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SpaceX Texas Starship factory accepts third Florida hardware shipment

SpaceX has just accepted its third delivery of Starship production hardware from its Florida facilities. (NASASpaceflight - bocachicagal)

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SpaceX support ship GO Discovery has successfully completed its third trip from Florida to Texas, ferrying additional rocket production hardware to the company’s fast-expanding South Texas Starship factory.

Captured on arrival by local spaceflight fan and observer SPadre (@SpacePadreIsle), the SpaceX ship entered Port of Brownsville on March 22nd, carrying a few minor pieces of equipment that SpaceX’s Starship factory will likely find helpful down the road. The company’s South Texas presence has undergone a meteoric period of growth in the last few months, hiring hundreds to staff a Starship factory that is now churning out rocket parts on the rugged South Texas Gulf Coast.

While it’s more a question of “when” than “if” the birth of a global pandemic will come to seriously impact SpaceX’s supply chain and general operations, South Texas included, the company’s Starship factory has yet to show any signs of slowing down. Facilities expansion and Starship production continues at a breakneck pace, with the latest major construction project beginning just days ago and the company’s newest rocket prototype speeding towards completion. As such, the hardware delivered from Florida could see use in a matter of days, although SpaceX may be moving so quickly that it’s already somewhat redundant.

The ship GO Discovery arrived for the third time at the Port of Brownsville, Texas on March 22nd, carrying Starship tools built in Florida. (SPadre)

The stands were loaded onto GO Discovery in Port Canaveral, Florida for a March 16th departure and the ship took six days to complete its ~2100-km (1300 mi) journey to Texas. This is the third time SpaceX has shipped hardware from its Florida Starship factorytemporarily shuttered since December 2019to its Texas Starship factory, which continues to expand and build rockets at an incredible rate.

SpaceX’s first Florida-Texas shipment arrived on December 8th, 2019, followed by a second delivery in early January. (NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal)

Just a few hours after arrival, SpaceX workers removed GO Discovery’s cargo and prepared it for transport, moving the hardware to its facilities around 12pm CDT (UTC-5). Curiously, SpaceX immediately transported two large steel stands past its Starship factory and to its launch and test facilities, situated about a mile down the road.

The company has used numerous similar stands and even completed several new ones over the last several months. The steel structures serve as work stands that offer great access and easy mobility, as well as testing mounts for several Starship tank prototypes SpaceX has tested this year. Given that SpaceX recently passed its first tank test unscathed and is in the midst of completing assembly of the third full-scale Starship prototype, it appears that the two stands shipped from Florida will populate the company’s reserves instead of immediately entering service.

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Two new Starship work and test stands arrived from Florida and were quickly moved within the vicinity of SpaceX’s launch facilities – not its factory. (SPadre)
SpaceX is one major stacking event away from completing the initial assembly of its Starship SN3 tank section. (NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal)

SpaceX could be just a week or two away from completing its third full-scale Starship prototype and proceeding into pressure testing. If successful, the massive vehicle could become the first of its kind to attempt wet dress rehearsals (WDRs) – using real, explosive propellant – and, soon after, Raptor engine static fires.

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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Cybertruck

Tesla confirms it’s releasing a long-awaited Cybertruck feature

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has finally and officially confirmed that Actually Smart Summon, commonly known as ASS, will make its way to the Cybertruck two and a half years after first deliveries.

The feature, which is part of the Full Self-Driving suite, allows owners of any Tesla to literally summon their vehicle to their location in a parking lot. It is limited by range and speed, especially as there is nobody in the vehicle, but is a great feature to have for rainstorms, busy parking lots, or for injured passengers (I recently used it so I could give my Fiancèe a hand leaving a sports injury doctor after she pulled her calf).

Summon has been available on every Tesla that is currently available, but the Cybertruck has not had the feature in the two and a half years that customers have been taking deliveries.

There were a few things that Tesla had to work out with Full Self-Driving features, Summon in particular, with the Cybertruck.

Initially, its Steer-by-Wire system handles low-speed maneuvers differently than a typical mechanical steering connection available in the S3XY lineup. This required some additional time of development to allow Tesla to retrain and validate the AI models specifically for the feature within Cybertruck.

Additionally, the overall size and weight of Cybertruck impacted expected dynamics, has an impact on braking distances, and even obstacle avoidance in tighter lots. Tesla prioritized safety over launching the feature ahead of having the utmost confidence in it.

However, the wait is finally over, at least it seems that way. Tesla said that Cybertruck will receive ASS through a Software Update “shortly,” but did not give an explicit date. Tesla has said that Summon is coming in the past, only for it to be delayed yet again.

We anticipate that Summon will roll out within the Cybertruck in less than a week, but there are still some reservations about that timing because, ultimately, nobody knows what Tesla will do outside of Tesla. The Spring Update for many came well late, at least a month past the initial rollout wave.

The rollout of Summon to Cybertruck is a great milestone for Tesla, even if it has come later than most would really like to admit. Now that Cybertrucks will be summoned across parking lots, it will be awesome to see reactions to the massive pickup with no driver sitting in the driver’s seat.

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Tesla Full Self-Driving is taking over Europe: fourth country gets FSD approval

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has secured regulatory approval for its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system in Denmark, marking a significant step in the technology’s expansion across Europe.

Announced on June 9, the approval positions Denmark as the fourth European country to greenlight FSD Supervised, following the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Estonia.

Rollout to Danish vehicle owners is expected to begin soon, the company said.

The Danish Road Traffic Authority granted provisional approval after reviewing the original type approval issued by the Dutch vehicle authority (RDW) on April 10, 2026.

This national recognition approach allows individual countries to bypass slower EU-wide harmonization processes, accelerating deployment. Lithuania activated the system on May 20, with Estonia following on May 29, demonstrating a rapid domino effect across the region.

FSD Supervised enables advanced driver assistance capabilities, including automatic steering, acceleration, braking, lane changes, and navigation through complex urban and rural environments. The system is designed for supervised use, as its name states, meaning drivers must remain attentive and ready to intervene at all times.

It adapts to diverse conditions, such as rain, night driving, and varied road types common in Denmark, but it is important to note that the tech is not fully autonomous.

Following a launch in Europe just a few months ago, with its first approval coming in the Netherlands, Tesla is just now highlighting the successful start.

Early data from the Netherlands highlights strong safety performance. Between April 10 and June 5, vehicles using FSD Supervised recorded 3.5 times fewer collisions than manual driving overall, with zero crashes reported on highways across more than 16.6 million kilometers driven.

These results underscore the potential of the technology to enhance road safety when properly supervised.

Tesla’s European push builds on its global footprint, now reaching 12 countries with FSD Supervised availability. The software receives continuous over-the-air updates, improving performance based on real-world data from millions of miles.

In Denmark, owners with compatible hardware—particularly newer vehicles equipped with Hardware 4 (HW4)—are anticipated to gain access first, though exact timelines and eligibility details will be confirmed during rollout.

This approval reflects growing regulatory confidence in supervised autonomy across Europe. As more nations recognize the Dutch certification, Tesla continues to demonstrate how its AI-driven approach can navigate real-world driving scenarios effectively. Denmark’s addition strengthens Tesla’s position in the region, paving the way for broader adoption on a continent that his been surprisingly slow to adopt the technology.

With FSD Supervised now approved in four European markets in just two months, the technology is steadily advancing toward wider availability. Tesla aims to refine the system further through ongoing data collection and software iterations, supporting its vision for safer and more efficient transportation.

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Tesla revises FSD transfer policy on new Cybertruck trim, causing cancellations

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has apparently revised the policy it previously had listed for Full Self-Driving transfers on the newest All-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck that the company had sold for a steal price of just $59,000 earlier this year.

After initially stating that customers who bought the pickup would be able to transfer FSD purchases, Tesla recently changed the language in those terms and conditions to reflect that this would no longer be the case.

Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price

The adjustment in terminology has caused a handful of orderers to cancel their reservations due to the loss of FSD transfer:

Tesla said orders for the new Cybertruck AWD must be placed by March 31, 2026, to qualify for the FSD transfer. The language in the document from earlier this year explicitly states that they “may qualify” for the transfer program, but the date of March 31 is explicitly mentioned.

Additionally, Tesla Delivery Advisors reached out to some orderers of the AWD Cybertruck, who were told there was “an update to the eligibility of the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) transfer.” Tesla stated they could:

  • proceed without the transfer,
  • upgrade to a Premium or Cyberbeast trim and request an FSD Transfer
  • cancel the order and be refunded the $250 order fee.

Tesla turning around and changing these terms will undoubtedly result in a handful of cancellations on the part of those who have placed an order for this truck. They could pay $99 per month for an FSD subscription, which is now the only option available, but having purchased the suite outright on another vehicle and being told the transfer policy would be upheld, only to have it cancelled, is a tough pill to swallow.

These moves were also made by Tesla just before deliveries were set to begin on the Cybertruck AWD configuration. Reservation holders have started receiving VINs for their trucks, and Tesla is preparing to hand over the first units.

It’s a disappointing move from Tesla that will undoubtedly make some of its fans who have bought the truck frustrated.

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