News
SpaceX’s upgraded Starship gets frosty during cryogenic proof test
Update: SpaceX is well into Starship SN15’s first cryogenic proof test and is in the process of loading the upgraded steel rocket with hundreds of tons of supercool liquid nitrogen (LN2).
As a result, the 50m (165 ft) tall spacecraft and upper stage prototype has developed a coating of frost as its extremely cold cargo quite literally freezes the humid South Texas air onto its steel skin. Stay tuned for updates on the performance of Starship SN15 during its first ‘cryo proof’ and what that means for engine installation and its next big test – a triple-Raptor static fire.
SpaceX has cleared its suborbital South Texas launch pad of all personnel, clearing the way for the Starship serial number 15 (SN15) to kick off the first in a series of big tests.
Outfitted with “hundreds” of upgrades relative to late full-size predecessors SN8, SN9, SN10, and SN11, there’s a chance that SN15 holds the key to SpaceX’s first completely successful high-altitude Starship launch and landing.
Though Starship SN10 managed to land in one piece last month and both it and its three siblings successfully reached nominal 10-12.5 km (6-8 mi) apogees, averaged more than six minutes of controlled flight, and restarted at least one of three Raptor engines without issue, SN10 explodes minutes after touchdown and the other ships suffered various failures of their own 10-30 seconds before landing. At least one vehicle loss (Starship SN9) can be blamed on the failure of one of two Raptor engines to properly ignite.
Starship SN8 made it seconds away from an intact touchdown on the first try before an issue with its advanced pressurization system starved its Raptor engines of fuel. Starship SN10 landed hard – partially leading to its demise – because the quick-fix SpaceX implemented to deal with the pressurization issues SN8 surfaced caused Raptor engines to ingest helium, dramatically lowering their thrust and performance. CEO Elon Musk believes SN11’s even earlier demise was caused by a high-pressure methane leak on one Raptor engine that destroyed avionics and led to a hard-start and violent explosion during landing burn ignition.
While many – if not most – of Starship SN15’s myriad upgrades likely began before most of the SN8-SN11 failure modes were uncovered, it’s not unlikely that SpaceX was already aware of potential weak points and working to fix them. The company’s philosophy largely matches agile development popular in software industries – namely the development of a minimum viable product, followed by a cycle of iterative testing and refinement until a given product is reliably achieving all of its foundational goals.
Now, it’s up to Starship SN15 (as well as SN16, SN17, SN18, and possibly SN19) to carry the torch forward and demonstrate clear progress towards the goal of fielding a reliable, reusable, building-sized spacecraft and upper stage. To do that, SN15 must first act as a pathfinder for those upgrades, beginning with qualification tests on the ground.
The first of those – likely a cryogenic proof test with liquid nitrogen – is scheduled as early as today, sometime between now and 8pm CDT (UTC-5). Stay tuned for updates as Starship SN15 (hopefully) gets frosty for the first time.
News
Ford is charging for a basic EV feature on the Mustang Mach-E
When ordering a new Ford Mustang Mach-E, you’ll now be hit with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.
Ford is charging an additional fee for a basic EV feature on its Mustang Mach-E, its most popular electric vehicle offering.
Ford has shuttered its initial Model e program, but is venturing into a more controlled and refined effort, and it is abandoning the F-150 Lightning in favor of a new pickup that is currently under design, but appears to have some favorable features.
However, ordering a new Mustang Mach-E now comes with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.
The frunk is the front trunk, and due to the lack of a large engine in the front of an electric vehicle, OEMs are able to offer additional storage space under the hood. There’s one problem, though, and that is that companies appear to be recognizing that they can remove it for free while offering the function for a fee.
Ford is now charging $495 on the Mustang Mach-E frunk (front trunk). What are your thoughts on that? pic.twitter.com/EOzZe3z9ZQ
— Alan of TesCalendar 📆⚡️ (@TesCalendar1) February 24, 2026
Ford is charging $495 for the frunk.
Interestingly, the frunk size varies by vehicle, but the Mustang Mach-E features a 4.7 to 4.8 cubic-foot-sized frunk, which measures approximately 9 inches deep, 26 inches wide, and 14 inches high.
When the vehicle was first released, Ford marketed the frunk as the ultimate tailgating feature, showing it off as a perfect place to store and serve cold shrimp cocktail.
Ford Mach-E frunk is perfect for chowders and chicken wings, and we’re not even joking
It appears the decision to charge for what is a simple advantage of an EV is not going over well, as even Ford loyal customers say the frunk is a “basic expectation” of an EV. Without it, it seems as if fans feel the company is nickel-and-diming its customers.
It will be pretty interesting to see the Mach-E without a frunk, and while it should not be enough to turn people away from potentially buying the vehicle, it seems the decision to add an additional charge to include one will definitely annoy some customers.
News
Tesla to improve one of its best features, coding shows
According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.
Tesla is looking to upgrade its Matrix Headlights, a unique and high-tech feature that is available on several of its vehicles. The headlights aim to maximize visibility for Tesla drivers while being considerate of oncoming traffic.
The Matrix Headlights Tesla offers utilize dimming of individual light pixels to ensure that visibility stays high for those behind the wheel, while also being considerate of other cars by decreasing the brightness in areas where other cars are traveling.
Here’s what they look like in action:
-
- Credit: u/ObjectiveScratch | Reddit
-
- Credit: u/ObjectiveScratch | Reddit
As you can see, the Matrix headlight system intentionally dims the area where oncoming cars would be impacted by high beams. This keeps visibility at a maximum for everyone on the road, including those who could be hit with bright lights in their eyes.
There are still a handful of complaints from owners, however, but Tesla appears to be looking to resolve these with the coming updates in a Software Version that is currently labeled 2026.2.xxx. The coding was spotted by X user BERKANT:
🚨 Tesla is quietly upgrading Matrix headlights.
Software https://t.co/pXEklQiXSq reveals a hidden feature:
matrix_two_stage_reflection_dip
This is a major step beyond current adaptive high beams.
What it means:
• The car detects highly reflective objects
Road signs,… pic.twitter.com/m5UpQJFA2n— BERKANT (@Tesla_NL_TR) February 24, 2026
According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.
Finally, the new system will prevent the high beams from glaring back at the driver. The system is made to dim when it recognizes oncoming cars, but not necessarily objects that could produce glaring issues back at the driver.
Tesla’s revolutionary Matrix headlights are coming to the U.S.
This upgrade is software-focused, so there will not need to be any physical changes or upgrades made to Tesla vehicles that utilize the Matrix headlights currently.
Elon Musk
xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
Elon Musk’s xAI has signed an agreement with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to allow Grok to be used in classified military systems.
Previously, Anthropic’s Claude had been the only AI system approved for the most sensitive military work, but a dispute over usage safeguards has reportedly prompted the Pentagon to broaden its options, as noted in a report from Axios.
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
The publication reported that xAI agreed to the Pentagon’s requirement that its technology be usable for “all lawful purposes,” a standard Anthropic has reportedly resisted due to alleged ethical restrictions tied to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons use.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in what sources expect to be a tense meeting, with the publication hinting that the Pentagon could designate Anthropic a “supply chain risk” if the company does not lift its safeguards.
Axios stated that replacing Claude fully might be technically challenging even if xAI or other alternative AI systems take its place. That being said, other AI systems are already in use by the DoD.
Grok already operates in the Pentagon’s unclassified systems alongside Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Google is reportedly close to an agreement that will result in Gemini being used for classified use, while OpenAI’s progress toward classified deployment is described as slower but still feasible.
The publication noted that the Pentagon continues talks with several AI companies as it prepares for potential changes in classified AI sourcing.
Ford is charging for a basic EV feature on the Mustang Mach-E
Tesla to improve one of its best features, coding shows
