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SpaceX rolls next Starship prototype to the launch pad
SpaceX’s sixth full-scale Starship prototype has rolled from its Boca Chica, Texas factory to a nearby launch pad in a sure sign that preparation for a second hop test is well underway.
Barely a week after Starship SN5 became the first such prototype to take flight, SpaceX has transported the rocket back to an assembly bay and replaced it at the launch pad with Starship SN6. Just shy of a carbon copy of SN5, SN6 was built at the same time with only a few small design tweaks. While SN6 is not exactly the significant upgrade promised to start with Starship SN8, the ship is nevertheless brand new and ready to begin testing.
SN5’s spectacular hop debut – while a major success – still resulted in some minor damage and CEO Elon Musk says that SpaceX will try to reuse the prototype, but it likely needs at least a week or two of inspections and repairs. Thanks to SN5’s success, though, sister ship SN6 has become much more valuable, whereas a failed SN5 hop could have easily consigned both prototypes to the scrap heap to give Starship SN8 priority. Instead, Starship SN6 is now next in line.
Hours after Starship SN5 rolled from pad to factory to take Starship SN6’s place beside SN8 in the assembly bay, the flight-proven rocket’s sister ship hit the open road and arrived at the launch pad after a few-mile journey.
After a brief night spent sitting on its transporter, Starship SN6 was lifted by crane onto the pad’s launch mount – briskly refurbished after SN5’s launch debut just eight days prior – on the afternoon of August 12th. Work to install the rocket on the launch mount continued into the night.
Notably, SpaceX has yet to file additional road closures after two used on August 11th for Starship SN5 and SN6 transport operations. Technically, with Starship SN6 now on the launch pad, SpaceX could feasibly file road closures for SN6’s first major tests just a day or less prior to their start, but it’s more likely that the company is planning to kick off the test campaign late this week or early next.
Like its predecessors, SpaceX will begin by putting SN6 through an ambient-temperature pressure test with nitrogen gas to check for leaks and verify general functionality. Once complete, Starship SN6 will have to pass a cryogenic proof test combined with the simulated ~250-ton (~550,000 lb) thrust of a Raptor engine. By using liquid nitrogen instead of actual methane and oxygen propellant, SpaceX removes the risk of a catastrophic explosion or fire were the unproven ship to leak or burst. Finally, with a proof test complete, teams can install a Raptor engine on SN6 and turn the ship around for its first methalox wet dress rehearsal (WDR), engine preburner, and static fire tests – possibly all in one go if all systems cooperate.
With any luck, SN6 – building off of experience gained from SN5 operations – will have a more streamlined test campaign, culminating in the second-ever hop of a full-scale Starship prototype. According to Musk, SpaceX’s new goal is to perform multiple hop tests until flying Starships (at least at low altitudes) is more or less routine.
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Tesla FSD fleet is nearing 7 billion total miles, including 2.5 billion city miles
As can be seen on Tesla’s official FSD webpage, vehicles equipped with the system have now navigated over 6.99 billion miles.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) fleet is closing in on almost 7 billion total miles driven, as per data posted by the company on its official FSD webpage.
These figures hint at the massive scale of data fueling Tesla’s rapid FSD improvements, which have been quite notable as of late.
FSD mileage milestones
As can be seen on Tesla’s official FSD webpage, vehicles equipped with the system have now navigated over 6.99 billion miles. Tesla owner and avid FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog also shared a screenshot indicating that from the nearly 7 billion miles traveled by the FSD fleet, more than 2.5 billion miles were driven inside cities.
City miles are particularly valuable for complex urban scenarios like unprotected turns, pedestrian interactions, and traffic lights. This is also the difference-maker for FSD, as only complex solutions, such as Waymo’s self-driving taxis, operate similarly on inner-city streets. And even then, incidents such as the San Francisco blackouts have proven challenging for sensor-rich vehicles like Waymos.
Tesla’s data edge
Tesla has a number of advantages in the autonomous vehicle sector, one of which is the size of its fleet and the number of vehicles training FSD on real-world roads. Tesla’s nearly 7 billion FSD miles then allow the company to roll out updates that make its vehicles behave like they are being driven by experienced drivers, even if they are operating on their own.
So notable are Tesla’s improvements to FSD that NVIDIA Director of Robotics Jim Fan, after experiencing FSD v14, noted that the system is the first AI that passes what he described as a “Physical Turing Test.”
“Despite knowing exactly how robot learning works, I still find it magical watching the steering wheel turn by itself. First it feels surreal, next it becomes routine. Then, like the smartphone, taking it away actively hurts. This is how humanity gets rewired and glued to god-like technologies,” Fan wrote in a post on X.
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Tesla starts showing how FSD will change lives in Europe
Local officials tested the system on narrow country roads and were impressed by FSD’s smooth, human-like driving, with some calling the service a game-changer for everyday life in areas that are far from urban centers.
Tesla has launched Europe’s first public shuttle service using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in the rural Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm region of Germany, demonstrating how the technology can restore independence and mobility for people who struggle with limited transport options.
Local officials tested the system on narrow country roads and were impressed by FSD’s smooth, human-like driving, with some calling the service a game-changer for everyday life in areas that are far from urban centers.
Officials see real impact on rural residents
Arzfeld Mayor Johannes Kuhl and District Administrator Andreas Kruppert personally tested the Tesla shuttle service. This allowed them to see just how well FSD navigated winding lanes and rural roads confidently. Kruppert said, “Autonomous driving sounds like science fiction to many, but we simply see here that it works totally well in rural regions too.” Kuhl, for his part, also noted that FSD “feels like a very experienced driver.”
The pilot complements the area’s “Citizen Bus” program, which provides on-demand rides for elderly residents who can no longer drive themselves. Tesla Europe shared a video of a demonstration of the service, highlighting how FSD gives people their freedom back, even in places where public transport is not as prevalent.
What the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Transport says
Rhineland-Palatinate’s Minister Daniela Schmitt supported the project, praising the collaboration that made this “first of its kind in Europe” possible. As per the ministry, the rural rollout for the service shows FSD’s potential beyond major cities, and it delivers tangible benefits like grocery runs, doctor visits, and social connections for isolated residents.
“Reliable and flexible mobility is especially vital in rural areas. With the launch of a shuttle service using self-driving vehicles (FSD supervised) by Tesla in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, an innovative pilot project is now getting underway that complements local community bus services. It is the first project of its kind in Europe.
“The result is a real gain for rural mobility: greater accessibility, more flexibility and tangible benefits for everyday life. A strong signal for innovation, cooperation and future-oriented mobility beyond urban centers,” the ministry wrote in a LinkedIn post.
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Tesla China quietly posts Robotaxi-related job listing
Tesla China is currently seeking a Low Voltage Electrical Engineer to work on circuit board design for the company’s autonomous vehicles.
Tesla has posted a new job listing in Shanghai explicitly tied to its Robotaxi program, fueling speculation that the company is preparing to launch its dedicated autonomous ride-hailing service in China.
As noted in the listing, Tesla China is currently seeking a Low Voltage Electrical Engineer to work on circuit board design for the company’s autonomous vehicles.
Robotaxi-specific role
The listing, which was shared on social media platform X by industry watcher @tslaming, suggested that Tesla China is looking to fill the role urgently. The job listing itself specifically mentions that the person hired for the role will be working on the Low Voltage Hardware team, which would design the circuit boards that would serve as the nervous system of the Robotaxi.
Key tasks for the role, as indicated in the job listing, include collaboration with PCB layout, firmware, mechanical, program management, and validation teams, among other responsibilities. The role is based in Shanghai.
China Robotaxi launch
China represents a massive potential market for robotaxis, with its dense urban centers and supportive policies in select cities. Tesla has limited permission to roll out FSD in the country, though despite this, its vehicles have been hailed as among the best in the market when it comes to autonomous features. So far, at least, it appears that China supports Tesla’s FSD and Robotaxi rollout.
This was hinted at in November, when Tesla brought the Cybercab to the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, marking the first time that the autonomous two-seater was brought to the Asia-Pacific region. The vehicle, despite not having a release date in China, received a significant amount of interest among the event’s attendees.
Tesla FSD fleet is nearing 7 billion total miles, including 2.5 billion city miles
Tesla starts showing how FSD will change lives in Europe
