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SpaceX gears up for back-to-back Starlink launch, Starship hop [webcast]

Coincidentally, SpaceX is still on track to launch a Starlink mission and hop Starship on the same day. (NASASpaceflight - bocachicagal; Richard Angle)

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Barring delays, SpaceX plans to launch a new batch of Starlink satellites and hop a Starship prototype for the second time ever within the same 12-hour period today.

Originally expected to be paired with yet another Falcon 9 launch on August 30th, SpaceX’s first three-flight day was prevented by bad weather both in Florida and Texas. The company’s SAOCOM 1B mission, however, managed to thread the needle through storm cells, launching on schedule around 7pm – the first United States’ first East Coast polar launch in half a century.

Initially rescheduled for September 1st, SpaceX’s Starlink-11 (12th overall, 11th v1.0) launch was delayed again to September 3rd to allow “additional time for data review.” The mission is now scheduled to launch no earlier than 8:46 am EDT (UTC-4) on Thursday, September 3rd. Simultaneously, on August 30th, SpaceX’s sixth full-scale Starship prototype made it less than a minute away from liftoff before its hop test was called off – the trigger likely being high winds.

Coincidentally, SpaceX is still on track to launch a Starlink mission and hop Starship on the same day. (NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal; Richard Angle)

While unrelated to Florida’s own bad weather, to avoid mediocre conditions expected over the next few days, SpaceX also pushed Starship SN6’s hop debut to Wednesday, September 3rd soon after the Sunday abort. That hop is expected to be identical to Starship SN5’s spectacular August 4th debut – the first flight of any full-scale prototype.

While neither ship has a nosecone or aerodynamic control surfaces (i.e. flaps) installed, their propellant tanks and engine section – unlike Starhopper – are effectively the same as SpaceX’s orbital Starship design. Refinements and upgrades are all but guaranteed as SpaceX continues an ambitious program of prototype flight tests, but the tanks and engine sections of future operational Starships will likely look quite similar to those flying on SN5 and SN6.

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Starship SN5 and SN6 pass each other while swapping spots at SpaceX’s South Texas factory and launch pad. (NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal)

Starship SN6’s hop debut is now scheduled to occur during an 8am to 8pm CDT (UTC-5) test this Thursday. Meanwhile, SpaceX’s Starlink-11 Falcon 9 mission will lift off less than half an hour before Starship’s hop window opens, although Starlink windows are instantaneous and require at least a 24-hour scrub in the event of any weather or technical delays. Based on past hop and static fire tests, SN6 is unlikely to lift off before 11am but could theoretically launch anytime within that 12-hour window.

After launch, Falcon 9 booster B1060 will attempt its second drone ship landing aboard Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY), while Starship SN6 will attempt to land just a few hundred feet east of its Boca Chica pad. SpaceX will broadcast a hosted webcast of the Starlink-11 launch beginning around 15 minutes before liftoff, while Starship SN6’s second hop attempt can be viewed via unofficial webcasts from LabPadre, NASASpaceflight, and others.

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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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Tesla brings Model Y L ‘Launch Series’ to the U.S. at $61,990

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Tesla has officially launched the Model Y L in the United States and Puerto Rico for $61,990. It is the longer-wheelbase version of the Model Y, and has been available in China since last year.

Tesla brings the Model Y L to the U.S. just months after it phased out the only pure SUV in its lineup, the Model X. It is slightly longer than the Model Y configurations that are already available in the U.S., and features a three-row, six-seat setup with Captain’s Chairs being among the many features that make this a truly fantastic offering.

The Model Y L is priced competitively at $61,990, and features 325 miles of range and a 0-60 MPH in just 4.4 seconds.

Tesla also added a handful of new features that are not available in even the Premium Model Y. Here’s a full list of its features:

  • Heated/Ventilated Front Seats with Powered Thigh Cushion
  • Heated/Ventilated Captain’s Seats in Second Row with Powered Armrests & One-Touch Fold
  • Heated Third-Row Seats with Power Recline, One-Touch Fold & Child Seat Anchors
  • Improved Airflow, Increased Efficiency, More Range
  • 89 cubic feet of trunk space
  • Upgraded Acoustic Glass and Suspension to Minimize Road Noise
  • Adaptive Damping for a Smooth, Stable Ride
  • Staggered Tires for Enhanced Grip
  • Larger Tailgate for Better Rear Visibility and Bigger Windows Overall
  • 16″ First Row and 8″ Second Row Touchscreens
  • 19-Speaker Immersive Tesla Audio
  • 50W Wireless Charging Pads with Active Cooling and Charging Ports for All Other Seats
  • FSD Supervised and Integrated Grok AI

Tesla is also delivering these first units as a “Launch Series,” which comes with additional features, such as:

  • Door Trim Puddle Lights
  • Suede Dashboard Wing
  • Exterior and Interior Badging
  • Floor Mats
  • Sill Plates

The launch of the Model Y L in the U.S. marks a huge offering from Tesla to U.S. consumers. People have been calling for Tesla to bring a larger car to the U.S., and it needed it more than ever now that the Model X is gone.

It is a huge accomplishment for Tesla to get the Model Y L to the U.S., and after reporting strong deliveries today, it will be interesting to see how this car impacts future quarterly delivery reports.

Deliveries for the Model Y L “Launch Series” are slated for September or October of this year.

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Tesla just told us twice that Model Y L is coming to the U.S.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla just told us twice that the Model Y L is coming to the U.S., and two social media posts definitely just tipped the company’s hand, as if they wanted it to be any other way.

The two social media posts basically confirm that the slightly longer version of the Model Y will be heading to the United States soon, and many have speculated that the company could launch the vehicle as soon as this weekend.

The first post was directly from Tesla, and it showed an incredibly long Dachshund, with words above that said, “Looking forward to the long weekend.”

Anyone who knows Tesla knows the company loves to troll its fans and have fun, and this is a perfect example of that. While not a direct acknowledgement, Tesla is very involved on social media, especially CEO Elon Musk’s platform X, and the company is well aware of what is being discussed within the community.

With recent sightings of Model Y L test mules in California, peeks of the vehicle at Giga Texas, and a large call for the car to come to the U.S., Tesla is simply stoking conversation with this.

However, the company also made another move that was recognized on social media. Tesla has a large gallery that includes photos of its products so media and others can use them. This gallery applies to the U.S. market specifically, unless otherwise specified.

Tesla uploaded a Model Y L to the Gallery last night:

This seems to be another indication that the Model Y L is coming to the United States.

Musk said last year that the Model Y L could make its way to the United States late this year, but it was not something that was set in stone by Tesla. The company definitely needs to establish something in the SUV market that is larger than the Model Y, and the Model Y L might be the answer.

Even still, there are consumers out there who would love Tesla to develop something even larger, like a competitor to the Tahoe or Expedition. Tesla has not really given much of an indication that it will go in that direction.

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Tesla is using vehicle microphones to improve build quality: here’s how

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is using the vehicles’ internal microphones to improve build quality, Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy revealed recently.

It’s no secret that Tesla is always finding ways to make its manufacturing operations more efficient, accurate, and valuable. Constantly trying to make its cars better, the company has never placed any restrictions on what it will do to improve everything from panel gaps to paint.

As Teslas have been driving autonomously on the property of the Gigafactory Texas plant for a while now, Moravy revealed to Herbert Ong in a new interview that cars rolling off production lines now autonomously navigate themselves through a bumps, squeaks, and rattles (BSR) portion of the line. This helps to identify any loose or improperly installed internal parts.

The cabin’s microphones, which are used for a variety of things in ownership, simultaneously monitor any noises inside the vehicle while it rolls through the BSR portion of the production line. Moravy actually revealed that Tesla is trying to build “Full Self-Hearing,” an AI system that will detect minor imperfections so they can be corrected before delivery.

It’s no secret that build quality is something that Tesla struggled with as it scaled to a fully massive production operation that manufactures over 1.6 million vehicles per year. However, in recent years, especially, there have not been as many complaints. Tesla has truly improved upon its build quality and paint quality over the past several years, especially in the U.S.

Tesla’s ‘megacasts’ are key to massive build quality improvements

While those improvements have been evident, there are still some complaints; no automaker is perfect with this. But this step will now ensure that every single car that rolls off the production lines at Gigafactory Texas will be void of any creaks, squeaks, or squeals when it leaves the factory.

This measure is one of the most unique we’ve seen in terms of a strategy to avoid build quality issues, but it is not exclusive to Tesla.

Ford uses acoustic analysis AI to find abnormalities in seat motors, climate control units, and other components. Suppliers and OEMs will also use microphone arrays or particle velocity sensors in end-of-line stations.

The full interview with Lars Moravy is available below:

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