News
SpaceX’s first redesigned Raptor static fire paves the way for Starship’s hop test debut
After years of development, multiple prototypes constructed, and more than 1200 seconds of cumulative static fire testing at durations longer than what is needed to land on Mars, SpaceX propulsion engineers and technicians have successfully built and static-fired the first flight-worthy Raptor for the first time ever.
This is an incredibly important step towards BFR (Starship/Super Heavy) launch operations and is even more directly encouraging for the first integrated hop tests of SpaceX’s Starship prototype (unofficially deemed Starhopper), which could very well be the next host of the pathfinder Raptor engine pictured below.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2019
In the scope of SpaceX’s history designing, building, and optimizing large-scale rocket engines, Raptor’s development likely followed a similar path. While Merlin 1 operates on a dramatically simpler combustion cycle (gas-generator), uses different fuel (kerolox vs. methalox), and is significantly less powerful and efficient than Raptor (as proposed), the workhorse engine went through a range of dramatically different iterations (Merlin 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D) and is scarcely recognizable when its earliest block is compared to its most recent version. Merlin 1A began as an ablatively cooled 340 kN (76,000 lbf) engine, while the current workhorse (generally known as Merlin 1D Full Thrust, M1D FT) features a regeneratively-cooled nozzle and produces more than 840 kN (190,000 lbf), nearly a threefold improvement in thrust.
-
- Merlin 1A. (SpaceX)
-
- Merlin 1C – SpaceX considered but never actually built Merlin 1B. (Steve Jurvetson)
-
- Fresh Block 5 Merlin 1D engines are built and assembled in Hawthorne, CA before heading to Texas for testing. (SpaceX)
-
- An exceptional chart showing the extensive changes SpaceX’s Merlin family has undergone in more than a decade of development and operation. (www.B14643.de)
Raptor’s subscale prototype – featuring twice the chamber pressure of M1D (200 bar, ~3000 psi) and around the same maximum thrust as Merlin 1D (~1000 kN, 225,000 lbf) – can effectively be examined as the Merlin 1A to the Merlin 1C or 1D-class Raptor that SpaceX’s propulsion team settled on after learning from its smaller predecessors.
Performed on a Raptor-specific test cell at SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas “Rocket Ranch”, this milestone static fire was enabled by what one can safely assume were dozens or hundreds of lessons-learned over the course of two years of prototype engine testing and iterative improvement, working up to a quasi-final design that was shipped to Texas and installed just a few days ago. To kick off the first critical static fire of the pathfinder Raptor hardware, reports from ground observers indicate that SpaceX engineers began with a series of extremely short ‘blip’ tests that appeared perhaps 2-3 seconds from ignition to shutdown.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2019
Starhopper’s one-stop hop spot
The immensely encouraging news of Raptor Block 1’s first successful static fire comes as SpaceX engineers, technicians, and contractors work around the clock to build both the first full-scale Starship prototype (nicknamed Starhopper) and the spartan pad it will lift off from during hop tests. SpaceX’s Boca Chica facilities were marked by a burst of pad-related activity over the last week or two, including the early installation of a range of pipes (some of it insulated for supercool cryogenic methane and oxygen) and the creation of a berm pointing towards the probable location of Starhopper’s simple launch mount and pad. ‘
While the Starship prototype’s three Raptor engines will dramatically outclass Falcon 9’s Grasshopper and F9R development vehicles (also used for hop tests), it’s possible that the same setup – basically a flat (refractory?) concrete pad with GSE (ground support equipment) protected behind a berm and automated water jet turrets around the vicinity – could work for Starhopper, too. For now, the successful static fire of the first post-development Raptor engine marks a massive step towards those initial hop tests and towards the first orbital launches of Starship and Super Heavy a bit further down the road. Stay tuned as SpaceX continues to extensively test Raptor and build out its Boca Chica pad and Starship prototype.
1-31-19 #SpaceX pic.twitter.com/VUgbxApjEc
— Austin Barnard🚀 (@austinbarnard45) February 1, 2019
Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes!
Elon Musk
SpaceX just filed for the IPO everyone was waiting for
SpaceX filed its public S-1, revealing $18.7 billion in revenue and billions in losses.
SpaceX publicly filed its S-1 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 20, 2026, making its financial details available to the public for the first time ahead of what could be the largest IPO in history.
An S-1 is the formal document a company must submit to the SEC before going public. It includes audited financials, risk factors, business descriptions, and how the company plans to use the money it raises. Companies are required to file one before selling shares to the public, and it must be published at least 15 days before the investor roadshow begins. SpaceX had already submitted a confidential draft to the SEC in April, which allowed regulators to review the filing privately before it went public.
The S-1 reveals that SpaceX generated $18.7 billion in consolidated revenue in 2025, driven largely by its Starlink satellite internet division, which posted $11.4 billion in revenue, growing nearly 50% year over year. Despite that growth, the company lost about $4.9 billion in 2025 and has burned through more than $37 billion since its founding.
SpaceX just forced Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile to team up for the first time in history
A significant portion of those losses trace back to xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, which was recently merged into SpaceX. SpaceX directed roughly 60% of its capital spending in 2025 to its AI division, totaling around $20 billion, yet that division lost billions and grew revenue by only about 22%.
SpaceX plans to list its Class A common stock on Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX, with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America leading the offering. The dual-class share structure means going public will not meaningfully reduce Musk’s control, as Class B shares he holds carry 10 votes per share compared to one vote for public Class A shares.
The company is targeting a raise of around $75 billion at a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion, which would make it the largest IPO ever. The investor roadshow is reportedly planned for June 5.
Tesla has scaled back driver monitoring to be less naggy with the latest version of the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) suite, which is version 14.3.3.
The latest version is already earning praise from owners, who are reporting that the suite is far less invasive when it comes to keeping drivers from taking their eyes off the road. The first to mention it was notable Tesla community member on X known as Zack, or BLKMDL3.
14.3.3 nags less too https://t.co/IuiWzuYO6O
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2026
Musk confirmed that v14.3.3 was made to nag drivers significantly less, something that Tesla has worked toward in the past and has said with previous versions that it is less likely to push drivers to look ahead, at least after looking away for a few seconds.
This refinement aligns with Tesla’s ongoing push toward unsupervised FSD. The update also brings faster Actual Smart Summon (now up to 8 mph), reliable “Hey Grok” voice commands, richer visualizations, smoother Mad Max acceleration, and an intervention streak counter that rewards consistent use. Reviewers describe the drive as more human-like and confident, with fewer twitches or unnecessary maneuvers.
Musk has repeatedly signaled this direction. In late 2025, he stated that FSD would allow phone use “depending on context of surrounding traffic,” noting safety data would justify relaxing rules so drivers could text in low-risk scenarios like stop-and-go traffic.
We tested this, and even still, the cell phone monitoring really seems to be less active in terms of alerting drivers:
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.1 texting and driving: we tested it
Earlier, ahead of v14, Musk promised the system would “nag the driver much less” once safety metrics improved.
In 2023, he confirmed the steering wheel torque nag would be “gradually reduced, proportionate to improved safety,” shifting reliance to the cabin camera. Subsequent updates like v13.2.9 and v12.4 further loosened monitoring, cracking down on workarounds while easing legitimate distractions.
These steps reflect Tesla’s data-driven approach: FSD’s safety record—reportedly averaging millions of miles per crash—now outpaces human drivers in many scenarios, giving the company confidence to dial back interventions. Reduced nags improve usability and trust, encouraging more drivers to rely on the system rather than disengaging out of frustration.
However, there are certainly still some concerns. In many states, it is illegal to handle a cell phone in any way, requiring the use of hands-free devices. In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to use your cell phone at stop lights, which is definitely a step further than using it while the car is actively in motion.
v14.3.3 represents tangible progress. Making FSD less adversarial and more seamless is definitely a step forward, but drivers need to be aware of the dangers of distracted driving. FSD is extremely capable, but it is in no way fully autonomous, nor does its performance warrant owners to take their attention off the road.
Tesla has officially expanded its Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite in Europe once again, as it will now be offered to customer vehicles in Lithuania, marking a significant milestone as the second European Union country to offer the system.
Tesla confirmed FSD’s rollout in Lithuania this morning:
FSD Supervised now rolling out to Teslas in Lithuania 🇱🇹!
Making European roads safer, one by one pic.twitter.com/Uuj0bNG7pP
— Tesla Europe, Middle East & Africa (@teslaeurope) May 20, 2026
Tesla showed several clips of Full Self-Driving navigation in Lithuania to mark the announcement, while Lithuanian Transport Minister Juras Taminskas highlighted the system’s potential to assist with lane-keeping, speed adjustment, and traffic tasks on longer drives, while emphasizing that drivers must stay alert and ready to intervene.
Just a few weeks ago, Tesla officially entered Europe with Full Self-Driving in the Netherlands. The expansion of FSD on the continent is now officially underway.
Full Self-Driving’s European Journey
Europe has long posed one of the toughest regulatory challenges for Tesla’s autonomy ambitions due to stringent safety standards under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) framework, particularly UN Regulation 171 for Driver Control Assistance Systems.
The Netherlands’ RDW authority granted the pioneering approval after over 18 months of rigorous testing, including 1.6 million kilometers on European roads and extensive data submissions.
This approval enables mutual recognition across the EU, allowing other member states to adopt it nationally without full re-testing. Lithuania quickly leveraged this mechanism, becoming the second adopter. Tesla positions FSD Supervised as a tool to incrementally improve road safety, with the company claiming it reduces incidents when used properly.
Bottlenecks slowing broader European deployment include fragmented national regulations, varying levels of regulatory skepticism, and requirements for robust driver monitoring. Some EU officials have raised concerns about performance in adverse conditions like icy roads or speeding scenarios, alongside frustrations over Tesla’s public advocacy approach.
Additional hurdles involve data privacy, liability frameworks, and the need for EU-wide harmonization. While countries like Belgium appear to be fast-tracking adoption, larger markets such as Germany, France, and Italy are expected to follow in the coming months, with potential EU-wide progress targeted for later in 2026.
Tesla Full Self-Driving Across the World
As of May, Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is available in approximately ten countries.
In North America, it has been live for years in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Asia-Pacific additions include Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea, while China utilizes what Tesla calls “City Autopilot.” In Europe, the Netherlands and now Lithuania join the list, with more countries mulling the possibility of also approving FSD.
Tesla offers FSD via monthly subscriptions (around €99 in Europe) or one-time purchases (with deadlines approaching in many markets), shifting toward recurring revenue models. Today is the final day Europeans will be able to purchase the suite outright.
This expansion underscores Tesla’s push for global autonomy, starting with supervised and building toward greater capabilities. With Lithuania now online, momentum is building across Europe, though regulatory caution will continue shaping the pace. Owners in approved regions report smoother highway and urban driving, but the system remains Level 2, which requires human oversight.
SpaceX just filed for the IPO everyone was waiting for
Tesla scales back driver monitoring with latest Full Self-Driving release
