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SpaceX aces Starship static fire days after NASA astronaut visit
Update: Around 9am CDT (UTC-5), SpaceX successfully fired up Starship serial number 11’s (SN11) three Raptor engines, completing the static fire test on the first try of the day and just two hours into in Monday’s eight-hour window.
As far as three-engine Starship static fires go, SN11’s Monday test was about as smooth and clean as they come, boding extremely well for a launch attempt as early as either Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) filed with the FAA. With flight termination system (FTS) explosive charges already installed and an FAA license in hand, all that stands between Starship SN11 and flight is a deeper static fire review and the cooperation of local weather conditions. Stay tuned for updates!
A group of NASA astronauts appear to have taken an agency-sanctioned trip down to SpaceX’s Boca Chica Starship facilities, including a visit with a prototype scheduled to fire up and launch as early as this week.
Seemingly in lockstep with the accelerating pace of Starship production and testing, the frequency of NASA astronaut visits to SpaceX’s South Texas facilities has also seen an uptick over the last six or so months.
Back in 2019, SpaceX built Starhopper, performed numerous tests with early Raptor engine prototypes, and performed two untethered hops. With that success in hand, SpaceX turned its focus to Starship Mk1 and suffered an almost immediate failure during pressure testing, encouraging a series of rapid manufacturing upgrades largely completed in just a few months’ time.
In 2020, SpaceX pushed those new facilities to the limits while continuing major expansions. In 12 months, SpaceX built and tested five small ‘test tanks’ and six full Starship tank sections, performed almost a dozen Raptor static fires with that hardware, hopped two of those tanks (SN5 & SN6) to 150m, fully integrated the first full-height Starship (SN8), and nearly landed that vehicle after an otherwise flawless 12.5 km (7.8 mi) launch and descent.
Back in 2019, NASA inked its first monetary Starship contract with SpaceX, awarding $3M to prototype a coupling mechanism Starships will need to dock and refuel in space. In April 2020, NASA revealed that SpaceX – with its Starship launch vehicle – was one of three finalists selected to compete for a Human Landing System (HLS) Moon lander contract, providing the company $135M of the full $970M award to begin preliminary design and certification work.
Around five months later, a group of NASA astronauts made their first public visit to SpaceX’s Starship development hub in South Texas, overflying the factory and launch pad in training jets on a routine sortie out of Houston and Johnson Space Center. Days later, SpaceX won a $53M NASA “Tipping Point” contract to demonstrate large-scale cryogenic propellant transfer with a Starship prototype.
Ultimately, excluding rock-solid commercial crew and cargo partnerships, NASA’s relationship with SpaceX and the company’s Starship appears to be growing stronger every day. While it’s hard to say just how indicative of that growth the visible attention of NASA’s astronaut corps is, it’s worth taking note of what those same astronauts aren’t (publicly) overflying, visiting, and touring – namely factories, R&D facilities, or prototype hardware of HLS competitors Dynetics and Blue Origin.
Delayed by about a week, SpaceX is currently preparing to fire up its fourth full-size Starship prototype – SN11 – for the first time as early as Monday, March 22nd, 19 days after Starship SN10 briefly landed in one piece. SpaceX has filed temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) with the FAA for SN11’s 10 km (6.2 mi) launch debut from Tuesday through Friday, leaving plenty of opportunities for a launch this week if the rocket can successfully test its three Raptor engines by Wednesday.
Elon Musk
Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai
The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.
Tesla China sold 58,599 vehicles wholesale in February, reflecting strong year-over-year growth. The figure includes both domestic deliveries in China and vehicles exported to international markets.
The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.
Tesla’s February wholesale result represents a 91% increase year over year, compared with 30,688 vehicles in February 2025. Month over month, the result was down 15.2% from January, when Tesla China recorded 69,129 wholesale units.
The February total reflects combined sales of the Model 3 and Model Y produced at Gigafactory Shanghai. The facility produces the two vehicles for both domestic sales and exports.
Gigafactory Shanghai continues to serve as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub, supplying vehicles to markets across Asia and Europe. Data compiled by Tesla watchers shows that 18,485 vehicles were sold domestically in China in January 2026, while exports accounted for 50,644 units during the same period.
Tesla has also been extending financing programs in China as it pushes to strengthen domestic demand. The company recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing programs through March 31, marking the second extension of the promotion this year.
The financing initiative was first introduced on January 6 as a strategy aimed at offsetting higher ownership costs ahead of China’s planned 5% NEV purchase tax in 2026. The promotion was originally scheduled to expire at the end of January before being extended to February and then again through the end of the first quarter.
Tesla’s efforts come amid growing competition in China’s EV market. According to data compiled by CNEV Post, Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China reached 625,698 vehicles, representing a 4.78% year-over-year decline. Part of that decline was linked to the Model Y changeover to its updated variant in early 2025, which temporarily reduced deliveries during the transition period.
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Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia
One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier.
Tesla’s upcoming Model Y L has been spotted on transport trucks in Australia. Sightings of the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y variant have been reported on social media platform X by members of the Australian Tesla community.
One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier.
The sighting follows earlier observations by Tesla enthusiasts in Sydney, where a covered vehicle believed to be a Model Y L was spotted at a Supercharger.
The Sydney sighting drew attention after observers noted that the vehicle’s tare weight appeared to match the ADR approval listing for the Model Y L, suggesting it could indeed be the extended wheelbase variant of the electric SUV.
Tesla has previously confirmed that the Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026. The confirmation was reported by techAU following a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.
The Model Y L expands the existing Model Y lineup with seating for six passengers. The vehicle features a longer body compared with the standard Model Y in order to accommodate a spacious second and third row.
Tesla has opted for a 2-2-2 seating configuration instead of a traditional seven-seat layout for the Model Y L. The design includes two individual seats in the middle row to provide easier access to the third row and additional passenger space.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand has also stated that the Model Y L will be covered under the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.
Tesla has not yet announced pricing or official range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk shares timeframe for X Money early public access rollout
X Money is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.
Elon Musk has stated that X Money, the digital payments system being developed for social media platform X, is expected to enter early public access next month.
The update was shared by Musk in a post on X. “𝕏 Money early public access will launch next month,” Musk wrote in his post.
As noted in a Reuters report, X Money is being developed as a digital payment service that’s directly integrated into the X platform.
The system is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.
Musk has previously discussed plans to introduce payments and financial services as part of X’s broader development.
Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has discussed expanding X to include a range of services such as messaging, media, and financial tools.
Elon Musk has shared his goal of transforming X into an “everything app.” During a previous podcast interview with members of the Tesla community, Musk mused about turning X into something similar to China’s WeChat, which allows users to shop, pay, communicate, and perform a variety of other tasks.
“In China, you do everything in WeChat… it’s kickass… Outside of China, there’s nothing like it, people live on one app. My idea would be like how about if we just copy WeChat,” Musk joked at the time.
To prepare for the rollout of X Money, X has partnered with payment company Visa to support the development of payment services for the platform’s users. The move could allow X to tap into the growing demand for digital and in-app financial transactions as the company builds additional services around its existing user base.
Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai
Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia
