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SpaceX begins assembling Starbase’s biggest manufacturing building yet
It might not look like much today but SpaceX has begun assembling what is set to become Starbase’s largest Starship manufacturing facility.
The structure, which has generally come to be known as Starbase’s ‘wide bay,’ was first teased by CEO Elon Musk in July 2021 and will be the fourth permanent assembly ‘bay’ constructed at Starbase – currently SpaceX’s sole dedicated Starship factory. The first, now known simply as the windbreak, is a triangular bay built in 2019 that is mostly unused but occasionally supports work on Starship nose assembly. Next, SpaceX built a larger ‘mid bay’ in the first quarter of 2020, out of which every Starship prototype and test tank since SN3 has been built.
A few months after the midbay was finished, SpaceX began constructing an even larger ‘high bay’ around 81 meters (265 ft) tall and 30 by 25 meters (100 by 80 ft) wide – about twice as tall and with twice the area, in other words. While the midbay was specifically optimized for assembling one or two Starship tank sections at a time, the high bay was designed to be large enough to fully assemble one Super Heavy booster (69m/225ft tall) and stack a Starship tank and nose section (50m/165ft tall) at the same time. The goal of SpaceX’s new ‘wide bay’ may be even loftier still.
Though SpaceX’s pace of Starship and Super Heavy assembly and processing appears to have slowed down significantly in the last few months, the company has still proven with Starships SN4-6, SN8-SN11, and SN15-16 that it can build large numbers of suborbital prototypes at the frankly incredible pace of 1-2 per month. With Super Heavy BN1, BN3, and BN3, SpaceX – to a lesser degree – has also demonstrated respectable booster prototype production, though none have flown and only one has completed any testing.
Nonetheless, as SpaceX works to complete Starship S21 and Super Heavy B5 and prepares to begin assembling S22 and B6 while Ship 20 and Booster 4 still sit – largely untested – at the launch site, Starbase’s existing production capabilities are already starting to outstretch its two main assembly bays. In other words, the purpose of SpaceX’s new ‘wide bay’ is almost certainly to double, triple, or even quadruple Starbase’s maximum vehicle production rate.
The wide bay’s dimensions have yet to be officially confirmed but based on aerial views of its foundation, it will measure roughly 50m (~165′) wide, 35m (~115′) deep, and 90-100m (~300-330′) tall, giving it more than twice as much usable floor space as the high bay. In theory, the high bay has enough space for SpaceX to stack 3-4 four Starship or Super Heavy tank sections at once. With more than twice the floor space, the wide bay should singlehandedly allow SpaceX to assemble 3-4 Super Heavy boosters, 4-8 Starships, or 2-3 boosters and 2-3 Starships at once.
At the absolute minimum, once fully outfitted, that means it could roughly triple the number of boosters or ships Starbase can fully assemble each month. Pictured below, there’s also a small but not insignificant amount of evidence (the small rectangles left of the wide bay foundation, bottom right, in the photo above) that SpaceX is completing additional foundation work that could double the wide bay’s floor space yet again. The second 50x35m structure those foundations seem to outline could be a wider midbay, a few-story ring assembly floor to augment Starbase’s tents, a 50x70m ‘high bay,’ or simply a more permanent space for general offices, workshops, storage, and other miscellaneous uses.
Stay tuned for updates on the massive structure’s construction.
News
Tesla Semi expands pilot program to Texas logistics firm: here’s what they said
Mone said the Tesla Semi it put into its fleet for this test recorded 1.64 kWh per mile efficiency, beating Tesla’s official 1.7 kWh per mile target and delivering a massive leap over conventional diesel trucks.
Tesla has expanded its Semi pilot program to a new region, as it has made it to Texas to be tested by logistics from Mone Transport. With the Semi entering production this year, Tesla is getting even more valuable data regarding the vehicle and its efficiency, which will help companies cut expenditures.
Mone Transport operates in Texas and on the Southern border, and it specializes in cross-border U.S.-Mexico freight operations. After completing some rigorous testing, Mone shared public results, which stand out when compared to efficiency metrics offered by diesel vehicles.
“Mone Transport recently had the opportunity to put the Tesla Semi to the test, and we’re thrilled with the results! Over 4,700 miles of operations at 1.64 kWh/mile in our Texas operation. We’re committed to providing zero-emission transportation to our customers!” the company said in a post on X.
🚨 Mone Transport just recorded an extremely impressive Tesla Semi test:
1.64 kWh per mile over 4,700 miles! https://t.co/xwS2dDeomP pic.twitter.com/oLZHoQgXsu
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 10, 2026
Mone said the Tesla Semi it put into its fleet for this test recorded 1.64 kWh per mile efficiency, beating Tesla’s official 1.7 kWh per mile target and delivering a massive leap over conventional diesel trucks.
Comparable Class 8 diesel semis, typically achieving 6-7 miles per gallon, consume roughly 5.5 kWh per mile in energy-equivalent terms, meaning the Semi uses three to four times less energy while also producing zero tailpipe emissions.
Tesla Semi undergoes major redesign as dedicated factory preps for deliveries
The performance of the Tesla Semi in Mone Transport’s testing aligns with data from other participants in the pilot program. ArcBest’s ABF Freight Division logged 4,494 miles over three weeks in 2025, averaging 1.55 kWh per mile across varied routes, including a grueling 7,200-foot Donner Pass climb. The truck “generally matched the performance of its diesel counterparts,” the carrier said.
PepsiCo, which operates the largest known Semi fleet, recorded 1.7 kWh per mile in North American Council for Freight Efficiency testing. Additional pilots showed similar gains: DHL hit 1.72 kWh per mile, and Saia achieved 1.73 kWh per mile.
These metrics underscore the Semi’s ability to slash operating costs through superior efficiency, lower maintenance, and zero-emission operation. As charging infrastructure scales and production ramps toward 2026 targets, participants like Mone Transport are proving electric semis can seamlessly integrate into freight networks, accelerating the industry’s shift to sustainable, high-performance trucking.
Tesla continues to prep for a more widespread presence of the Semi in the coming months as it recently launched the first public Semi Megacharger site in Los Angeles. It is working on building out infrastructure for regional runs on the West Coast initially, with plans to expand this to the other end of the country in the coming years.
Elon Musk
SpaceX weighs Nasdaq listing as company explores early index entry: report
The company is reportedly seeking early inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 index.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is reportedly leaning toward listing its shares on the Nasdaq for a potential initial public offering (IPO) that could become the largest in history.
As per a recent report, the company is reportedly seeking early inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 index. The update was reported by Reuters, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the publication, SpaceX is considering Nasdaq as the venue for its eventual IPO, though the New York Stock Exchange is also competing for the listing. Neither exchange has reportedly been informed of a final decision.
Reuters has previously reported that SpaceX could pursue an IPO as early as June, though the company’s plans could still change.
One of the publication’s sources also suggested that SpaceX is targeting a valuation of about $1.75 trillion for its IPO. At that level, the company would rank among the largest publicly traded firms in the United States by market capitalization.
Nasdaq has proposed a rule change that could accelerate the inclusion of newly listed megacap companies into the Nasdaq-100 index.
Under the proposed “Fast Entry” rule, a newly listed company could qualify for the index in less than a month if its market capitalization ranks among the top 40 companies already included in the Nasdaq-100.
If SpaceX is successful in achieving its target valuation of $1.75 trillion, it would become the sixth-largest company by market value in the United States, at least based on recent share prices.
Newly listed companies typically have to wait up to a year before becoming eligible for major indexes such as the Nasdaq-100 or S&P 500.
Inclusion in a major index can significantly broaden a company’s shareholder base because many institutional investors purchase shares through index-tracking funds.
According to Reuters, Nasdaq’s proposed fast-track rule is partly intended to attract highly valued private companies such as SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic to list on the exchange.
Elon Musk
The Boring Company’s Prufrock-2 emerges after completing new Vegas Loop tunnel
The new tunnel measures 2.28 miles, making it the company’s longest single Vegas Loop tunnel to date.
The Boring Company announced that its Prufrock-2 tunnel boring machine (TBM) has completed another Vegas Loop tunnel in Las Vegas. The company shared the update in a post on social media platform X.
According to The Boring Company’s post, the new tunnel measures 2.28 miles, making it the company’s longest single Vegas Loop tunnel to date.
The new tunnel marks the fourth tunnel constructed near Westgate Las Vegas as the Vegas Loop network continues expanding across the city.
The Boring Company also noted that the new tunnel surpassed its previous internal record of 2.26 miles for a single Vegas Loop segment.
Construction of the tunnel involved moving roughly 68,000 cubic yards of dirt. The excavation process also used about 4.8 miles of continuous conveyor belt, powered by six motors totaling 825 horsepower.
The Boring Company’s Prufrock-series all-electric tunnel boring machines are designed to support the rapid expansion of company’s underground transportation projects, including the growing Vegas Loop network. Prufrock machines are designed for reusability, thanks in no small part to their capability to be deployed and retrieved easily through their “porposing” feature.
The Vegas Loop, specifically the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) Loop segment, has already been used during major events. Most recently, the LVCC Loop supported the 2026 CONEXPO-CON/AGG construction trade show, which was held from March 3-7, 2026.
As per The Boring Company, the LVCC Loop transported roughly 82,000 passengers across the convention center campus during the event’s duration.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG is one of the largest construction trade shows in North America, drawing more than 140,000 construction professionals from 128 countries this year.
The LVCC Loop forms the initial segment of the broader Vegas Loop network, which remains under active development as The Boring Company continues building new tunnels throughout the city.
Tesla Semi expands pilot program to Texas logistics firm: here’s what they said
SpaceX weighs Nasdaq listing as company explores early index entry: report
