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SpaceX successful in epic third Starship test launch

Starships lifts off from Starbase (Credit SpaceX)

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SpaceX was successful in its third test flight of the largest rocket ever as Starship took to the skies at 8:25 am CT from Starbase, Texas.

The massive rocket made it further than ever during its third flight, including successful stage separation and atmospheric re-entry.

The 33 Raptor engines powered Booster 10 with Ship 28 stacked on top all the way through its portion of the flight, never losing one engine. Two minutes and 50 seconds into the flight, Booster 10 and Ship 28 went through the hot staging maneuver flawlessly.

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Booster 10 then relit some of its engines to perform the boost backburn toward a landing area just East of the launch pad in the Gulf of Mexico. The booster made it all the way through the burn and re-oriented itself to a vertical position as it plunged through the atmosphere and used its giant grid fins to help stabilize the vehicle.

During the final moments of the re-entry, the forces on the vehicle became too much, and around the 2 km mark, the booster engine attempted to light for the landing burn, but it appears a few failed, and the booster was lost shortly after.

While Booster 10 was plunging back through the atmosphere, Ship 28 continued to fly perfectly, burning all 6 Raptor engines to reach orbital velocity. The ships’ engines shut down just over eight and a half minutes into flight and were officially in space, coasting between the Florida Keys and Cuba on its way to its planned re-entry over the Indian Ocean.

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During the coast phase, SpaceX completed multiple in-flight tests, such as opening and closing the payload bay, or the pez door, as they put it. Following that, the rocket then performed a fuel transfer demonstration, moving fuel from the header tanks into the main tanks. This was the first time they had done this while in orbit, but according to Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and COO, they are waiting to officially confirm this.

SpaceX had intended to perform a re-light of a Raptor engine while in space, however, they elected to skip that and attempt this during a future mission.

Ship 28 then began atmospheric entry 46 minutes into the mission. Thanks to the Starlink connection, SpaceX was able to provide amazing views of the plasma build-up around the ship, something that is generally never seen as the plasma blocks the signal on smaller vehicles.

Just over 49 minutes into the flight, during peak heating, the Starship data connection was lost with both Starlink and TDRS (Tracking and Data Relay satellites), the former being used for all vehicles in space, including the Crew Dragon capsule.

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The on-screen telemetry stopped at a speed of 25,707 km/h at a height of 65 km. SpaceX said that with both signals dropping at the same time, it is likely the ship broke up during re-entry and did not make the planned intact splashdown.

While neither Booster 10 nor Ship 28 made it 100% to their planned splashdown, this third test flight was a massive win for SpaceX, and the company will look to complete the fourth flight test within a couple of months.

Questions or comments? Shoot me an email at rangle@teslarati.com, or Tweet me @RDAnglePhoto.

Launch journalist, specializing in launch photography. Based on the Space Coast, a short drive from Cape Canaveral and the SpaceX launch pads.

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Tesla updates its “FSD” branding in China

The functions of the systems, despite their updated names, remain unchanged.

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Credit: @DriveGreen80167/X

Tesla has tweaked the naming of its smart driving system offerings in China, with the company dropping “FSD” terminology from its vehicle order pages. The update was observed by industry watchers earlier this week.

Names Adjusted, Features Intact

Tesla China’s RMB 64,000 ($8,820) package—once listed as “FSD Intelligent Assisted Driving”—has been updated to “Intelligent Assisted Driving.” Its RMB 32,000 mid-tier system, previously dubbed “Enhanced Version Automated Assisted Driving”, has also been updated to “Enhanced Assisted Driving.”

Tesla’s basic Autopilot system, which was previously dubbed “Basic Version Assisted Driving,” has been changed to “Basic Assisted Driving” as well. Even the system’s umbrella term has been updated from “Autopilot Automated Assisted Driving” to simply “Assisted Driving Package.”

It should be noted that the functions of the systems, despite their updated names, remain unchanged, as noted in a CNEV Post report.

FSD’s China Evolution

Tesla China rolled out its first set of FSD features in late February, though the company made it a point to not brand the update as a release of “Full Self-Driving” features. Tesla China implemented a naming change to FSD at the time, updating its top-tier RMB 64,000 package’s name from “Full Self-driving Capability” to “FSD Intelligent Assisted Driving.” Tesla also launched an offer that allowed customers in China to experience the newly-released FSD features for free until April 16, though reports later suggested that the program was paused.

Cautious Steps Forward

Tesla has not explained the reasons behind FSD’s name change in China, though it seems to suggest that the company may be taking a rather cautious approach towards the eventual, planned release of an autonomous driving system in the country. As it is today, FSD is very capable and its real-world tests in China are very impressive. However, it is still not an unsupervised self-driving system. It would then not be surprising if “Full Self-Driving” terminology in China is reintroduced once unsupervised FSD is released.

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Tesla faces Trump’s 25% tariffs as Musk stays silent

Trump’s 25% tariffs could help Tesla or mess up its supply chain. How will Giga Texas and the Fremont Factory respond to Trump’s tariffs? 

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
(Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Tesla faces a fresh hurdle after President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on all non-U.S.-made cars on Wednesday. The President clarified that Elon Musk stayed silent and provided no input into the 25% tariffs.

“He may have a conflict,” Trump noted. He added that Musk, who heads Tesla and the efficiency-driven DOGE initiative, has never asked for business favors.

Trump’s tariffs are set to begin on April 2 for imported cars, and by May 3, the levies will hit imported auto parts, stirring questions about Tesla’s fate. Trump told reporters the impact might be “net neutral or good,” mentioning Tesla’s plants in Austin, Texas, and Fremont, California.

“Anybody with plants in the U.S.—it’s going to be good for them,” he said. Yet Tesla recently warned the U.S. Trade Representative in a letter that “certain parts and components are difficult or impossible” to source domestically, even with ‘aggressive localization.’ The company urged caution over the “downstream impacts” of trade actions.

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According to CNBC, Tesla and other automakers rely on foreign suppliers in Mexico, Canada, and China for headlamps, brakes, glass, suspension parts, and circuit boards. Musk has commented that Trump’s tariffs would significantly impact Tesla.

Trump’s tariffs have affected companies abroad, including Tesla suppliers in India. Competition is heating up as more brands roll out electric models, though China’s BYD remains barred from U.S. sales. Shares of Tesla, General Motors, Ford, and Rivian dipped slightly after hours following the announcement.

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Tesla suppliers in India hit by Trump’s 25% Auto Tariffs

Trump’s new 25% auto tariffs shook India’s auto market. Tesla suppliers like Tata Motors saw stocks plunge.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla suppliers in India, including Tata Motors and key auto parts makers, saw sharp declines on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled plans to impose 25% tariffs on all imported cars and auto parts.

According to the Trump Administration, the U.S. President’s 25% tariffs will hit imported cars and light trucks coming into the United States by April 2, 2025. By May 3, 2025, Trump’s tariffs will extend to include auto parts. The decision sent shockwaves through the global auto industry, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk noting on X that the impact on the EV giant is “significant.”

Despite Musk’s words, many believe that Tesla will benefit from Trump’s tariffs. Although, it would probably adversely affect Tesla’s plans to enter the Indian market. Tesla has already started the certification process for two vehicles in India.

Following Trump’s tariff announcements, Tata Motors dropped 5%, while Sona Comstar, Tesla’s largest Indian supplier, fell over 4%, dragging the auto sector down 1.2% in India, the world’s third-largest auto market. Reuters reported that Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which exports luxury vehicles from the UK and Slovakia, relies heavily on the U.S. as a key market.

Other Indian suppliers felt the strain as well. Samvardhana Motherson, a major auto parts provider, slipped over 2%. Meanwhile, Tesla supplier Bharat Forgedipped by 0.4%. The U.S. accounts for 20% of Samvardhana’s revenue and 40% of Sona Comstar’s, with North America as its dominant region. The downturn echoed broader losses among global carmakers like Toyota, Hyundai, Stellantis, and Ford–all of which saw shares slide after the tariff news broke.

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