News
Stratolaunch sold to mystery buyer, raising hopes that world’s largest plane will fly again
Stratolaunch Systems Corp. – a space launch venture created by the late Microsoft co-founder billionaire Paul Allen – debuted the world’s largest plane (nicknamed Roc) in April 2019, completing one flawless flight before reports of its indefinite grounding arose.
In June, parent holding company Vulcan Inc. – led by Allen’s sister after his death – planned to cease Stratolaunch’s operations in anticipation of a total liquidation – including the aircraft, intellectual property, and facilities – worth up to $400 million. However, the Roc may live to fly once again after an official October 11th announcement, in which Stratolaunch indicated that the company has “transitioned ownership and is continuing regular operations.”
Prior to the announcement, NASASpaceflight.com photographer Jack Beyer posted photos to twitter appearing to show new activity at Stratolaunch’s Mojave Air and Space Port hangar. The post garnered a response from Nicola Pecile – test pilot with Virgin Galactic – who stated that operations seem likely to resume “in a few weeks” citing that hiring notices were recently sent to members of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP).
Initially, Allen developed the company to launch air-to-orbit rockets from a carrier aircraft mid-flight. To say that Stratolaunch has experienced turbulence during development may be an understatement. Since its inception, conceptualization redesigns and failed partnerships with various rocket launch vehicle companies have plagued operational efforts.
In 2011 Stratolaunch partnered with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to develop a multi-stage launch vehicle named the Falcon 9 Air that would be dropped from a carrier aircraft. The Falcon 9 Air would have been capable of delivering payloads up to 6,100kg (13, 400lbs) to low Earth orbit (LEO) from flight altitudes of 30,000ft with the assist of 4 Merlin 1D engines – the same engines that now propel SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy boosters.
In 2012 SpaceX and Stratolaunch amicably parted ways with SpaceX citing design alterations that no longer worked with their envisioned Falcon 9 Air launch vehicle.
Following the dissolution of the partnership with SpaceX, Stratolaunch partnered with Orbital Sciences Corp (Orbital ATK) – now a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman – to develop the Pegasus II which was ultimately shelved to pursue in-house developed launch vehicles. Following the death of Paul Allen in 2018 that plan was also abandoned as Allen’s sister, Jody Allen, set an exit plan for the company in early 2019 according to Reuters.
However, the recent buy out by a mystery purchaser has seemingly breathed new life into Stratolaunch as the Twitter announcement also mentioned that the company will now “bring the carrier aircraft test and operations program fully in-house.” What this means for the future of the Roc and any air-to-orbit launches remains unclear.
The Roc itself is comprised of twin fuselages connected by a reinforced center wing and features an incredible wingspan of 117m (385ft), 28 landing gear wheels, and six Pratt & Whitney PW4056 engines – as well as many other components – salvaged from donor Boeing 747-400s. It is both the largest and heaviest aircraft (excluding payload) to have ever flown.
With a nickname derived from a mythical bird so large it could carry an elephant in flight, it would have been a tragedy if the one-of-a-kind aircraft were to be scrapped, mothballed, or placed in a museum after just a single flight. With Hope Stratolaunch’s October 11th announcement, the future of the massive plane has thankfully stabilized in spite of significant uncertainty, and hope remains that Roc’s new owner(s) will find a way to continue flying the aircraft.
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft is heading to jury trial
The ruling keeps alive claims that OpenAI misled the Tesla CEO about its charitable purpose while accepting billions of dollars in funding.
OpenAI Inc. and Microsoft will face a jury trial this spring after a federal judge rejected their efforts to dismiss Elon Musk’s lawsuit, which accuses the artificial intelligence startup of abandoning its original nonprofit mission. The ruling keeps alive claims that OpenAI misled the Tesla CEO about its charitable purpose while accepting billions of dollars in funding.
As noted in a report from Bloomberg News, a federal judge in Oakland, California, ruled that OpenAI Inc. and Microsoft failed to show that Musk’s claims should be dismissed. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers stated that while the evidence remains unclear, Musk has maintained that OpenAI “had a specific charitable purpose and that he attached two fundamental terms to it: that OpenAI be open source and that it would remain a nonprofit — purposes consistent with OpenAI’s charter and mission.”
Judge Gonzalez Rogers also rejected an argument by OpenAI suggesting that Musk’s use of an intermediary to donate $38 million in seed money to the company stripped him of legal standing. “Holding otherwise would significantly reduce the enforcement of a large swath of charitable trusts, contrary to the modern trend,” Judge Gonzalez Rogers wrote.
The judge also declined to dismiss Musk’s fraud allegations, citing internal OpenAI communications from 2017 involving co-founder Greg Brockman. In an email cited by the judge, fellow OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis informed Musk that Brockman would “like to continue with the non-profit structure.”
Just two months later, however, Brockman wrote in a private note that he “cannot say that we are committed to the non-profit. don’t want to say that we’re committed. if three months later we’re doing b-corp then it was a lie.”
Marc Toberoff, a member of Musk’s legal team, said Judge Gonzalez Rogers’s ruling confirms that “there is substantial evidence that OpenAI’s leadership made knowingly false assurances to Mr. Musk about its charitable mission that they never honored in favor of their personal self-enrichment.”
OpenAI, for its part, maintained that Musk’s legal efforts are baseless. In a statement, the AI startup said it is looking forward to the upcoming trial. “Mr. Musk’s lawsuit continues to be baseless and a part of his ongoing pattern of harassment, and we look forward to demonstrating this at trial. We remain focused on empowering the OpenAI Foundation, which is already one of the best-resourced nonprofits ever,” OpenAI stated.
News
Tesla arsonist who burned Cybertruck sees end of FAFO journey
The man has now reached the “Find Out” stage.
A Mesa, Arizona man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for setting fire to a Tesla location and vehicle in a politically motivated arson attack, federal prosecutors have stated.
The April 2025 incident destroyed a Tesla Cybertruck, endangered first responders, and triggered mandatory sentencing under federal arson laws.
A five-year sentence
U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa sentenced Ian William Moses, 35, of Mesa, Arizona, to 5 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for maliciously damaging property and vehicles by means of fire. Moses pleaded guilty in October to all five counts brought by a federal grand jury. Restitution will be determined at a hearing scheduled for April 13, 2026.
As per court records, surveillance footage showed Moses arriving at a Tesla store in Mesa shortly before 2 a.m. on April 28, 2025, carrying a gasoline can and backpack. Investigators stated that he placed fire starter logs near the building, poured gasoline on the structure and three vehicles, and ignited the fire. The blaze destroyed a Tesla Cybertruck. Moses fled the scene on a bicycle and was arrested by Mesa police about a quarter mile away, roughly an hour later.
Authorities said Moses was still wearing the same clothing seen on camera at the time of his arrest and was carrying a hand-drawn map marking the dealership’s location. Moses also painted the word “Theif” on the walls of the Tesla location, prompting jokes from social media users and Tesla community members.
The “Finding Out” stage
U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine noted that Moses’ sentence reflects the gravity of his crime. He also highlighted that arson is never acceptable.
“Arson can never be an acceptable part of American politics. Mr. Moses’ actions endangered the public and first responders and could have easily turned deadly. This five-year sentence reflects the gravity of these crimes and makes clear that politically fueled attacks on Arizona’s communities and businesses will be met with full accountability.”
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell echoed the same sentiments, stating that regardless of Moses’ sentiments towards Elon Musk, his actions are not defensible.
“This sentence sends a clear message: violence and intimidation have no place in our community. Setting fire to a business in retaliation for political or personal grievances is not protest, it is a crime. Our community deserves to feel safe, and this sentence underscores that Maricopa County will not tolerate political violence in any form.”
News
Tesla says its Texas lithium refinery is now operational and unlike anything in North America
Elon Musk separately described the site as both the most advanced and the largest lithium refinery in the United States.
Tesla has confirmed that its Texas lithium refinery is now operational, marking a major milestone for the company’s U.S. battery supply chain. In a newly released video, Tesla staff detailed how the facility converts raw spodumene ore directly into battery-grade lithium hydroxide, making it the first refinery of its kind in North America.
Elon Musk separately described the site as both the most advanced and the largest lithium refinery in the United States.
A first-of-its-kind lithium refining process
In the video, Tesla staff at the Texas lithium refinery near Corpus Christi explained that the facility processes spodumene, a lithium-rich hard-rock ore, directly into battery-grade lithium hydroxide on site. The approach bypasses intermediate refining steps commonly used elsewhere in the industry.
According to the staff, spodumene is processed through kilns and cooling systems before undergoing alkaline leaching, purification, and crystallization. The resulting lithium hydroxide is suitable for use in batteries for energy storage and electric vehicles. Tesla employees noted that the process is simpler and less expensive than traditional refining methods.
Staff at the facility added that the process eliminates hazardous byproducts typically associated with lithium refining. “Our process is more sustainable than traditional methods and eliminates hazardous byproducts, and instead produces a co-product named anhydrite, used in concrete mixes,” an employee noted.
Musk calls the facility the largest lithium refinery in America
The refinery’s development timeline has been very impressive. The project moved from breaking ground in 2023 to integrated plant startup in 2025 by running feasibility studies, design, and construction in parallel. This compressed schedule enabled the fastest time-to-market for a refinery using this type of technology. This 2026, the facility has become operational.
Elon Musk echoed the significance of the project in posts on X, stating that “the largest Lithium refinery in America is now operational.” In a separate comment, Musk described the site as “the most advanced lithium refinery in the world” and emphasized that the facility is “very clean.”
By bringing large-scale lithium hydroxide production online in Texas, Tesla is positioning itself to reduce reliance on foreign refining capacity while supporting its growth in battery and vehicle production. The refinery also complements Tesla’s nascent domestic battery manufacturing efforts, which could very well be a difference maker in the market.
Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft is heading to jury trial
Tesla arsonist who burned Cybertruck sees end of FAFO journey
