News
SpaceX’s first flight-proven Starship takes another step towards reuse
Nine days after becoming the first full-size prototype to survive a high-altitude launch and landing, SpaceX has installed Starship SN15 at the second of two identical launch mounts to prepare for potential reuse.
On May 5th, after a week or two of several minor delays, Starship SN15 – the fifth full-size prototype of its kind – lifted off from SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas launch pad under the thrust of three Raptor engines. Like all four of its predecessors, the 50-meter-tall (165 ft) steel rocket easily ascended to an apogee greater than 10 km (6.2 mi), shutting down one Raptor every ~90 seconds to its keep velocity low. When the final engine cut off, SN15 arced over onto its belly and free-fell to around half a kilometer above the ground, using four hollow steel ‘flaps’ to control its orientation like a skydiver’s limbs.
The most radical maneuver came around six minutes after liftoff when the sideways Starship reignited two or three of its Raptors, aggressively flipped into a nose-up position, deployed six stubby landing legs, and gently touched down a few hundred feet east of the stand it took off from.
Despite a fairly large fire that burned for several minutes after touchdown, SpaceX ultimately found itself – for the first time ever – with a full-size Starship prototype that survived its inaugural ~10-km launch and landing. A careful process of safing and securing then followed as operators commanded (or monitored) SN15 to disarm explosive flight termination system (FTS) charges, vent any remaining propellant, and eventually depressurize its fuel and oxygen tanks.
Unlike Starhopper, SN5, and SN6 – which also survived flights – SpaceX was apparently able to safe SN15 without any real issues and recovery teams were able to approach the rocket within a few hours of landing instead of the 12-24+ hours that were normal prior. SpaceX also debuted a sort of supersized version of the ‘Octagrabber’ robots that remotely secure Falcon boosters after drone ship landings, allowing the recovery team to secure Starship SN15 to a stable platform and transporter without a crane.
No longer at risk of toppling over, Starship SN15 then… sat where it landed. Less than two days after touchdown, CEO Elon Musk unexpectedly revealed that SpaceX “might try to refly SN15 soon,” indicating that initial post-flight inspections had revealed that the first flight-proven three-engine Starship was in excellent condition. SN15 would ultimately spend another four days (six total) sitting on a transporter at the landing zone. On May 11th, SpaceX rolled Starship SN15 from its landing spot to “Pad B” – the second of two identical suborbital launch mounts.
Perhaps due to stormy weather and high wind gusts in the area, SN15 once again sat still – this time for another three days. Ultimately, the Starship prototype was rapidly lifted onto Pad B’s launch mount, secured, and detached from the crane in a matter of hours of May 14th – possibly the smoothest pad installation yet. In the two days since then, SpaceX has begun more in-depth inspections that will ultimately determine whether the first flight-proven Starship is truly fit for a second launch.
That process likely wont take more than a few days and even if SN15 isn’t deemed (re)flightworthy, there’s still a very good chance SpaceX will put the Starship through some kind of test(s) before it’s retired. Stay tuned for more details likely to come this week.
Lifestyle
Tesla makes the cut on California’s newest EV Rebate program
California just signed a $270 million EV rebate into law and it starts this summer.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 168 into law on Monday, July 13, 2026, creating a $270 million EV rebate program that delivers money directly at the dealership rather than as a tax credit applied months later. The program, called MyFirstEV, is funded equally by California’s state budget and participating automakers, with each contributing $135.5 million to make the math work.
The timing is directly tied to the loss of federal support when the $7,500 federal EV tax credit ended, removing the most significant consumer incentive that had driven EV adoption in the U.S. California, which accounts for roughly one-third of all EVs sold nationally, moved to fill that gap with a state-level replacement.
The rebate structure is straightforward. First-time EV buyers can receive $3,500 off any new battery-electric vehicle with an MSRP up to $50,000. Used EVs priced at $25,000 or below qualify for a $1,750 rebate. The credit is applied at the point of sale, which removes the friction of the old federal system where buyers had to wait for tax season to see the benefit. The program goes live later this summer, with the California Air Resources Board expected to release full participation details next month.
California hits Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi driverless cars with new law
For Tesla buyers, the implications are mixed. The Tesla Model 3 RWD at $42,490 and the Model 3 Long Range at $47,490 both fall under the $50,000 cap and would qualify for the full $3,500 rebate for first-time buyers. The Model Y, which starts at $44,990 after Tesla’s recent price adjustment, also qualifies. The Model X, Model S, and Cybertruck all exceed the cap and receive no benefit. As Teslarati has reported, the program also includes a carve-out exempting California-based automakers like Rivian and Lucid from the price cap entirely, a provision that puts Tesla at a disadvantage since it relocated its headquarters to Texas in 2021.
Other qualifying vehicles include the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Volkswagen ID.4.
The Tesla Semi is entering a new Pilot Program with Paper Transport, LLC (PTI), a Wisconsin-based transportation provider. The company will test the Semi’s Long Range configuration through “dedicated operations within the Chicago market.”
Chicago presents an interesting challenge for the Semi, as it will be a colder-weather climate that will test the Semi’s ability to operate in lower temperatures and in potentially large accumulations of snow. This is something Tesla has been testing with the Semi in Alaska and even in Northern California during the colder months, but Chicago will present a truly tough midwestern winter.
Tesla Semi spotted on journey home after winter performance testing
PTI says it is using the Semi to evaluate its strategy of reducing transportation emissions while maintaining performance, reliability, and cost efficiency. These are major arguments for the Semi being introduced into new fleets.
CEO of PTI Tyler Ellison said:
“PTI has been a leader in sustainable transportation solutions for over 15 years. We take a consultative approach to helping customers identify and implement the right transportation solution for their network. Our partnership with Tesla expands our portfolio alongside renewable natural gas and intermodal, giving customers more ways to reduce Scope 3 emissions without compromising service or economics.”
PTI is far from the first company to adopt the Semi within a fleet, as Tesla entered strategic agreements with PepsiCo. and its subsidiary Frito-Lay for a Pilot Program that extended throughout the California region.
Tesla has let companies like those utilize the Semi to determine whether it would be suitable for their operations. Additionally, Tesla gets valuable information regarding the Semi’s performance, knowing what to improve and what is ideal for companies that will utilize the all-electric truck for regional and nationwide logistics.
PTI plans to utilize the Long Range configuration, which is priced at $290,000 and features a range of approximately 500 miles, a three-motor powertrain, up to 800 kW of drive power, and consumption of just 1.7 kWh per mile.
Tesla Semi pricing revealed after company uncovers trim levels
VP of Maintenance at PTI, Bryan Ellen, added:
“We are excited to partner with Tesla, leveraging their ever-evolving technology. We are bullish in our estimation of the parallels available between our dedicated model and the efficiency of their fully electric Class 8 tractor. We anticipate a growing synergy between our businesses as we work to facilitate this sustainable solution for our customers.”
PTI has logged more than 87 million miles using sources like compressed and renewable gas, but now is looking to take it a step further with fully electric operations.
Tesla revealed on Monday that it is building a new autonomous vehicle at Gigafactory Texas, its plant just outside of the City of Austin. This particular vehicle will be geared toward those who are in need of a wheelchair-accessible car that would require no human driver for operation.
According to a new report from Wired, Tesla’s Senior Policy Advisor, India Herdman, told members of the Washington D.C. City Council on Monday:
“We are in development for a purpose-built, wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle. We know that paratransit can be very difficult, and people who are confined to wheelchairs permanently should still be able to move around freely, so that is an active product being built by Tesla in Texas.”
This builds upon what CEO Elon Musk said last year on X, which confirmed the company was working on accessible rides within its Robotaxi platform, which currently is confined to the Model Y.
Absolutely
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 19, 2025
Tesla is also developing the Cybercab, which started employee rides last week. However, this vehicle is not necessarily geared toward wheelchair accessibility.
That leaves a major gap in the autonomous ride-sharing program that Tesla is attempting to build; the company has been pretty clear that it does not want to complicate its manufacturing lines by bringing in a wide array of body styles.
However, it seems necessary to have something larger that could help transport people to appointments when they cannot drive. For wheelchair accessibility, the Robovan, which was unveiled at the “We, Robot” event in October 2024, seems to be the most ideal solution:
Herdman did not indicate whether she was referring to the Robovan or if Tesla is building yet another body style that is geared toward full autonomy but also caters to the handicapped.
Tesla might need to develop something specifically for the handicapped in order to align with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prevents discrimination against people with disabilities in transportation services. Uber was hit with a lawsuit late last year for “refusing to reasonably modify its policies, practices, or procedures where necessary to avoid discriminating against riders with disabilities.”
Tesla would obviously like to avoid this.
It will be interesting to see what Tesla will do with this project, and whether it will introduce something new to the market or just continue with the Robovan.
Tesla makes the cut on California’s newest EV Rebate program
Tesla Semi enters new Pilot Program with interesting challenge
