News
SpaceX sleuths spot third drone ship under construction in Louisiana
For the first time, SpaceX fleet-tracking sleuths have confirmed the identity and location – and captured photos – of the company’s third rocket recovery ‘drone ship.’
After several years of waiting for more details and multiple apparent delays, new information and photos allow us to finally determine what exactly that third drone ship – to be named A Shortfall Of Gravitas (ASOG) – will bring to the table when it enters SpaceX’s greater fleet.
While SpaceX could have feasibly gone in any number of directions, ranging from a clean-sheet build to something more akin to Blue Origin’s plans to convert a keeled cargo ship, it appears that the company ultimately settled on the simplest possible option – effectively replicating one of its two existing drone ships. Drone ships Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) and Just Read The Instructions (JRTI) are both converted barges based on virtually identical Marmac 303 and 304 vessels.
SpaceX’s barge conversion approach produces recovery ships with a massive, flat 300′ by 200′ (90 by 60 meter) surface perfect for supporting Falcon booster landings. SpaceX has also used the space available to add small garages to each ship for “Octagrabber” robots that allow recovery teams to remotely secure landed boosters – far safer than the hands-on alternative. Barges are also extremely affordable and simple to own, operate, and modify relative to crewed ships, making the conversion and certification process far easier.
Nevertheless, barges are flat-bottomed ships, meaning that they are more or less fully at the mercy of seas and weather, which can often force SpaceX to delay launches. At least as far as SpaceX’s current efforts go, its drone ships are must also be towed by tugboat to and from recovery zones and are only able to use their onboard propulsion for station-keeping once there. That means that SpaceX’s “drone ships” aren’t actually autonomous, per se, and are completely reliant upon several crewed support ships to do their jobs, translating to not-insignificant expenses for each at-sea booster recovery.
-->Given those challenges and the fact that A Shortfall Of Gravitas was originally expected to enter service some two years ago, it would have been far from surprising if SpaceX took that time to design and build a wholly new kind of rocket recovery ship meant to tackle those established issues. Instead, though, SpaceX appears to be adding an almost identical third ship to its fleet of converted barges, suggesting that the current fleet’s limitations weren’t worth the hassle to solve.
Simultaneously, signs suggest that SpaceX is on the cusp of reactivating its West Coast launch facilities for a dozen or more polar Starlink missions – missions that will very likely require drone ship booster landings for maximum efficiency. As such, it’s entirely possible that one of SpaceX’s three drone ships will immediately head for the Panama Canal as soon as ASOG is ready to enter the fleet. In other words, SpaceX’s East Coast fleet will likely continue to have two drone ships for the indefinite future.
In the meantime, it’s possible that drone ship ASOG could be ready to join its siblings just a few months from now. Stay tuned for updates!
News
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y named top car buys in Norway
Despite growing competition from European and Korean brands, both models stood out for their balance of price, performance, and everyday usability.
Norway’s annual roundup of the best car purchases featured Tesla’s two main sellers this year, with the Model 3 and Model Y securing top positions in their respective segments.
Despite growing competition from European and Korean brands, both models stood out for their balance of price, performance, and everyday usability. The verdict comes as electric vehicle adoption remained above 95% of new vehicle sales in the country.
Tesla Model 3 strengthens its value position
Among compact EVs, the Tesla Model 3 maintained its position as the best overall buy thanks to its strong blend of performance, efficiency, and updated features. Reviewers noted that every trim offered compelling value, especially with the all-electric sedan’s improved cabin ergonomics and the return of the turn-signal stalk, which was one of the few previous complaints among drivers.
The Model 3’s mix of long-range capability, low operating costs, and responsive handling has continued to set the benchmark for compact EVs in Norway. While competitors from Hyundai, Volkswagen, and Peugeot have narrowed the gap, Tesla’s price-to-capability ratio has remained difficult to beat in this segment, Motor.no reported.
“The Model 3 clearly offers the best value for money in the compact class, no matter which version you choose. Now it also gets the turn signal lever back. This eliminates one of the few flaws in a driving environment that many believe is the best on the market,” the publication wrote.
-->Tesla Model Y claims its crown
The Tesla Model Y emerged as Norway’s top family-car purchase this year. The latest refresh introduced improvements in ride quality, styling, and interior materials, allowing the Model Y to deliver a more premium driving experience without a substantial price increase.
Reviewers praised its spacious cabin, strong safety profile, and practical range, all of which reinforced its appeal for families needing an all-purpose electric crossover. The Model Y remains especially notable given its continued popularity in Norway even as Tesla faces declining sales in other global markets.
“The Model Y is back as the winner in the family class. The upgrade in the new year was even more extensive than expected. It is a slightly more elegant and significantly more comfortable Model Y that solidifies its position as Norway’s best car purchase in the most important class,” the Norwegian motoring publication noted.
News
Tesla Giga Berlin is still ramping production to meet Model Y demand: plant manager
Tesla Gigafactory Berlin has expanded to two full shifts, as per the facility’s plant manager, and a lot of it is due to Model Y demand.
Tesla Gigafactory Berlin has expanded to two full shifts, as per the facility’s plant manager, and a lot of it is due to Model Y demand. While registrations in some countries such as Sweden have fallen sharply this year, the company’s sales in other key territories have been rising.
Giga Berlin shifts to two shifts
Giga Berlin factory manager André Thierig told the DPA that the facility has been running two shifts since September to manage a surge in global orders. And due to the tariff dispute with the United States, vehicles that are produced at Giga Berlin are now being exported to Canada.
“We deliver to well over 30 markets and definitely see a positive trend there,” Thierig said.
Despite Giga Berlin now having two shifts, the facility’s production still needs to ramp up more. This is partly due to the addition of the Tesla Model Y Performance and Standard, which are also being produced in the Grunheide-based factory. Interestingly enough, Giga Berlin still only produces the Model Y, unlike other factories like Gigafactory Texas, the Fremont Factory, and Gigafactory Shanghai, which produce more than one type of vehicle.
Norway’s momentum
Norway, facing an imminent tax increase on cars, has seen a historic spike in Tesla purchases as buyers rush to secure deliveries before the change takes effect, as noted in a CarUp report. As per recent reports, Tesla has broken Norway’s all-time annual sales record this month, beating Volkswagen’s record that has stood since 2016.
-->What is rather remarkable is the fact that Tesla was able to achieve so much in Norway with one hand practically tied behind its back. This is because the company’s biggest sales draw, FSD, remains unavailable in the country. Fortunately, Tesla is currently hard at work attempting to get FSD approved for Europe, a notable milestone that should spur even more vehicle sales in the region.
Tesla is launching a crazy Full Self-Driving free trial, which will enable owners who have not purchased the suite outright to try it for 30 days.
There are a handful of stipulations that will be needed in order for you to qualify for the free trial, which was announced on Thursday night.
Tesla said the trial is for v14, the company’s latest version of the Full Self-Driving suite, and will be available to new and existing Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, and Cybertruck owners, who will have the opportunity to try the latest features, including Speed Profiles, Arrival Options, and other new upgrades.
🚨 Tesla is launching a free 30-day trial of Full Self-Driving in North America for owners.
It includes every model, but you need v14.2 or later, and you cannot have already purchased the suite outright. https://t.co/8CNmxxOkVl
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 27, 2025
You must own one of the five Tesla models, have Full Self-Driving v14.2 or later, and have an eligible vehicle in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or Canada.
The company said it is a non-transferable trial, which is not redeemable for cash. Tesla is reaching out to owners via email to give them the opportunity to enable the Full Self-Driving trial.
Those who are subscribed to the monthly Full Self-Driving program are eligible, so they will essentially get a free month of the suite.
Once it is installed, the trial will begin, and the 30-day countdown will begin.
Tesla is making a major push to increase its Full Self-Driving take rate, as it revealed that about 12 percent of owners are users of the program during its recent earnings call.
Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja said during the call:
“We feel that as people experience the supervised FSD at scale, demand for our vehicles, like Elon said, would increase significantly. On the FSD adoption front, we’ve continued to see decent progress. However, note that the total paid FSD customer base is still small, around 12% of our current fleet.”
Earlier today, we reported on Tesla also launching a small-scale advertising campaign on X for the Full Self-Driving suite, hoping to increase adoption.
Tesla Full Self-Driving warrants huge switch-up on essential company strategy
It appears most people are pretty content with the subscription program. It costs just $99 a month, in comparison to the $8,000 fee it is for the outright purchase.
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y named top car buys in Norway
Tesla Giga Berlin is still ramping production to meet Model Y demand: plant manager
