News
SpaceX Starship fires up three Raptor engines in prelude to high-altitude flight
Update: At 1:21am CDT (6:21 UTC) on October 20th, Starship SN8 ignited all three of its Raptors’ preburners, producing a spectacular fireball noticeably larger than the one produced during the rocket’s first October 19th preburner test. A mere two hours later, with no break in between, the steel rocket prototype fully ignited all three Raptor engines for the first time ever, likely producing thrust equivalent to ~90% of a nine engine Falcon 9 booster for a brief moment.
Crucially, aside from physically demonstrating Raptor’s multi-engine capabilities, Starship SN8 – already a first-of-a-kind prototype – completed and survived a static fire seemingly unscathed on its first attempt. If the data SpaceX gathers from the milestone is as good as the test appeared to be, the company could be just a few days away from installing Starship SN8’s recently-stacked nosecone, followed by a second triple-Raptor static fire test. If that second static fire goes well, SN8’s next task will be the first high-altitude Starship flight test.
Minutes after an adjacent highway was scheduled to reopen, SpaceX’s first high-altitude Starship prototype – serial number 8 – attempted what was likely the first multi-engine Raptor test ever.
At 6:01 am, October 19th, Starship SN8’s trio of Raptor engines were barely unleashed, producing a large fireball indicative of a ‘preburner’ ignition test. One of the most complex rocket engines ever developed, Raptor relies on a maximally efficient but temperamental “full-flow staged combustion” cycle (FFSC), a concise name for the many, many steps required to turn liquid propellant into thrust.
Adding additional difficulty, Raptor’s full-flow staged combustion necessitates ignition of gaseous oxygen and methane in the combustion chamber. Given that the Raptor-powered Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster exclusively use cryogenic liquid methane and oxygen, a major challenge posed by FFSC is the need to efficiently turn that ultra-cold propellant into hot gas almost instantaneously. This is where gas generators (or preburners) come in.
In a full-flow staged combustion engine, both oxidizer and fuel require their own separate turbopumps, which then require their own preburners to create the pressures needed to power those turbopumps and the gas the combustion chamber ignites to produce thrust. A step further, to enable high combustion chamber pressure like Raptor’s 300+ bar (~4400+ psi), those preburners need to produce gas at far higher pressures to account for energy losses as those gases wind their way through the engine’s plumbing.
As a result, preburners are possibly the single most stressed system in an engine like Raptor. Unsurprisingly, this has often lead SpaceX to separately test each engine’s preburners as a sort of partial static fire before the actual engine ignition test. This is the test Starship SN8 attempted in the early morning on October 19th, representing Raptor’s very first multi-engine ignition event.
Curiously, moments before preburner ignition, one of the three Raptor engines appeared to command an aggressive jet-like vent of liquid oxygen identical to a vent seen just a few hours prior during the first aborted preburner test. There’s thus a chance that only two of SN8’s three Raptor engines successfully started their preburners
Raptor is the first FFSC engine in the world to fly and – as far as the duration of lifetime testing and volume production goes – is almost certainly the most advanced of the three FFSC programs to graduate to static fire tests. In other words, given that SN8’s test campaign is the first time SpaceX has ever attempted to operate multiple adjacent Raptor engines at the same time, it’s not a huge surprise that progress towards the first three-engine static fire has been cautious and halting. Mirroring its Sunday/Monday testing, SpaceX will put Starship SN8 through another preburner and/or static fire attempt between 9pm and 6am CDT (UTC-5) on October 19/20. Even more 9-6 test windows are scheduled on October 21st and 22nd.
Meanwhile, not long after Starship SN8’s first preburner test was completed, SpaceX teams rolled a section of five steel rings inside a small windbreak and stacked the first truly functional nosecone – already outfitted with forward flaps – atop it. If Starship SN8 survives its first full triple-Raptor preburner and static fire tests, that new nosecone will likely be rolled to the launch pad for in-situ installation, topping off the rocket ahead of a spectacular 15 km (~50,000 ft) flight test.
News
Tesla is launching a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates
This week, Tesla launched its in-house Rental program that will give people a vehicle for between three to seven days, with prices varying and starting at just $60 per day.
Tesla is launching a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates, giving people the opportunity to borrow a vehicle in the company’s lineup with an outrageous number of perks.
This week, Tesla launched its in-house Rental program that will give people a vehicle for between three to seven days, with prices varying and starting at just $60 per day.
However, there are additional perks that make it a really great deal, including Free Supercharging and Free Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for the duration of the rental.
There are no limits on mileage or charging, although the terms do not allow you to leave the state you are renting.
Tesla wrote in an email advertising the program:
“Rent a Tesla and see how it makes every errand, commute, and road trip more fun. While it’s yours, try Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and control and monitor your vehicle with the Tesla app.
Schedule your rental for three to seven days starting at $60 per day (plus taxes and fees) and charge for free at any Tesla-owned Supercharger.
Order your own Tesla within seven days of your rental to get up to a $250 credit toward your purchase.”
This is a great opportunity that will convince MANY people to make the jump.
All your concerns about switching are answered within two days. It’s easier than owning a gas car ever has been. https://t.co/QayTf6YVbw pic.twitter.com/TCHqfTRpes
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 8, 2025
Tesla has long adopted the mentality that butts in seats will sell cars, and for the most part, it is a great strategy. Driving a Tesla is different from owning and driving a combustion engine vehicle; it truly feels as if you are in a car from the past when you get back in an ICE car.
This strategy could be looked at as more of a way for people to experience Tesla ownership than anything.
Although some might use it as a typical rental program that will see it be a cool way to drive without putting miles on a personal car, most will use it as the 48-hour test drive was designed for, which is a short-term way to experience EV ownership.
Tesla is only offering this program at a handful of locations currently, including San Diego and Costa Mesa, California.
News
Tesla makes online ordering even easier
Tesla has a great trade-in program that allows you to give the company your vehicle in exchange for cash, even if it’s not an EV. Their trades are mostly fair, but the company seems to undervalue its own vehicles, and there have been plenty of complaints over offers in the past.
Tesla has adjusted its Online Design Studio to make for an easier trade-in process, reflecting the details of the exchange for a more accurate reflection of payment terms.
Tesla has a great trade-in program that allows you to give the company your vehicle in exchange for cash, even if it’s not an EV. Their trades are mostly fair, but the company seems to undervalue its own vehicles, and there have been plenty of complaints over offers in the past.
Trade-ins are usually given by submitting vehicle details, then Tesla sends an email with an offer. Offers are non-negotiable, but do adjust over time, although the latest offer is valid for 30 days.
I traded my ICE vehicle for a Tesla Model Y: here’s how it went
Knowing your new Tesla’s cash price, leasing or loan details, and monthly payment information used to be done by the car buyer. From personal experience, I simply subtracted my trade-in from the cash price of the Tesla Model Y, and I plugged those numbers into the payment calculator.
Now, Tesla is implementing the trade-in process directly into the Design Studio. It will adjust the price of the car and the different monthly payment methods automatically:
Trade-in estimates available directly on our configurator in few states including CA, will cover all of US and Canada next week.
For loyalty customers, if their trade-in VIN is eligible for any loyalty credit, the same will be applied to the estimate. pic.twitter.com/7097vPleMf
— Raj Jegannathan (@r_jegaa) November 8, 2025
The change is already noticed in a handful of states, including California, but it has not rolled out across the board quite yet. It will be implemented in all of the U.S., as well as Canada, this coming week.
The trade-in process is very simple, and after you accept your offer, you simply drop your vehicle off during the delivery process. Making this simple change will be greatly appreciated by owners.
News
Tesla confirms Robotaxi is heading to five new cities in the U.S.
After launching in Austin, Texas, in late June and the Bay Area of California just a few weeks later, Tesla has been attempting to expand its Robotaxi suite to new states and cities in the U.S., and even outside of the country.
Tesla Robotaxi will hit five new cities in the United States in the coming months, the company confirmed.
After launching in Austin, Texas, in late June and the Bay Area of California just a few weeks later, Tesla has been attempting to expand its Robotaxi suite to new states and cities in the U.S., and even outside of the country.
The Robotaxi suite is a ride-hailing service Tesla offers, but the details of it change with each jurisdiction, as regulations vary. For example, in Austin, Tesla can operate the Robotaxi suite without anyone in the driver’s seat, as long as the vehicle does not enter a freeway.
Credit: Tesla
In the Bay Area, a Safety Monitor rides in the driver’s seat, essentially acting as the vehicle operator with Full Self-Driving controlling the car.
The local regulations and how Tesla handles them will continue to be a relevant part of the discussion, especially as the company aims to expand the Robotaxi program to different areas. This has been a primary focus of the company for several months, especially within the United States.
CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla was aiming to launch Robotaxi in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. However, the company detailed five specific cities where it will launch Robotaxi next during the Annual Shareholder Meeting on Thursday.
Tesla will launch Robotaxi in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, and Miami next, broadening its Service Area for the suite to more major cities across the U.S.
It has said it plans to offer the service to half of the U.S. population by the end of the year, but it does not seem as if it will expand to more than a handful of cities this year, which is still tremendous progress, all things considered.
As far as autonomy is concerned, Tesla has always had lofty expectations and has made some even loftier statements.
At the Shareholder Meeting, Musk said that the company would likely be able to enable vehicle owners to text while the vehicle drives, alleviating them from potentially having some of the responsibility they have behind the wheel.
Tesla says texting and driving capability is coming ‘in a month or two’
It is not confirmed that Tesla will roll this out in the next few months, but Musk said there is a possibility.
Tesla is launching a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates
Tesla makes online ordering even easier
Tesla confirms Robotaxi is heading to five new cities in the U.S.
-
News2 days agoTesla shares rare peek at Semi factory’s interior
-
Elon Musk2 days agoTesla says texting and driving capability is coming ‘in a month or two’
-
News2 days agoTesla Model Y Performance set for new market entrance in Q1
-
News4 days agoTesla Model Y Performance is rapidly moving toward customer deliveries
-
News3 days agoTesla China expecting full FSD approval in Q1 2026: Elon Musk
-
News1 day agoTesla makes online ordering even easier
-
News3 days agoTesla Cybercab production starts Q2 2026, Elon Musk confirms
-
News7 hours agoTesla is launching a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates