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SpaceX acquires new photos of Starship landing sites with Mars-orbiting NASA satellite
SpaceX has reaffirmed its prioritization of the Arcadia Planitia – a low Martian plain – and adjacent areas as some of the most promising locations for early Starship landings, tasking a NASA satellite to gather updated photos of six potential landing sites.
First discovered and analyzed by author Robert Zimmerman on August 28th, SpaceX requested the landing site prospecting images from the University of Arizona, tasked with operating NASA’s JPL-built HiRISE spacecraft. Back before Red Dragon’s 2017 cancellation, SpaceX began the process of landing site analysis, a canvassing that ultimately settled on four possible locations, of which the Arcadia Planitia was viewed as most promising.
After at least 2.5 years of research, SpaceX thus appears to be confidently settling on one particular region of Mars for its first Starship landing(s) on the Red Planet. Located in Mars’ mid-northern latitudes, Arcadia Planitia – like its Latin namesake suggests – is a region of plains, specifically low plains per International Astronomical Union (IAU) standards. It has been described by NASA as “one of the few regions [of Mars] where abundant shallow ice is present at relatively low latitude”, desirable for an array of reasons.
Arcadia Planitia takes up much of the left-hand side of this spectacular 2017 panorama, stitched together from Mars Express images by Justin Cowart. On the scale of Martian spectacle, one could be forgiven for perceiving Arcadia as boring. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons SpaceX is interested in it – just as Arcadia looks rather featureless from orbit, it is relatively bereft of the boulder fields common in many other regions of Mars, translating into much less obstacle avoidance during landing.
Additionally, Arcadia Planitia is indeed a region of low plains – one of the lowest regions (relative to the mean surface level) on Mars. This translates into much higher atmospheric pressure (i.e. a thicker atmosphere), insulating the region from some of the extremes of Martian weather, as does its relative adjacency to the planet’s equator. Simultaneously, this wealth of atmosphere enables more efficient spacecraft landings. Per a September 2018 update, Starship is set to rely heavily on a series of atmospheric maneuvers to slow down, a strategy that significantly cuts the amount of propellant the spacecraft must use to land softly on Mars (and Earth!).
To tally: Arcadia Planitia offers (somewhat) warmer summers and winters due to its latitude, augmented by a low relative altitude that insulates the region from weather extremes and enables more efficient propulsive spacecraft landings.
However, perhaps more important than any of the above features is the fact that Arcadia Planitia is host to a vast wealth of water ice resources, ranging from frozen aquifers to glaciers in the adjacent Erebus Montes mountains. Of central importance to SpaceX’s strategy of affordably colonizing and exploring Mars is the decision to produce return propellant – needed for Starships to return to Earth – on Mars, known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). Starship’s use of methane and oxygen is almost entirely a result of this – methane is far easier to work with than hydrogen and can also be easily produced from water, as can oxygen.
The cleaner and more accessible the Martian water ice is, the easier it will be for SpaceX robots or astronauts to set up a propellant plant on Mars. Additionally, clean water is extremely expensive to transport in space, and a near-infinite supply of ice-derived water would be extremely useful for all sorts of human outpost needs.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk believes that the company could be ready for Starship’s first uncrewed Mars launch as early as 2020 or 2022 Hohmann transfer opportunities, windows that permit a uniquely efficient journey from Earth to Mars.
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk sends final warning to Bill Gates over short position
“If Gates hasn’t fully closed out the crazy short position he has held against Tesla for ~8 years, he had better do so soon,” Musk said.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent a final warning to former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates over his short position, which he confirmed he held to Musk directly several years ago.
Gates has been a skeptic of Tesla for some time, but he has also tried to work with Musk on philanthropic opportunities several years ago, which was coincidentally when he admitted to the company’s frontman that he held a short position.
Musk was, in turn, “super mean” to Gates, according to Walter Isaacson’s biography about the Tesla CEO. Gates had put $500 million against Tesla, shorting the stock and hoping to profit from its failure.
Elon Musk explains Bill Gates beef: He ‘placed a massive bet on Tesla dying’
A short position essentially means Gates is betting Tesla shares will go down, which would make him money. However, shares have gone up over six percent this year and increased nearly 150 percent over the past five years.
At the recent Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk made many claims about Tesla’s future projects and how they could manage to disrupt various industries. He also recently had a massive $1 trillion compensation package approved, which will be awarded in twelve tranches, all of which combine a company valuation goal and an individual goal related to a product.
Musk was able to complete his last approved pay package, but it was not awarded due to a ruling by a Delaware Chancery Court. Nevertheless, his track record of proving growth for Tesla shareholders is excellent, and investors are obviously very encouraged by his capabilities as a CEO, considering 76.6 percent of shareholders voted to approve his new compensation.
After it was revealed that the Gates Foundation dumped 65 percent of its Microsoft position for nearly $9 billion, Musk had one final message for him: drop your Tesla short position soon, or else.
If Gates hasn’t fully closed out the crazy short position he has held against Tesla for ~8 years, he had better do so soon
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 16, 2025
Musk’s rivalry with Gates is mostly founded on the Tesla CEO’s discontent with the former Microsoft frontman’s short position. However, Musk might have a bit of a soft spot for Gates, considering he is giving him a warning of what is potentially to come. If he really wanted to do some damage to Gates, he would not give him any heads-up at all.
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Tesla rolls out most aggressive Model Y lease deal in the US yet
With the promotion in place, customers would be able to take home a Model Y at a very low cost.
Tesla has rolled out what could very well be its most aggressive promotion for Model Y leases in the United States yet. With the promotion in place, customers would be able to take home a Model Y at a very low cost.
Zero downpayment leases
The new Model Y lease promotion was initially reported on X, with industry watcher Sawyer Merritt stating that while the vehicles’ monthly payments are still similar to before, the cars can now be ordered with a $0 downpayment.
Tesla community members noted that this promotion would cut the full payment cost of Model Y leases by several thousand dollars, though prices were still a bit better when the $7,500 federal tax credit was still in effect. Despite this, a $0 downpayment would likely be appreciated by customers, as it lowers the entry point to the Tesla ecosystem by a notable margin.
Premium freebies included
Apart from a $0 downpayment, customers of Model Y leases are also provided one free upgrade for their vehicles. These upgrades could be premium paint, such as Pearl White Multi-Coat, Deep Blue Metallic, Diamond Black, Quicksilver or Ultra Red, or 20″ Helix 2.0 Wheels. Customers could also opt for a White Interior or a Tow Hitch free of charge.
A look at Tesla’s Model Y order page shows that the promotion is available for all the Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive and the Model Y Premium All-Wheel Drive. The Model Y Standard and the Model Y Performance are not eligible for the $0 downpayment or free premium upgrade promotion as of writing.
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Tesla is looking to phase out China-made parts at US factories: report
Tesla has reportedly swapped out several China-made components already, aiming to complete the transition within the next two years.
Tesla has reportedly started directing its suppliers to eliminate China-made components from vehicles built in the United States. This would make Tesla’s US-produced vehicles even more American-made.
The update was initially reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Accelerating North American sourcing
As per the WSJ report, the shift reportedly came amidst escalating tariff uncertainties between Washington and Beijing. Citing people reportedly familiar with the matter, the publication claimed that Tesla has already swapped out several China-made components, aiming to complete the transition within the next two years. The publication also claimed that Tesla has been reducing its reliance on China-based suppliers since the pandemic disrupted supply chains.
The company has quietly increased North American sourcing over the past two years as tariff concerns have intensified. If accurate, Tesla would likely end up with vehicles that are even more locally sourced than they are today. It would remain to be seen, however, if a change in suppliers for its US-made vehicles would result in price adjustments for cars like the Model 3 and Model Y.
Industry-wide reassessments
Tesla is not alone in reevaluating its dependence on China. Auto executives across the automotive industry have been in rapid-response mode amid shifting trade policies, chip supply anxiety, and concerns over rare-earth materials. Fluctuating tariffs between the United States and China during President Donald Trump’s current term have made pricing strategies quite unpredictable as well, as noted in a Reuters report.
General Motors this week issued a similar directive to thousands of suppliers, instructing them to remove China-origin components from their supply chains. The same is true for Stellantis, which also announced earlier this year that it was implementing several strategies to avoid tariffs that were placed by the Trump administration.
@teslarati 🚨 Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.1.7 is here and here’s some things it did extremely well! #tesla #teslafsd #fullselfdriving ♬ You Have It – Marscott
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sends final warning to Bill Gates over short position
Tesla rolls out most aggressive Model Y lease deal in the US yet
Tesla is looking to phase out China-made parts at US factories: report
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