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SpaceX is about to have a fleet of Starship rockets
SpaceX has finished the last major stacking event for the business half of its fifth full-scale Starship prototype, meaning that the company may be a week or less from having a fleet of Starships for the first time ever.
As of now, Starship serial number 5 (SN5) is on track to be completed in under a month, continuing a trend that SpaceX has managed over the entirety of 2020. Beginning in mid-January, SpaceX has completed several nosecone pathfinders, three test tanks, and three full-scale Starship prototypes – soon to be four once SN5 is finished. Once it is, however, SpaceX will be entering a new era of operations – fleet operations.
Up to this point, every full-scale Starship prototype and test tank SpaceX has built – excluding the tank SN2 was turned into in March – has been quickly destroyed over the course of one or two tests. For better or for worse, this has meant that SpaceX’s test and launch pad has always been more or less self-clearing, making way for the next prototype to roll out and begin testing after the scraps of its predecessor were removed. This time around, barring Starship SN4’s imminent demise, SpaceX will now have to deal with multiple completed Starship prototypes at the same time – a tiny taste of things to come.
For unknown reasons, SpaceX decided to swap out Starship SN4’s lone Raptor engine (likely SN18) after multiple wet dress rehearsals, partial engine tests, and two static fire tests – at least one of which was confirmed a success by CEO Elon Musk. Most recently, SpaceX removed Raptor SN18 to perform a more ambitious cryogenic pressure test, pushing Starship SN4’s propellant tanks all the way to 7.5 bar (~110 psi) at the same time as hydraulic rams simulated the thrust of three Raptor engines at the rocket’s base.
Instead of reinstalling Raptor SN18, SpaceX transported Raptor SN20 to the launch pad and installed it on Starship SN4 on May 10th, less than 24 hours after the prototype passed an orbital-class pressure test.
Aside from installing Raptor SN20, SpaceX teams have spent the last few days adding new COPVs (composite overwrapped pressure vessels) and plumbing to Starship SN4’s exterior – purpose largely unknown. While the new hardware is mostly a mystery, it is known that SpaceX is in the process of preparing SN4 and its new Raptor engine for a third wet dress rehearsal (WDR) and static fire test, necessary to ensure that Raptor SN20 is properly installed and functioning as expected.
Assuming that third static fire is successful, SpaceX’s will prepare Starship SN4 for its first flight, a ~150m (500 ft) hop test that will also be the first intentional flight of any full-scale Starship prototype since the program’s birth. For that hop test, SN4 will need some kind of attitude control system (ACS) thrusters to control its rotation and provide fine trajectory tuning to assist the ship’s lone Raptor engine. This is the likeliest explanation for the new hardware being installed on Starship SN4, as the ship does not currently appear to have ACS thrusters installed.
Starship Troopers
Of course, the first flight of a full-scale Starship prototype will probably be the riskiest test yet for the program and there’s a good chance that SN4 will meet its demise at some point during that flight. Enter Starship SN5.
As of May 12th, Starship SN5’s final two tank sections were stacked, effectively completing the most important half of the rocket (minus one final circumferential ring weld). SN5’s final outfitting of avionics and plumbing is still pending and will take at least a few days to a week or more, but that work can and has been completed after prototypes are transferred by road to the launch pad. Currently, Starship SN4 is occupying SpaceX’s one and only pad test stand, however, meaning that it wouldn’t make much sense to immediately move SN5 to the launch pad – at least until SN4 is done testing.
SN5 will also need a nose section and, perhaps, flaps installed, meaning that the full ship is likely still at least a week or two away from being finished, but that likely wont stop SpaceX from proof testing the rocket’s tanks if or when SN4 makes space at the launch pad.
According to comments made by Elon Musk, SN5 will likely become the first Starship prototype to have three Raptor engines installed and the first to attempt a truly high-altitude flight test if Starship SN4 is met with success in the coming weeks. As absurd as it feels to say, if SN5 completes triple-Raptor testing and a 20 km (~12 mi) flight test without issue, Musk has stated that the next step would be orbital flight tests. Starship SN6’s steel rings, meanwhile, are already being formed and stacked as SN5 nears completion.
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Tesla celebrates 75k Superchargers, less than 5 months since 70k-stall milestone
Tesla’s 75,000th stall is hosted at the South Hobart Smart Store on Cascade Road, South Hobart, Tasmania.
Tesla has crossed another major charging milestone by officially installing its 75,000th Supercharger stall worldwide. The electric vehicle maker chose South Hobart, Tasmania, as the commemorative location of its 75,000th Supercharger.
Tesla’s 75,000th Supercharger
Tesla’s 75,000th stall is hosted at the South Hobart Smart Store on Cascade Road, South Hobart, TAS 7004, as noted in a techAU report. The location features four next-generation V4 Superchargers, which are built with longer cables that should make it easy even for non-Teslas to use the rapid charger. The site also includes simplified payment options, aligning with Tesla’s push to make V4 stations more accessible to a broader set of drivers.
For Tasmanian EV owners, the installation fills an important regional gap, improving long-distance coverage around Hobart and strengthening the area’s appeal for mainland travelers traveling by electric vehicle. Similar to other commemorative Superchargers, the 70,000th stall is quite special as it is finished in Glacier Blue paint. Tesla’s 50,000th stall, which is in California, is painted a stunning red, and the 60,000th stall, which is in Japan, features unique origami-inspired graphics.
Accelerating Supercharger milestones
The Tesla Supercharger’s pace of expansion shows no signs of slowing. Tesla celebrated its 70,000th stall at a 12-stall site in Burleson, Texas late June 2025. Just eight months earlier, Tesla announced that it had celebrated the buildout of its 60,000th Supercharger, which was built in Enshu Morimachi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Tesla’s Supercharger Network also recently received accolades in the United Kingdom, with the 2025 Zapmap survey naming the rapid charging system as the Best Large EV Charging Network for the second year in a row. Survey respondents praised the Supercharger Network for its ease of use, price, and reliability, which is best-in-class. The fact that the network has also been opened for non-Teslas is just icing on the cake.
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Luminar-Volvo breakdown deepens as lidar maker warns of potential bankruptcy
The automaker stated that Luminar failed to meet contractual obligations.
Luminar’s largest customer, Volvo, has canceled a key five-year contract as the lidar supplier warned investors that it might be forced to file for bankruptcy. The automaker stated that Luminar failed to meet contractual obligations, escalating a dispute already unfolding as Luminar defaults on loans, undergoes layoffs, and works to sell portions of the business.
Volvo pulls back on Luminar
In a statement to TechCrunch, Volvo stated that Luminar’s failure to deliver its contractual obligations was a key driver of the cancellation of the contract. “Volvo Cars has made this decision to limit the company’s supply chain risk exposure and it is a direct result of Luminar’s failure to meet its contractual obligations to Volvo Cars,” Volvo noted in a statement.
The rift marked a notable turn for the two companies, whose relationship dates back several years. Volvo invested in Luminar early and helped push its sensors into production programs, while Luminar’s technology bolstered the credibility of Volvo’s safety-focused autonomous driving plans. Volvo’s partnership also supported Luminar’s 2020 SPAC listing, which briefly made founder Austin Russell one of the youngest self-made billionaires in the industry.
Damaged Volvo relations
The damaged Volvo partnership comes during a critical period for Luminar. The company has defaulted on several loans and warned investors that bankruptcy remains a possibility if restructuring discussions fall through. To conserve cash, Luminar has cut 25% of its workforce and is exploring strategic alternatives, including partial or full asset sales.
One potential buyer is founder Austin Russell, who resigned as CEO in May amid a board-initiated ethics inquiry. The company is also the subject of an ongoing SEC investigation.
Luminar, for its part, also noted in a filing that it had “made a claim against Volvo for significant damages” and “suspended further commitments of Iris” for the carmaker. “The Company is in discussions with Volvo concerning the dispute; however, there can be no assurance that the dispute will be resolved favorably or at all,” the lidar maker stated.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk says he’s open to powering Apple’s Siri with xAI’s Grok
Siri, one of the first intelligent AI assistants in the market, has become widely outdated and outperformed by rivals over the years.
Elon Musk says he’s willing to help Apple overhaul Siri by integrating xAI’s Grok 4.1, igniting widespread excitement and speculations about a potential collaboration between the two tech giants.
Siri, one of the first intelligent AI assistants in the market, has become widely outdated and outperformed by rivals over the years.
Musk open to an Apple collaboration
Musk’s willingness to team up with Apple surfaced after an X user suggested replacing Siri with Grok 4.1 to modernize the AI assistant. The original post criticized Siri’s limitations and urged Apple to adopt a more advanced AI system. “It’s time for Apple to team up with xAI and actually fix Siri. Replace that outdated, painfully dumb assistant with Grok 4.1. Siri deserves to be Superintelligent,” the X user wrote.
Musk quoted the post, responding with, “I’m down.” Musk’s comment quickly attracted a lot of attention among X’s users, many of whom noted that a Grok update to Siri would be appreciated because Apple’s AI assistant has legitimately become terrible in recent years. Others also noted that Grok, together with Apple’s potential integration of Starlink connectivity, would make iPhones even more compelling.
Grok promises major Siri upgrades
The enthusiasm stems largely from Grok 4.1’s technical strengths, which include stronger reasoning and improved creative output. xAI also designed the model to reduce hallucinations, as noted in a Reality Tea report. Supporters believe these improvements could address Apple’s reported challenges developing its own advanced AI systems, giving Siri the upgrade many users have waited years for.
Reactions ranged from humorous to hopeful, with some users joking that Siri would finally “wake up with a personality” if paired with Grok. Siri, after all, was a trailblazer in voice assistants, but it is currently dominated by rivals in terms of features and capabilities. Grok could change that, provided that Apple is willing to collaborate with Elon Musk’s xAI.
Tesla celebrates 75k Superchargers, less than 5 months since 70k-stall milestone
Luminar-Volvo breakdown deepens as lidar maker warns of potential bankruptcy
