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SpaceX’s Florida Starship hits growth spurt as Texas Starship begins bulkhead installation
In the last week alone, SpaceX’s twin orbital Starship prototypes have made some truly jaw-dropping progress. Onlookers have witnessed Florida’s Starship push through a rapid growth spurt, while the company’s Texas team has begun to install propellant tank bulkheads and work on a triple-Raptor thrust structure.
Meanwhile, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has suggested that one or both of the orbital-class Starship prototypes could be “almost ready to fly” by August 24th, the date of the CEO’s next official update on Starship (formerly BFR and ITS). Although the actual challenge of building a massive, orbital-class launch vehicle is far subtler than the visible steelwork needed to build its primary structure and pressure vessels, the veritable leaps forward made in both Texas and Florida in the last 7-10 days are extremely encouraging signs.
Bulkheads galore
Starting off in Boca Chica, Texas, SpaceX’s team of engineers and technicians have been simultaneously handling Starhopper’s first untethered flight test (completed on July 25th) and building the facility’s orbital-class Starship prototype. Most significantly, after a few days of preparation, what is likely the Texas Starship’s first bulkhead was lowered inside its ~25m-tall (80 ft) barrel section, composed of the spacecraft’s propulsion section and propellant tanks.
Pictured below, technicians carefully craned the first 9m (30ft) diameter dome inside the Texas Starship on July 30th. Based on its orientation and the recent arrival of a similar dome, this particular bulkhead is almost certainly the bottom dome and first of three to be installed. It will thus serve as the bottom of the Texas Starship’s liquid methane propellant tank, as well as a significant structural member of the rocket’s thrust structure, needed to safely transfer the force of 3-6 Raptors to the rest of Starship.
SpaceX Texas also accepted delivery of the first multi-engine Starship thrust structure, featuring three obvious spots for three Raptors, meshing with Musk’s August 3rd statement that “Starship Mk1” would feature three of the engines.
11 meters, 5 days
Meanwhile, at SpaceX’s similar Florida Starship facility, the similar-but-not-quite-identical spacecraft has experienced even more rapid growth. Over the course of perhaps 4 or 5 days, technicians installed a full six new rings worth of steel segments on the vehicle’s tank section, separated from the curved nose section just like SpaceX’s Texas Starship. With an individual height of almost exactly six feet (~1.8m), the six new rings combined to add more than 10.5m to the Florida Starship’s relative height in just a few days. Combined, the nose and barrel sections would likely reach a height of 45-50m (145-165 ft), roughly 10-15% shy of full height (55m).
No fewer than 7 additional rings are visible in various stages of work (c. Aug. 4) across the Cocoa campus after the recent growth spurt.
Of note, a bulkhead visible between the Florida Starship’s barrel and nose sections in mid-July disappeared around the third week of the month, a strong indicator that SpaceX’s Florida campus actually beat Texas to their first Starship tank dome installation by as much as ~10 days. The fact that SpaceX is effectively racing itself to build the first flight-ready orbital-class Starship is deeply entertaining, but it also serves as an extremely unique example of the application of A/B testing (commonly used in software dev.) to spacecraft assembly.
Per Musk, the goal is not meant to be cutthroat (i.e. two groups enter, one group leaves) and both groups (Boca Chica and Cocoa) were said to be actively cooperating and sharing important lessons learned. Still, the geographically separated groups are visibly utilizing different methods, facilities, materials, and approaches. In effect, SpaceX has encouraged two of its own groups to duel (albeit in a semi-friendly manner) as a deeply unorthodox method of getting Starship to operational readiness as fast as physically possible.
Although Musk did partially contradict himself on August 3rd, implying that the first orbital Starship prototype(s) could be “almost ready for flight” by late August, the SpaceX CEO stated on July 19th that both Florida and Texas Starships could be ready for their first (suborbital) flights in “2 to 3 months”, or September/October. The first orbital Starship launch would follow as few as 2-3 months after that (or those) first flight milestones.
In short, Musk’s official August 24th Starship presentation is likely to be downright jaw-dropping. Stay tuned!
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Tesla is ramping its hiring for Cybercab vehicle manufacturing roles
A check of the company’s Careers website shows 30 open positions tied to the Cybercab project, with 25 focused directly on vehicle manufacturing.
Tesla is accelerating preparations for its upcoming Cybercab by rapidly expanding its hiring efforts in Austin, Texas.
A check of the company’s Careers website shows 30 open positions tied to the Cybercab project, with 25 focused directly on vehicle manufacturing. The spike in listings suggests that Tesla may be gearing up for a production ramp of its fully autonomous two-seater at Giga Texas.
New Cybercab job listings
Tesla’s Careers page now features several new roles that appear crucial to the Cybercab’s buildout. Among the most recent additions are openings for Engineering Technicians for the Cybercab’s drive units, battery pack, and general assembly, as well as positions for Equipment Technicians for the vehicle’s production lines.
Earlier this month, Tesla only had three openings related to the autonomous two-seater’s manufacturing. Even then, it was already exciting as the Cybercab would be produced using Tesla’s “Unboxed” manufacturing process. This process is designed to make the Cybercab easier and quicker to produce.
Similar to previous Cybercab-related job listings, all of the openings are currently based in Austin, Texas. This suggests that for now, at least, the production of the Cybercab will really be focused on Giga Texas to start.
Ultra-fast Cybercab production targets
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has described the Cybercab as the company’s highest-volume vehicle yet, targeting an annual production rate of around 2 million units. He added that the Cybercab line will operate more like a “high-speed consumer electronics” assembly process than a conventional car factory.
“If you’ve seen the design of the Cybercab line, it doesn’t look like a normal car manufacturing line,” Musk said earlier this year. “It looks like a really high-speed consumer electronics line. In fact, the line will move so fast that actually people can’t even get close to it.”
Elon Musk
Memphis to use xAI taxes for neighborhood improvements: “Truly a blessing”
City officials confirmed that the funds will be reinvested in local neighborhoods near xAI’s Colossus supercomputer.
The City of Memphis has collected all taxes owed by Elon Musk’s xAI before the payment deadline, creating a $3.2 million special revenue fund to support communities affected by the company’s operations.
City officials confirmed that the funds will be reinvested in local neighborhoods near xAI’s Colossus supercomputer.
Directing xAI funds toward community projects
Mayor Paul Young’s administration recently outlined how the funds will be allocated. The initiative was focused on improving infrastructure and quality of life in neighborhoods impacted by xAI’s construction and operations.
Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton emphasized that the process will include public input, with surveys already distributed to residents to guide spending priorities, according to ABC24.
“With that ordinance, we are in the near future getting ready to set up the committee because this is the people’s money,” Cooper-Sutton said. “We wanna make sure that it is used for the people.”
Officials noted that they are planning to present a final proposal to the entire council after reviewing community feedback. Cooper-Sutton added that the program represents a step toward ensuring businesses operating in Memphis treat residents “fairly and with equality.”
“It is truly, truly a blessing. What we are doing here at this body and this council, we wanna make sure that whatever business that comes here, that the people are treated fairly and with equality,” she stated.
xAI partnership fuels local job opportunities
Beyond tax revenue, xAI’s growing presence is expected to bolster Memphis’ workforce development goals. Earlier this month, the artificial intelligence startup co-hosted a job fair at Crosstown Concourse with the American Job Center to connect residents with new employment pathways.
“We know that jobs are coming. We know that talent is here,” Melody Freemon, executive director of the Greater Memphis Workforce Development Board, stated. “We wanna make sure we’re not just putting people in any ole jobs. We wanna put people on a pathway to self-sustainability. We wanna put people on a pathway to self-sustainability and something they can rely on in the future.”
Freemon also noted that the Greater Memphis Workforce Development Board was able to make a favorable offer to xAI. “We promised that we can provide a pipeline. This is the central hub for connection. This is where job seekers are, so let us take the headache off of your hiring needs. Come here, let us source the people and make sure that we meet the demand,” Freeman stated.
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The Boring Company’s self-driving Teslas impress riders with smooth, hands-free rides
The electric vehicles, which currently shuttle visitors between key destinations on the Strip, could soon extend service all the way to the airport.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system is making waves underground. Passengers who recently rode in The Boring Company’s Las Vegas Loop described the experience as “way smoother than a human driving,” with no manual input from a driver at all.
The electric vehicles, which currently shuttle visitors between key destinations on the Strip, could soon extend service all the way to the airport.
Controlled FSD testing
In late August, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill stated that Tesla’s FSD-equipped vehicles have been undergoing testing in the Boring Company tunnels for several months. These tests are conducted under strict supervision and have not involved regular passengers until recently.
Recent comments about the Boring Company’s driverless Teslas were shared on X by @alifarhat6_ali, who was able to try out the service for himself. As per the Tesla enthusiast, FSD drives much smoother than human drivers inside the Boring Company Las Vegas tunnels. The safety monitor also reportedly noted that the service should soon expand to the airport.
“I rode in the new self driving Tesla in the Las Vegas Loop! It was WAY smoother than a human driving in the Loop. Zero human input. It wasn’t busy so he let us ride back as well. Driver said they soon will be giving rides all the way to the airport. We are in the future,” the X user wrote in a post.
Elon Musk hints at fully driverless Teslas
Earlier this month, Elon Musk posted on X that “The Tesla cars operating in The Boring Company tunnels under Las Vegas will be driverless in a month or two.” This suggests that the Boring Company tunnels in Las Vegas may end up being one of the first locations where actual driverless Teslas will be serving regular customers.
In a way, the deployment of fully driverless Teslas could be perfect for the Las Vegas tunnels. The underground environment should be ideal for Tesla’s autonomous software as it offers predictable routes and traffic, minimal external hazards, and stable lighting conditions that benefit sensor performance.
Tesla is ramping its hiring for Cybercab vehicle manufacturing roles
Memphis to use xAI taxes for neighborhood improvements: “Truly a blessing”
The Boring Company’s self-driving Teslas impress riders with smooth, hands-free rides
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