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SpaceX to “refine” hypersonic heat shield manufacturing for the US Air Force

'X' marks the Starship heat shield. (NASASpaceflight - bocachicagal)

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The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has competitively awarded SpaceX an $8.5 million contract to “refine” the process of manufacturing “next generation” heat shield technologies.

In a minor resurgence of Cold War-style arms races, multiple arms of the US military apparatus have rekindled hypersonic weapons research and development programs that have been intermittently funded and pursued for decades – lagging behind Russian and Chinese efforts that are already fielding prototypes. Now, in an unexpected twist, SpaceX appears to have found a small foothold and source of complementary funding in the midst of that hulking apparatus.

https://twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1366412339654893573?s=20
A Starship heat shield installation test. (NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal)

As far as US military R&D contracts go, the $8.5 million SpaceX won is practically a rounding error, raising the question of what exactly the US Air Force (USAF) is hoping to get out of the arrangement. SpaceX has a long history of collaboration with the US military and Air Force in particular. Most notably, the USAF awarded SpaceX two few separate contracts worth a total of ~$73 million towards the development of its next-generation Raptor engine.

The US military has also directly expressed interest in the fully-reusable Starship launch vehicle Raptor is designed to power, though reception has been mixed and no substantial contracts have transpired.

Meanwhile, as this surprise $8.5 million contract arrives, SpaceX is in the midst of substantially expanding Starship heat shield production at facilities located in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, Florida – hinted at as of late in several job postings and obscure regulatory documents. Simultaneously, back at the company’s Boca Chica Starship factory, teams are also expanding the fidelity and scale of heat shield installation tests – clearly preparing to install complete heat shields on increasingly advanced Starship prototypes.

Though the AFRL unsurprisingly failed to include any specific details in the contract announcement, the most logical conclusion is that the Air Force – much like it did with Raptor – sees potential and is piggybacking off of an already substantial internal SpaceX investment. In this case, instead of a cutting-edge US-made rocket engine, the military is buying itself a seat at the table as SpaceX works to finalize the initial design and begin mass-production of advanced Starship heat shield tiles.

Without official information, it’s impossible to know for sure, and the Air Force could just as easily be funding research into the PICA-X heat shields SpaceX has used extensively of Cargo and Crew Dragons. The same is true as to whether AFRL is pursuing a specific variant of Starship’s hexagonal tiles that could be used on an unspecified hypersonic weapon or if the $8.5 million is simply meant to complement Starship heat shield R&D as-is.

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Tesla hacker finds lifesaving FSD suggestions in 2025.32.3

The feature could drastically reduce instances of drivers operating their vehicles while distracted or exhausted.

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Credit: Tesla/X

A Tesla hacker has shared references to what could very well be lifesaving FSD suggestions in software update 2025.32.3. 

The feature could drastically reduce instances of drivers operating their vehicles while distracted or exhausted.

New FSD features

As per longtime Tesla hacker @greentheonly, the EV maker’s drowsiness and lane departure suggestions in 2025.32.3 reference FSD. The hacker shared two alerts that specifically suggest the use of FSD, such as “Lane drift detected. Let FSD assist so you can stay focused,” and “Drowsiness detected. Stay focused with FSD.”

The hacker noted that the updated messages in 2025.32.3 are quite interesting because Tesla still advises drivers to be fully alert when using FSD Supervised. Thus, it is quite interesting to see the company advising users to use FSD when they seem unfocused or tired. That being said, FSD is still a supervised solution for now, but the system itself is already very capable, so the company’s updated alerts are not surprising.

Steps to FSD Unsupervised

Such warning messages would definitely make more sense once Tesla actually rolls out FSD Unsupervised. The system seems to be just waiting for regulatory approval for now, considering that it is already being used in vehicles that are coming off the production line at the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas. Tesla is also now using a driverless system for its Robotaxi services in Austin, as well as its autonomous ride-hailing service in the Bay Area.

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For now, Tesla is hard at work preparing for the impending rollout of FSD V14, which Elon Musk has stated will be a notable improvement from the already-impressive performance of FSD V13. As per Musk, Teslas running FSD V14 will feel “sentient.” He also noted that the system “feels alive.”

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Elon Musk assures Tesla investors he will enhance his security detail

Musk’s comments were posted on X in the aftermath of the slaying of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

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MINISTÉRIO DAS COMUNICAÇÕES, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has assured TSLA investors that he would be enhancing his security detail. 

Musk’s comments were posted on X in the aftermath of the slaying of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Aggressive critics

Kirk was slain during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University as part of Turning Point USA’s first event on a tour of college campuses, as noted in a Politico report. Kirk was a notable voice in the conservative movement and a close ally of the Trump administration, which led to aggressive critics openly wishing him harm. 

Elon Musk, due to his contributions to the Trump campaign and his later work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has also attracted a substantial amount of vitriol from critics. Tesla owners and the company itself suffered attacks due to critics’ anger towards Musk, with several stores and cars being vandalized or victimized in arson attacks.

Despite having stepped back from his work with DOGE, Musk remains a target among critics online, with some still calling for the CEO to get the “Luigi Mangione” treatment. These sentiments were notable after Kirk’s slaying, with some users on platforms such as Reddit and Bluesky arguing that Musk or Donald Trump should be next after Kirk. 

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Concerns and assurances

In the aftermath of Kirk’s slaying, numerous Tesla retail investors called on the company’s Board of Directors to bolster Elon Musk’s security detail. With some social media users openly calling for Musk to be slain next, such a request made sense. This was highlighted by Tesla investor Alexandra Merz, who called on the Tesla Board to drastically increase the company’s budget for Elon Musk’s security, which currently stands at just $3.3 million annually, or about $235,000 per month.

In response to the Tesla investor’s comments, Musk responded that he would “definitely need to enhance security.” Musk’s response was well appreciated by the Tesla and electric vehicle community as a whole, with some users on X stating that the CEO must be kept safe.

Musk is a key part of Tesla, and this was highlighted in the company’s proposed 2025 CEO performance award, which outlines a path towards the company attaining a market cap of $8.5 trillion. In its filing, Tesla highlighted that Elon Musk’s leadership is a fundamental part of the company and its future. 

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This signature Tesla feature is facing a ban in one of its biggest markets

The report indicates that Chinese government agencies have concerns “about failure rates and safety issues with the flush design.”

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A signature Tesla feature is under fire in one of the company’s largest markets, as regulators in one EV hot spot are mulling the potential ban of a design the automaker implemented on some of its vehicles.

Tesla pioneered the pop-out door handle on its Model S back in 2012, and CEO Elon Musk felt the self-presenting design was a great way to feel like “you’re part of the future.”

It is something that is still present on current Model S designs, while other vehicles in the Tesla lineup have a variety of handle aesthetics.

How to repair your Tesla Model S Door handle (DIY Kit)

According to Chinese media outlet Mingjing Pro, the company, along with others using similar technology, is facing scrutiny on the design as regulators consider a ban on the mechanism. These restrictions would impact other companies that have utilized pop-out handles on their own designs; Tesla would not be the only company forced to make changes.

The report indicates that Chinese government agencies have concerns “about failure rates and safety issues with the flush design.”

However, EVs are designed to be as aerodynamically efficient as possible, which is the main reason for this design. It is also the reason that many EVs utilize wheel covers, and sleek and flowing shapes.

However, the Chinese government is not convinced, as they stated the aerodynamic improvements are “minimal,” and safety issues are “significantly elevated,” according to The Independent.

The issue also seems to be focused on how effective the handle design is. According to data, one EV manufacturer, which was not specified in the report, has 12 percent of its total repairs are door handle failure fixes.

There are also concerns about the handles short-circuiting, leaving passengers trapped within cars. Tesla has implemented emergency latch releases in its vehicles that would prevent passengers from getting stuck in their cars in cases of electric malfunctions or failures.

However, evidence from the Chinese Insurance Automotive Technology Research Institute (C-IASI) suggests that 33 percent of door handles using this design fail to function after a side impact.

Obviously, Tesla and other automakers could introduce an alternative design to those vehicles that are affected by the potential restrictions China intends to impose. The regulation would take effect in July 2027.

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