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SpaceX settles on Friday for Starhopper’s next flight test milestone, FAA permitting

Starhopper completed its first untethered flight on July 25th, diverting to a landing pad after reaching an altitude of ~20m (65 ft). (SpaceX)

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The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has published Notices-to-Airmen (NOTAMs) for SpaceX’s next Starhopper flight milestone, a 200m (650 ft) hop now scheduled no earlier than Friday, August 16th.

During this upcoming test, the unusual Starship testbed and prototype will likely spend at least 30-60 seconds in the air, propelled by a lone Raptor engine producing up to ~200 tons (440,000 lbf) of thrust. Starhopper will then attempt to land a hundred or so feet east of its spartan launch mount on a dedicated landing pad. If successfully completed, CEO Elon Musk believes that either or both of SpaceX’s Mk1 and Mk2 Starship prototypes will be ready to begin their own series of more ambitious flight tests as early as September or October.

On July 25th, Starhopper lifted off – untethered – for the first time ever on its second try, following a scrubbed July 24th launch attempt and an otherwise successful July 16th static fire test that engulfed Starhopper in an impressive fireball.

Aside from starting a minor brush fire that burned a few acres surrounding the Boca Chica launch facilities, Starhopper’s untethered flight debut was by all appearances an unqualified success. SpaceX’s sixth full-scale Raptor (SN06) performed nominally over the ~20-second flight and Starhopper was quickly returned to its launch pad just a few days later, at which point technicians began working to reattach the rocket’s quick-disconnect (QD) umbilicals.

A bit more than a week after that, SpaceX performed several hours of tests with Starhopper on August 9th, culminating in an apparent wet dress rehearsal (WDR) in which the low-fidelity Starship prototype was loaded with liquid oxygen and methane propellant, a helium pressurant, and nitrogen for its maneuvering thrusters. Following Starhopper’s inaugural flight, the seemingly successful WDR served as a critical verification that the vehicle remains a structurally sound and functional pressure vessel and tested all the systems it will need for its next flight trial.

NASASpaceflight user bocachicagal captured this excellent footage of Starhopper’s August 9th WDR.

On the same day, CEO Elon Musk confirmed that SpaceX was effectively waiting – hardware ready – for the FAA to approve Starhopper’s 200m flight plan and/or arrange an updated experimental permit for the suborbital launch vehicle. Starhopper’s current FAA permit allows for unlimited flight tests but limits the altitude of those tests to 25m (80 ft) above ground level (AGL).

By all appearances, the fact that the FAA has published NOTAMs from August 16th through the 18th for Starhopper’s 200m flight arguably indicates that the regulatory agency has also permitted SpaceX to fly the experimental vehicle. On the other hand, no such updated vehicle or flight permit has been published on the FAA’s website and US bureaucratic institutions are not exactly known for rational and logical processes. Just three days away from the opening of the window, it looks like we’ll find out in the next few days if SpaceX has everything it needs to attempt Starhopper’s next major flight test.

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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 commends Tesla team on successful Robotaxi launch

Tesla CEO Elon Musk commended the company on the successful launch of Robotaxi.

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NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Tesla CEO Elon Musk commented on the company’s launch of the Robotaxi platform, which officially went live to a small group on Sunday in Austin, Texas.

It is the first time Tesla has offered driverless rides through the ride-hailing platform it has worked to activate for several years, and it was overwhelmingly successful based on early reviews.

The launch was coupled with the release of the first-ever looks at the Tesla Robotaxi app, which does more than allow riders to summon vehicles for transportation. It also allows the rider to adjust climate settings in the car before it arrives for a comfortable ride, and it will sync entertainment and streaming settings to keep occupants entertained.

Tesla Robotaxi riders tout ‘smooth’ experience in first reviews of driverless service launch

The first rides are being performed with a safety monitor in the passenger’s seat. These monitors have no control over the vehicle, and are there just to ensure smooth operation.

The first reviews called rides “smooth” and “comfortable,” and commended Tesla for its hard work over the past few years to make this happen. Many were impressed with the cars’ ability to keep pedestrians safe, avoid congested parking lots, and the efficiency of the rides, as the time from the ride request to the Robotaxi accepting the ride was extremely fast.

Musk has been at the forefront of this operation for a decade, as Tesla has been working to release a version of the Robotaxi through the development of Full Self-Driving. This has been an effort that included seeking top-tier engineering talent and taking incredible leaps of faith, including switching to a Vision-only approach for Full Self-Driving.

Musk commended the Tesla team for its hard work:

It’s truly an incredible accomplishment, as many considered Robotaxi a “failure” despite it not even being rolled out. In May, we reported on media outlets calling the Robotaxi rollout a total failure, despite Tesla always maintaining the launch would happen in June:

Tesla Robotaxi deemed a total failure by media — even though it hasn’t been released

Hundreds of rides have already been taken, and there have not been many complaints. It’s an incredible jump forward for Tesla.

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Tesla Robotaxi riders tout ‘smooth’ experience in first reviews of driverless service launch

The first reviews of Tesla Robotaxi are in, and those riders are impressed and astounded with the smooth and comfortable nature of the service.

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla Robotaxi riders are touting their awesome experiences in their first rides using the automaker’s new driverless ride-hailing service, which launched to a limited number of people yesterday for the first time.

On Sunday, Tesla officially launched Robotaxi, its driverless ride-hailing service, in downtown Austin. A select group of people were chosen to receive early access to the program, as well as the new Robotaxi app, which is used to request a ride and will sync everything from climate preferences to streaming settings with each pickup.

Tesla officially launches Robotaxi service with no driver

Teslarati gained access to the Early Access riders program and the Robotaxi app, giving us a first-hand look at the experience. We will be in Austin soon to test out the Robotaxi fleet for ourselves.

However, those who were there for the initial rides on Sunday had nothing but great things to say. Hundreds of rides were taken during the first hours of the Robotaxi program, and neither the company nor the riders reported any issues.

Here’s what people said about their experiences:

  • “Extremely smooth stops,” and great awareness of road conditions, including pedestrians, speed bumps, and busy parking lots, were all handled with ease:

  • Safe navigation around pedestrians who walked just off the sidewalk into the road:

  • “Just as good as it is during the daytime” at night. There were no changes to report by riders who took rides during the day and evening:

  • Avoided expensive and stressful parking at local tourist hotspots like Terry Black’s Barbeque:

  • “Comfortable and similar to existing Tesla cars with FSD,” intuitive and “surreal” experience:

  • The app is quicker than other ride-sharing services. When a destination is chosen, Robotaxi is already on the way to your location:

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Tesla Robotaxi rollout proves that Elon Musk still delivers, even if it’s late

Tesla is also still the company that makes the impossible feel late.

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Credit: Tesla

It took a long time, but Tesla has finally successfully rolled out its dedicated Robotaxi service in Austin this weekend. The initial rollout only involved a small fleet of cars operating in a small geofenced area in Texas, but it is still significant. 

It does, if any, prove that Elon Musk is still capable of delivering on his promises, even if they are late. Tesla is also still the company that makes the impossible feel late.

Finally, a Rollout

Elon Musk has been predicting a Robotaxi rollout for years, so much so that even avid Tesla supporters have grown quite wary of his constant predictions. After a while, Elon Musk himself admitted that he has become the boy who cried FSD, though he still maintained that self-driving was really just around the corner.

This past weekend, Musk’s predictions finally came true. Actual paying customers used Tesla’s dedicated Robotaxi service for a small flat fee of $4.20 per ride. Elon Musk seemed quite happy with the Robotaxi’s initial launch, as evidenced by his congratulatory message to the Tesla AI team on X.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1936876178356490546
https://twitter.com/aelluswamy/status/1936865682810946035

No More Tesla Vision Debates

One thing that is evident in Tesla’s initial Robotaxi rollout in Austin was the fact that the debate surrounding Tesla’s vision-only approach is completely gone now. With actual Robotaxis operating around Austin, there are no more questions about whether cars can navigate city streets on their own using only AI and cameras. They can, and safely too, at least based on Tesla’s initial fleet of Robotaxis.

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https://twitter.com/ItsKimJava/status/1936927640268484909
https://twitter.com/SawyerMerritt/status/1936997202880081950

The Beauty of Normalcy

The Robotaxi rides from Tesla owners who were fortunate enough to experience the first driverless rides from the EV maker’s fleet were quite uneventful. Comments on social media platforms such as X observed that the Robotaxis operated safely and cautiously, and their driving was actually smoother than some human drivers. 

That may not sound very exciting at all, but that’s the beauty of it. Tesla’s Robotaxi service is designed to look and feel natural to people. And so far, it appears that Tesla is accomplishing this with its Robotaxi rollout.

https://twitter.com/DrKnowItAll16/status/1936992009685700663
https://twitter.com/DirtyTesLa/status/1936999390100496443
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