to charge at Superchargers nationwide without relying exclusively on still-undeployed wireless chargers.
Such an approach would not rule out wireless charging long-term. Instead, it would give Tesla flexibility, allowing the Cybercab to operate immediately at scale while wireless charging solutions are rolled out later. For a vehicle designed to operate continuously and autonomously, redundancy in charging options would be a practical move.
Growing Cybercab sightings
Recent sightings of the Cybercab prototype in Chicago point to the same design philosophy. Images shared on social media showed the vehicle coated in road grime, while its rear camera area appeared noticeably cleaner, with visible traces of water on the trunk.
The observation suggests that the Cybercab is equipped with a rear camera washer. As noted by Model Y owner and industry watcher Sawyer Merritt, this is a feature Tesla owners have requested for years, particularly in snowy or wet climates where dirt and slush can obscure cameras and degrade the performance of systems like FSD.
While only the rear camera washer was clearly visible, the sighting raises the possibility that Tesla may equip additional exterior cameras with similar cleaning systems. For a vehicle that operates without a human driver, after all, maintaining camera visibility in all conditions is essential. Ultimately, the charge-port speculation and camera-washer sightings suggest Tesla is approaching the Cybercab with practicality in mind.
Samsung’s Tesla AI5/AI6 chip factory to start key equipment tests in March: report
Elon Musk’s Boring Company studying potential Giga Nevada tunnel: report
