News
SpaceX Starship ready to find out if third time’s the charm later this week
After a miserable week of extreme cold, power grid failures, high winds, and general chaos, conditions are improving, the sun is shining, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk believes there’s a “good chance” that Starship serial number 10 (SN10) could launch “this week!”
The third full-scale, full-height Starship completed by SpaceX since Starship SN8 rolled from factory to launch pad in October 2020, Starship SN10 is the second to last in a series of four similar prototypes built for the sole purpose of proving out an unprecedented method of landing rockets. On its December 8th debut, Starship SN8 – the first prototype to launch with a nose, flaps, three Raptor engines, and a high-altitude apogee target – made it far closer to total success than almost anyone expected.
After more than six minutes of flawless flight, breaking all kinds of records for Starship’s Raptor engine and achieving multiple ‘firsts,’ an unexpected issue with tank pressurization caused SN8 to lose thrust and impact the ground at speed just 10-20 seconds before a planned soft landing. Less than two months later, Starship SN9 – virtually identical – attempted an identical 10 km (6.2 mi) launch and landing, only to fail around the same time as SN8 – albeit for different reasons.
Already installed on a second launch mount when Starship SN9 lifted off, SN10 is thus tasked with avoiding the ‘header tank’ pressurization issue that doomed SN8 and the Raptor reignition failure that doomed SN9. If SpaceX has rectified those two or three critical issues in the weeks since, SN10 arguably has the best chance yet of successfully touching down in one piece.
If SN10 fails to stick the landing, SpaceX has yet another Starship – SN11 – more or less complete and ready to roll to the launch pad to pick up wherever its predecessor leaves off. Due to the wholly unexpected degree to which Starship SN8 beat expectations, SpaceX appeared to scrap plans to build Starships SN12, 13, and 14 – quite literally in the case of SN12.
Instead, SpaceX expedited plans to implement “major [Starship] upgrades” from SN15 onwards. Sections of Starships SN15, SN16, SN17, SN18, and SN19 are visible throughout SpaceX’s South Texas rocket factory, while work simultaneously continues on the first two Super Heavy booster prototypes – BN1 and BN2.
Prior to launch, Starship SN10 still needs to complete a healthy three-engine static fire test that was delayed from last week to no earlier than Monday, February 22nd. Backup windows are available on Tuesday and Wednesday. If Starship SN10 can fire up its Raptor engines without issue at some point in that three-day period, odds are good that SpaceX will be able to squeeze in at least one or two launch attempts before the weekend.
Elon Musk
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets.
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets. The company also completed deployment of its first-generation Direct to Cell constellation, launching over 650 satellites in just 18 months to enable cellular connectivity.
SpaceX highlighted Starlink’s impressive 2025 progress in an extensive report.
Key achievements from Starlink’s 2025 Progress
Starlink connected over 4.6 million new customers with high-speed internet while bringing service to 35 more regions worldwide in 2025. Starlink is now connecting 9.2 million people worldwide. The service achieved this just weeks after hitting its 8 million customer milestone.
Starlink is now available in 155 markets, including areas that are unreachable by traditional ISPs. As per SpaceX, Starlink has also provided over 21 million airline passengers and 20 million cruise passengers with reliable high-speed internet connectivity during their travels.
Starlink Direct to Cell
Starlink’s Direct to Cell constellation, more than 650 satellites strong, has already connected over 12 million people at least once, marking a breakthrough in global mobile coverage.
Starlink Direct to Cell is currently rolled out to 22 countries and 6 continents, with over 6 million monthly customers. Starlink Direct to Cell also has 27 MNO partners to date.
“This year, SpaceX completed deployment of the first generation of the Starlink Direct to Cell constellation, with more than 650 satellites launched to low-Earth orbit in just 18 months. Starlink Direct to Cell has connected more than 12 million people, and counting, at least once, providing life-saving connectivity when people need it most,” SpaceX wrote.
News
Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
Tesla’s Giga Nevada has reached an impressive milestone, producing its 6 millionth drive unit as 2925 came to a close.
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
6 million drive units
The achievement was shared by the official Tesla Manufacturing account on social media platform X. “Congratulations to the Giga Nevada team for producing their 6 millionth Drive Unit!” Tesla wrote.
The photo showed numerous factory workers assembled on the production floor, proudly holding golden balloons that spelled out “6000000″ in front of drive unit assembly stations. Elon Musk gave credit to the Giga Nevada team, writing, “Congrats on 6M drive units!” in a post on X.
Giga Nevada’s essential role
Giga Nevada produces drive units, battery packs, and energy products. The facility has been a cornerstone of Tesla’s scaling since opening, and it was the crucial facility that ultimately enabled Tesla to ramp the Model 3 and Model Y. Even today, it serves as Tesla’s core hub for battery and drivetrain components for vehicles that are produced in the United States.
Giga Nevada is expected to support Tesla’s ambitious 2026 targets, including the launch of vehicles like the Tesla Semi and the Cybercab. Tesla will have a very busy 2026, and based on Giga Nevada’s activities so far, it appears that the facility will be equally busy as well.
News
Tesla Supercharger network delivers record 6.7 TWh in 2025
The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets.
Tesla’s Supercharger Network had its biggest year ever in 2025, delivering a record 6.7 TWh of electricity to vehicles worldwide.
To celebrate its busy year, the official @TeslaCharging account shared an infographic showing the Supercharger Network’s growth from near-zero in 2012 to this year’s impressive milestone.
Record 6.7 TWh delivered in 2025
The bar chart shows steady Supercharger energy delivery increases since 2012. Based on the graphic, the Supercharger Network started small in the mid-2010s and accelerated sharply after 2019, when the Model 3 was going mainstream.
Each year from 2020 onward showed significantly more energy delivery, with 2025’s four quarters combining for the highest total yet at 6.7 TWh.
This energy powered millions of charging sessions across Tesla’s growing fleet of vehicles worldwide. The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets. This makes the Supercharger Network loved not just by Tesla owners but EV drivers as a whole.
Resilience after Supercharger team changes
2025’s record energy delivery comes despite earlier 2024 layoffs on the Supercharger team, which sparked concerns about the system’s expansion pace. Max de Zegher, Tesla Director of Charging North America, also highlighted that “Outside China, Superchargers delivered more energy than all other fast chargers combined.”
Longtime Tesla owner and FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog noted the achievement as proof of continued momentum post-layoffs. At the time of the Supercharger team’s layoffs in 2024, numerous critics were claiming that Elon Musk was halting the network’s expansion altogether, and that the team only remained because the adults in the room convinced the juvenile CEO to relent.
Such a scenario, at least based on the graphic posted by the Tesla Charging team on X, seems highly implausible.
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
