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SpaceX Starship prototype ready for record-breaking tests
Over the weekend, SpaceX has installed the last of its first orbital-class Starship’s six Raptor engines, setting the prototype up for one or several record-breaking tests later this week.
Tentatively scheduled as early as 10am to 6pm CDT on Monday Tuesday, November 1st 2nd, the next test up on Starship 20’s (S20) docket will likely be its third static fire in eleven days. Ship 20 completed its first Raptor-involved test – known as a preburner test – on October 19th, followed by two successful back-to-back static fires – one with one Raptor and one with two – on October 21st.
Less than 36 hours later, the Starship’s two missing Raptor Center (RC) engines (of a total of three) had been installed by Friday morning, October 22nd. For unknown reasons, no testing was completed the following week it and it took SpaceX another six and a half days to deliver the final two missing engines to the pad for installation on S20. Regardless, both missing Raptor Vacuum engines were installed by 2am CDT on Saturday, October 30th, marking the second time a Starship prototype has had all six Raptors installed.
While it might be the second time SpaceX has installed six Raptors on a Starship, it’s likely the first time six engines have been fully integrated with Ship 20’s propellant tanks, gas supplies, and avionics. How exactly SpaceX plans to proceed is unclear but odds are good that Starship S20’s next static fire test campaign will involve simultaneous igniting at least four of its six Raptor engines, setting a new record for the number of Raptors simultaneously ignited.
More likely than not, though, Ship 20’s next campaign will culminate in the simultaneous ignition of all six Raptors to (hopefully) complete the first true orbital-class Starship static fire. Like SpaceX has only just begun to do with Falcon boosters, flight-proven Starships might eventually be able to skip preflight static fire tests, but it’s virtually guaranteed that SpaceX will still proof test Starship and Super Heavy before flights until ships, boosters, and Raptors have stable designs with substantial flight experience. To ensure full-fidelity testing, those static fires will always have to qualify all installed engines. That includes Starship, which is designed to burn both its sea-level and vacuum-optimized Raptors from booster separation to orbit.
At full throttle, depending on the efficiency of its three RVacs at sea level, Starship S20’s six Raptor V1.0 engines could produce ~1100 tons (~2.4M lbf) of thrust. By comparison, SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket produces around 760 tons (~1.7M lbf) of thrust at liftoff, meaning that Starship will likely become the most powerful single-core rocket the company has ever tested even if it never throttles above ~70%.
There’s a good chance that SpaceX will start Ship 20’s next round of tests by separately firing both sets of three Raptor Center and Vacuum engines or with a mixed three or four-engine test to follow the latest two-engine test. SpaceX could also take the most iterative approach and test three, four, and five engines at a time before the final six-engine test. Regardless, virtually all possible static fire tests Ship 20 is now configured to perform will be program ‘firsts’ of some kind.
Tesla has expanded the footprint of a massive safety feature worldwide with a recent Software Update labeled as 2026.20.6. The expansion of the “Blind Spot Warning While Parked” feature represents the more widespread availability of the feature, which aims to prevent “dooring.”
Dooring is when a driver or passenger opens a car door into the path of an oncoming road user, usually a cyclist or motorcyclist. It is among the most common types of cycling accidents, the League of American Bicyclists says.
For this reason, Tesla created a feature that warns occupants not to open the door because an object is approaching. The feature will sound a chime, and it will also delay the opening of the door to prevent an incident.
The release notes state (via Not a Tesla App):
“If you attempt to open a door while an approaching object is detected in your blind spot (for example, a bicyclist approaching from behind) a chime sounds, and your door will not open upon initial button press. Wait a short time and press the button a second time to override the warning.”
Tesla initially rolled out this feature back in 2024 with the Model 3 “Highland.” However, it remained with the Model 3 exclusively for over a year; that was until Tesla added it to the Cybertruck this past Spring.
Now, it is making its way to the new Model Y, 2021 and newer Model S, and 2021 or newer Model X.
The prevention of dooring incidents could eliminate many injuries to cyclists, especially in an urban setting. Dooring accounts for 10-20 percent of bike-related crashes in major cities, and over 17,000 dooring-related incidents were treated in the U.S. over the course of a decade. These usually involve fractures, contusions, and head trauma.
Tesla confirmed this morning that it has sent the first production units, manufactured with no steering wheel or pedals, to on-road testing in Austin, sharing video of the first rides with no human controls.
The lack of steering wheels and pedals in the Cybercab aligns with Tesla’s self-certification of Robotaxi as Level 4 SAE, a platform it plans to make widespread through internal vehicles and customer-owned cars that will operate and generate revenue for individuals.
The start of these engineering tests is a major signal for Tesla, which plans to bring driverless, wheel-less, and pedal-less Cybercabs to market in the coming months. With production already well underway at Gigafactory Texas, where the Cybercab is built, there is some inclination to believe the first public rides could happen sooner rather than later.
Engineering tests of the first production Cybercab have begun in Austin pic.twitter.com/fk3KQvcE8a
— Tesla (@Tesla) June 30, 2026
Tesla’s engineering tests will put the Cybercab in real-world scenarios, testing not only the hardware, but more importantly, the software that drives the car around Austin with nobody supervising it within the car.
This is perhaps the biggest part of the internal testing process, especially prior to allowing regular, everyday people to hail the Cybercab for an autonomous ride. These early rides serve as a true benchmark for Tesla: How many rides can it achieve safely? How many miles did it travel consecutively without needing an intervention? What scenarios challenge the Full Self-Driving suite the most?
The proper precautions have already been put into place as well, as Tesla released the First Responders Guide to Cybercab over the weekend, ensuring that emergency services have 24/7 access to Robotaxi Assistance, as well as other boundaries, such as Geofencing features that can be used to redirect autonomous vehicle traffic due to accidents, road closures, construction, or maintenance.
Cybercab seems genuinely close to being added to the Robotaxi fleet in Austin, but Tesla has prioritized safety throughout this entire process. Therefore, we think it could be months before it truly starts giving rides to the public. People have been frustrated with this, but Robotaxi in Austin has a tremendous safety record so far, so the slow rollout has kept people safe and accidents to a minimum.
The most important thing is that Tesla continues to show consistent progress in the Cybercab’s ramp-up toward fleet addition. A few weeks back, we saw the EPA reward the Cybercab a Certificate of Conformity, allowing it to enter the stream of commerce. Then, we saw Tesla add decals, signaling that it was likely about to start testing it publicly. That has now happened.
The next big move will be the announcement of the first rides, so this Summer should be filled with anticipation.
For years, there have been images and videos across social media platforms that have reminded me of when I was a 15-year-old kid teased by “Xbox 720” videos on YouTube. These videos are of the supposed “Tesla Phone” that Elon Musk was secretly developing in between leading Tesla with its electric cars and SpaceX with its reusable rockets.
Would you buy a Tesla phone ? pic.twitter.com/aaTwvvIJit
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) October 6, 2023
Although Musk has put those rumors to bed several times, it was never completely out of the realm that he could get involved in cell phones in some capacity. Think outside the box and more macro-level, though. Instead of reinventing the computer, Musk reinvented connectivity by developing Starlink with SpaceX.
It could be something similar, TD Cowen analyst Gregory Williams said in a note last week, where he hinted SpaceX could be gathering some steam to acquire T-Mobile.
Williams said it would be the “clear choice” for SpaceX if it decided to go through with a network acquisition. He also suggested AT&T.
The move would be possible through selling more of its own stock, which would help SpaceX raise the money to purchase T-Mobile, which would cost roughly $300 billion. It could be one of the moves SpaceX makes post-IPO in terms of an acquisition: it already acquired Cursor AI for $60 billion.
Other analysts, like Dan Ives of Wedbush, believe SpaceX and Tesla will eventually merge into one anyway, and that conglomeration could come as soon as this year, some have said.
The implications of SpaceX purchasing T-Mobile are massive. A combined entity would create a truly ubiquitous network: T-Mobile’s terrestrial 5G towers and Starlink’s growing constellation of Direct-to-Cell satellites. This would essentially eliminate dead zones across the U.S. and potentially globally.
SpaceX would instantly become a full-scale facilities-based carrier with satellite differentiation; a huge advantage. This would pressure AT&T and Verizon heavily.
There are also concerns like a potential reduction in long-term competition, and of course, a deal of that size would face intense scrutiny from government agencies.
The strategic fit is compelling due to the existing Starlink–T-Mobile partnership and complementary technologies (space + terrestrial). It could create a dominant integrated communications player. However, the regulatory, financial, and execution hurdles are enormous — this remains highly speculative with no indication SpaceX is actively pursuing it right now.
Tesla expands massive safety feature worldwide in latest update
Tesla sends production Cybercab with no steering wheel, pedals to on-road testing
