10 things Tesla (TSLA) retail investors want to know from Q1 2019 earnings call


Tesla’s retail investors are aggregating a number of inquiries that will hopefully be addressed in the upcoming Q1 2019 earnings call. The questions are aggregated from verified TSLA investors by Say, a startup that aims to create and develop investor communication tools.

Using the platform, Tesla investors have been submitting and voting on inquiries they wish to be discussed and clarified by the electric car maker. The crowdsourced initiative has garnered quite a lot of support from the TSLA investor community, with over 340 retail shareholders representing around $30 million worth of stock posting their inquiries on the platform.

Here are 10 questions that garnered the most votes from the company’s retail shareholders.

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  1. Will Tesla be able to complete their purchase of Maxwell Technologies? What is holding that back?
  2. Last earnings call, Tesla emphasized the prioritization of improving customer service in Q1. It appears that significant improvements have been made. Can you share some key performance metrics around improving customer service?
  3. Can we expect the pace of pricing changes to continue? Can you elaborate on the price hike trajectory of the Full-Self Driving option beginning May 1st?
  4. Elon, most people when they think of Tesla only see it as an automotive company. Can you speak to Energy side of the company, specifically the road map for when you see the energy side of things really taking off and generating major revenue for the company? Thanks.
  5. When and where will the Tesla Semi begin production?
  6. When do you expect Powerwall and Powerpack production to meet current orders? What about the solar roof tiles?
  7. Is Tesla considering creating an insurance program in order to further simplify the ownership experience and to more accurately take into account the safety of driving on autopilot? The insurance market is very unreliable for Tesla owners right now.
  8. Do you have an updated timeline for the Tesla Pickup Truck reveal?
  9. Elon, if you were to ask Andrej Karpathy when he believes Tesla will be technically capable of Level 5 autonomy, when would Andrej estimate Level 5 or Full-Self Driving will be technically complete? (not released to customers, nor having received regulatory approval)
  10. Are you still confident you will be profitable in Q2 and Q3?

Tesla is yet to fully confirm if it will be entertaining questions from its retail investors in its earnings call, though the company has been open to the idea in the past. In the Q2 2018 earnings call, retail investors representing $60 million worth of TSLA shares listed down 305 questions for the company, and five were personally answered by Elon Musk during the Q&A session.

Tesla is quite unique in the way that it is willing to democratize its process of communicating its earnings to shareholders and its institutional investors. Such a strategy is unusual, and is yet another step away from convention, especially since traditional earnings calls primarily feature questions from Wall Street analysts and the occasional member of the media. If Tesla includes crowdsourced questions in its Q1 2019 earnings call, the electric car maker will be ensuring once more that inquiries which are most relevant and pertinent to retail investors are addressed.

Tesla’s Q1 2019 earnings call is expected to be held on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at  2:30 p.m. Pacific Time (5:30 p.m. Eastern Time).

The full list of questions from TSLA’s retail investors listed on Say could be accessed here.

10 things Tesla (TSLA) retail investors want to know from Q1 2019 earnings call


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Tesla bears start GoFundMe page for TSLA short accused of harassing Fremont workers


One of Tesla’s fiercest critics who was reportedly forced to cease his online initiatives against the company has returned to start a GoFundMe page for another TSLA bear, who was recently issued a temporary restraining order for stalking, harassing, and endangering a group of employees from the Fremont factory. The fundraiser has been successful so far, with 373 people raising over $81,000 in just one day.

On Friday, the Alameda County Superior Court in CA granted a temporary restraining order against Randeep Hothi, the man behind @skabooshka, a prominent anti-Tesla account on Twitter. Tesla accused Hothi of committing several offenses against the company, including injuring a member of its security personnel, and later, and harassing a group of employees who were filming a demonstration of Navigate on Autopilot in a company-owned Model 3. The temporary restraining order is effective until May 7, when a hearing is set for the noted TSLA bear.

With Hothi’s hearing approaching, the TSLAQ community (a group of individuals aiming for Tesla to fall) has mobilized to raise funds for their fellow detractor. The GoFundMe page was started by Lawrence Fossi, a fierce Tesla critic who wrote and tweeted under the pseudonym Montana Skeptic. Fossi was one of the TSLAQ community’s most active members, at least until he was reportedly forced to cease his online activities after Elon Musk contacted his boss to complain about his actions. Fossi described the goal of the GoFundMe page for Hothi as follows.

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I am Lawrence J. Fossi and wrote at Seeking Alpha under the pseudonym of Montana Skeptic. I learned today that Tesla Inc. has obtained an ex parte (only one side represented) temporary restraining order against $TSLAQ member @skabooshka.

What will follow over the next two weeks or so is “discovery” (depositions, written questions) and an evidentiary hearing to determine whether Tesla can obtain a temporary injunction. Tesla alleges @skabooshka is a dangerous person. I believe he is a seeker of truth who has done valuable work and deserves a vigorous and capable defense.

Tesla’s TRO application was triggered by @skabooshka’s effort to determine the true nature of the forthcoming “Investor Autonomy Event”. I believe important First Amendment rights are at issue, and urge you to support his effort.

Funds will be used to pay @skabooshka’s legal expenses in defending against the Tesla legal action, and in bringing any appropriate counterclaims. Any and all excess funds will be donated to a good related cause, with full disclosure about the recipient or recipients, and proof of donation sent to all donors. Many thanks.

Some known TSLAQ members pitching in for their fellow Tesla detractor. (Credit: GoFundMe)

Hothi has received an outpouring of support from the Tesla bear community. A look through the donations given to the fundraiser so far shows several known Tesla shorts, including Stanphyl Capital’s Mark Spiegel (who is tapped at times as a source for TSLA insights by mainstream media), @TeslaCharts, and Fossi himself donating significant amounts. In an update to the fundraiser, Fossi pledged that the money raised through the GoFundMe page will strictly be used for Hothi’s legal needs.

While the response to Hothi’s GoFundMe page is quite impressive, it should be noted that Tesla only filed a restraining order against the Tesla bear after he reportedly endangered the lives of three Tesla employees. On April 16, three employees were filming in a Model 3 when Hothi reportedly stalked and harassed them. So aggressive were Hothi’s actions that the Model 3’s crash avoidance systems were activated. Fearing for their safety, one of the Tesla employees in the vehicle promptly called the police to report the incident.

According to Tesla, the April incident was not the first time that Hothi committed acts against the company. Back in February, the TSLA short reportedly struck a security employee with his car when the latter was about to give him a verbal warning for trespassing into the Fremont factory’s grounds. The matter was also reported to the police, who attempted to issue a warning notice of trespass. Unfortunately, the warning was never given since Hothi proved uncooperative in meeting with Fremont police officers.

Tesla bears start GoFundMe page for TSLA short accused of harassing Fremont workers


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Tesla Roadster’s incredible 0-60 mph acceleration teased in new official video


Tesla has released a short video showcasing the next-generation Roaster’s blisteringly quick 0-60 mph acceleration of 1.9 seconds. “Zero to sixty faster than you can read this caption,” the all-electric car manufacturer posted on Twitter with video clip challenging viewers to do just that.

Once in production, next-gen Roadster owners will enjoy several performance advantages beyond acceleration including a 250+ mph top speed and 620 miles of battery range. All-wheel drive, 10,000 Nm of wheel torque, and a quarter mile time of 8.8 seconds also make the list of what’s included. Even with all those features packed in for track-level performance, the Roadster will still include seating for four. Perhaps even more amazingly, the next-gen Roadster will be offered at the relatively bang-for-the-buck base price of $200,000.

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Tesla recently announced that all of its vehicles will include Autopilot as a standard feature, but the Roadster will have an additional “Augmented Mode” to enhance human driving ability.

“Definitely. Will also have Augmented Mode that will massively enhance human driving ability. Like a flying metal suit, but in car form …,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said via Twitter in response to an Autopilot inquiry last year, drawing references and comparisons to Marvel’s Iron Man and Tony Stark. Musk has additionally teased that a SpaceX package will be available for purchase, enabling the Roadster to hover similar to the DeLorean of Back to the Future fame.

The Roadster was designed as a “hardcore smackdown” to gasoline cars, and with the current spec sheet, the all-electric supercar certainly looks like it will fulfill its purpose. The performance levels achievable by battery-electric vehicles aren’t without detractors, however. Chief technical executives at Ferrari and Lamborghini cited the lack of multiple full-power launch capability, battery placement, and lack of engine noise and deal-breakers for investment in an all-electric supercar earlier this year despite the existence of several fully electric supercars already setting new track records such as the NIO EP9.

Tesla isn’t planning on delivering next-gen Roadsters to customers until 2020, but the fan community hasn’t let that time frame stop them from dreaming about a Roadster-packed future. One graphics-savvy fan created and shared an impressive video likening the car to light due to the breakthrough it stands to represent in the auto industry. In another instance, an automotive render specialist published a clip depicting what it would be like to encounter the next-generation Tesla Roadster on the road in a drive-by fan video. Meanwhile, successful referral program participants are eagerly awaiting their Founders Series Roadsters won prior to Tesla’s reboot of the contest.

Tesla Roadster’s incredible 0-60 mph acceleration teased in new official video


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Tesla gets restraining order against TSLA critic who tried to disrupt Model 3 test car


The man behind one of the most prominent anti-Tesla accounts on Twitter, @skabooshka, has been issued a temporary restraining order after allegedly trying to cause an accident during a Model 3 test vehicle’s Navigate on Autopilot demonstration. The noted TSLAQ member reportedly drove so recklessly that his vehicle ended up triggering the Model 3’s crash emergency avoidance maneuver.

The temporary restraining order was granted by the Alameda County Superior Court in CA on Friday, though it is still unknown if the restraining order has been served. In its filing, Tesla claimed that California resident Randeep Hothi, the man allegedly behind the TSLAQ @skabooshka account on Twitter, had “stalked, harassed, and endangered” three employees who were driving a Model 3 in the Bay Area. The electric car maker noted that this was not the first time that the noted short committed acts against the company, as he also reportedly injured a member of Tesla’s security personnel when he was caught trespassing on company property.

Tesla explains its request for a restraining order as follows (credit to Twitter user Nafnlaus for providing screenshots of the documents). The following are excerpts from Tesla’s restraining order.

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Respondent has a history of trespassing at Tesla’s facilities, unlawfully taking photographs and video to post on his Twitter account, and other misconduct, as explained in the Leslie Declaration. However, in recent months, Respondent’s conduct has escalated and has resulted in violent and intimidating confrontations with Tesla employees.

In an incident in February 2019, Respondent hit Tesla’s security employee Tyler James with his car as Mr. James approached Respondent to ask him to leave Tesla’s private property. Mr. Tyler suffered minor injuries. The Respondent did not stop and fled the scene. The Fremont Police Department were called and arrived on the scene. The Department later attempted to issue Respondent a warning notice of trespass, but was unsuccessful because Respondent has avoided and been uncooperative in meeting with Fremont police officers.

More recently, on April 16, 2019, Respondent stalked, harassed, and endangered (three Tesla employees) who were driving on the highway in a Tesla-owned Model 3 vehicle bearing manufacturer plates and mounted with camera equipment. In particular, Responded pursued these employees on the public highway for about 35 minutes, variously driving ahead of, beside, and behind them, and swerving dangerously close to the vehicle. Respondent swerved so close to the side of the Tesla that the vehicle’s side-collision (crash) avoidance safety feature was triggered to engage an emergency maneuver to avoid the collision.

These employees had no prior knowledge of Respondent’s interactions with Tesla, but it appeared that Respondent was trying to interfere with their drive, and each feared that Respondent’s road conduct would cause a collision and injure them. Fearing for his safety and for the safety of the other passengers in the Model 3 (a Tesla employee) called the San Francisco Police Department at that time. However, because no officers were in the area, (the Tesla employee) ultimately did not request that an officer be sent to their location.

On April 22, 2019, Tesla will host an event at its headquarters at 3500 Deer Creek Road, Palo Alto, during which Tesla employees will be demonstrating vehicle functionality in manufacturer-plated vehicles on nearby roads. Respondent has expressed interest in this event on Twitter, and his Twitter followers have encouraged him to try to follow and interfere with these drives. Respondent is a vocal Tesla detractor, claims to be a Tesla short-seller, and tweets extensively about his desire to see Tesla (and its Autopilot technology) fail. To ensure the safety of Tesla employees and the public, temporary protection is needed, on April 22,2019, for any Tesla employee driving a Tesla vehicle with manufacturer plates within 5 miles of Tesla’s headquarters at 3500 Deer Creek Road, Palo Alto, California.

It should be noted that @skabooshka’s actions mentioned by Tesla in its restraining order disturbingly mirror some of the suggestions proposed by the TSLAQ community when the noted bear posted images of the company’s Model 3 test car on Twitter. Among these suggestions include braking in front of Tesla’s test vehicles, as well as intentionally swerving into the electric cars’ lane to ensure that the company’s demonstrations are authentic. Other Tesla bears also joked that it would be amusing if the Model 3 crashed.

Due to his actions, the noted Tesla bear will now be required to stay at least 100 yards away from the Fremont factory or the employees named in Tesla’s restraining order. He is also required to stay 10 yards away from any Tesla vehicle with manufacturer plates within five miles of the factory.  The restraining order is effective until May 7, when a hearing is set.

The Tesla critic’s reckless actions seemed to have stemmed from a particular focus on Tesla’s upcoming Autonomy Investor Day on April 22, where the electric car maker is expected to give investors a deep dive into its full self-driving initiatives, including its custom Hardware 3 computer. Test rides on vehicles equipped with unreleased features of Autopilot and the Full Self-Driving suite are also expected to be held in the event.

Neither Tesla nor Hothi have responded to requests for comment to media publications such as The Verge, though the @skabooshka Twitter account boldly declared on Saturday post that “I will not rest. This is my promise. Tesla is a zero. @elonmusk will go to prison.” Elon Musk, for his part, noted on Twitter that the actions of the noted Tesla bear was something that he has never seen before.

Tesla gets restraining order against TSLA critic who tried to disrupt Model 3 test car


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Tesla Sentry Mode’s ‘Alert’ state deters potential break-in


Tesla’s Sentry Mode is, at its core, a feature designed to deter thefts and break-ins against the company’s vehicles. This is among the reasons why Sentry Mode has an “Alert” state, which features the menacing glowing eye of 2001: A Space Odyssey‘s HAL 9000 and a visual warning clearly indicating that footage is being recorded around the electric car.

In an ideal scenario, Sentry Mode’s Alert state should capture the attention of a would-be thief. With the knowledge that the vehicle is actively recording footage, a potential perpetrator will preferably abandon the break-in attempt. Fortunately for a Tesla owner, this is exactly what happened, as a person suspiciously surveying vehicles in a parking lot ended up fleeing the scene after confirming that Sentry Mode was active.

Tesla owner Snared from YouTube uploaded a clip of Sentry Mode in action earlier this month. The video showed the electric car parked in a parking garage and being approached by a rather unscrupulous man in a hoodie. The man seemed to be surveying cars, and he appeared to be carrying something heavy on his pocket. Upon approaching the Tesla, the man was thrown off when the electric car flashed its lights.

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Looking into the electric car, the man appeared to notice the visual warning on the Tesla’s center display. Once he realized that he was being recorded, the man turned around and briskly walked away, looking back at the electric car just as he was getting out of sight of the Tesla’s cameras.

One cannot be certain as to the exact motivations of the man in the recently shared video, though his actions, the heavy object in his pocket, and his reaction to Sentry Mode’s “Alert” state, suggests that he might have been planning to break into the electric car. Thankfully, this time around, the visual warning on Sentry Mode’s Alert Mode seemed to have been enough to discourage the would-be thief from breaking into the vehicle.

It should be noted that while Sentry Mode’s “Alert” state is already capable of warding off a potential thief in its current state, the security feature still has some areas of improvement. In the recently shared video, the rather unscrupulous man took a few seconds before he was able to read the warnings in the Tesla’s screen. With more prominent visual warnings, Sentry Mode could deter potential break-ins even faster.

Sentry Mode has already proven useful in recording incidents happening to Tesla’s vehicles. Since the security feature was introduced through a free over-the-air update, Sentry Mode has successfully identified a woman who intentionally attacked a Model 3, a thief who broke into a Tesla in broad daylight, and even a politician who drove away after backing into an electric car.

Watch Sentry Mode’s deter a potential break-in in the video below.

Tesla Sentry Mode’s ‘Alert’ state deters potential break-in


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Tesla Model 3 gets the LEGO fan treatment, complete with Sentry Mode


A Tesla Model 3 owner and enthusiast has taken up the cause of bringing the all-electric car maker’s latest vehicle to the LEGO Speed Champions playset series, specifically to represent a “nod to the world’s transition to sustainable energy and green energy innovation”. With enough community support, a brick version of the popular Model 3 could be available to purchase from stores in the future.

In a submission to the toy company’s LEGO Ideas fan community site, Reddit user pfunkadunk designed a very detailed black version of the midsize sedan, including the glass (clear) roof and touchscreen panels with swappable screens to represent features like Romance Mode and the now-removed TeslAtari game Pole Position. Updates to the LEGO Model 3 have been ongoing since its creation a few months ago, and the most recent version pays tribute to some popular Tesla exclusives: Sentry Mode and #frunkpuppy.

Great care was taken to present the LEGO Model 3 in a fashion as similar to a real gallery-floor-worthy Tesla as possible. Several close up shots were taken of the front, back, sides, and undercarriage of the toy car, and some “action” shots of a LEGO character using a brick-built Tesla Supercharger with the Model 3’s charging port were included. In one setup, a LEGO couple is even seen enjoying Romance Mode, the Tesla Easter Egg featuring a fireplace video with a corresponding music selection.

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Along with detailed photos and video, the Model 3 set includes its own Supercharger, although we’re not sure whether it’s Version 3, boasting a 250 kW power output for charging at speeds of up to 1000 miles per hour. The hinged and operable frunk can also accommodate a LEGO canine, meaning the #frunkpuppy trend can now include residents from the brick-ish side of life. Perhaps future updates will include Tesla’s flush door handles, Power Sports Aero Wheels, and some enhancing decals.

LEGO’s Speed Champions series currently features classic and modern muscle cars, but only the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro, a diesel-electric hybrid, and Porsche’s 919 Hybrid represent the lower emissions category of vehicles – for now. The Model 3 LEGO designer has set out to change that lineup to include an all-electric option, and given the performance stats and Track Mode features offered by the Tesla vehicle, its inclusion in the Speed Champions series is perhaps warranted. A website was put together to highlight the LEGO design project and further make the case for being part of the series.

The Model 3 LEGO design does contain some significant overall design differences from the actual car such as the steering wheel being centered. When compared to other cars in the Speed Champions series, though, it’s clear that the designer made the brick Model 3 in keeping with the design feel of the series overall. In comparison, the diecast collector cars offered in Tesla’s online shop are meticulously designed to replicate each one of its vehicles, but at $250 they may be cost prohibitive for a kid-oriented target audience. LEGO Speed Champions sets go for between $25 and $75 depending on the item.

If a LEGO designer obtains 10,000 supporters for their submission, the company will make it into an official toy for sale after a review.

Tesla Model 3 gets the LEGO fan treatment, complete with Sentry Mode


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Tesla readies for Autonomy Day, live stream of self-driving event begins 11 am PT on April 22


Tesla has posted a webcast of its upcoming Autonomy Day to YouTube, set to go live at 11 am Pacific on Monday, April 22.

From the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto, Tesla will present the roadmap for its self-driving technology to select investors in attendance. The company is also expected to demonstrate the latest developments in its Full Self-Driving feature.

“Tesla is making significant progress in the development of its autonomous driving software and hardware, including our FSD computer, which is currently in production and which will enable full-self driving via future over-the-air software updates,” notes Tesla.

The Autonomy Day event will further provide Tesla owners with the Full Self-Driving package an even bigger taste of features still to come.

Key executives involved in the development of Tesla’s autonomous software, including Musk, VP of Engineering Stuart Bowers, VP of Hardware Engineering Pete Bannon, and Sr. Director of AI Andrej Karpathy, will provide details about the Autopilot software. Musk has previously predicted that Full Self-Driving capability will be ready by the end of the year, although still pending regulatory approval. Tesla’s Autonomy Day may announce some significant progress on this front given the background.

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The hardware to support Tesla’s next-generation Full Self-Driving Capabilities is now being included in new production vehicles. As part of its progression to autonomous driving, Tesla began the first rollout of its Navigate of Autopilot without turn stalk confirmation as well as Enhanced Summon. Together these features represent one of the most advanced iterations of the company’s Autopilot suite.

“We think including Autopilot is very important because our data strongly indicate that the chance of an accident is much lower when Autopilot is enabled. Autopilot also dramatically improves the quality of the driving experience, especially in heavy traffic, as thousands of our customers frequently describe online,” Tesla wrote in a blog post. A long-term plan to create a ride-sharing feature called The Tesla Network is also part of the company’s autonomous driving future.

Tesla’s Investor Autonomy Day will be followed up by its Q1 2019 financial results and earnings call on April 24.

Tune in on Monday, April 22 as Tesla live streams its Autonomy Day event, beginning at 11 am Pacific (18:00 UTC). We embedded the webcast below.

Tesla readies for Autonomy Day, live stream of self-driving event begins 11 am PT on April 22


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Tesla expands rooftop solar arrays at Gigafactory 1 in Nevada


A recent flyby over Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 site in Nevada has shown that the electric car maker’s expansive battery factory has been fitted with additional solar panels. The new additions to the facility’s solar array are rather few, hinting at what appears to be a deliberate effort to focus Gigafactory 1’s improvements from within.

Images of Gigafactory 1 from August 2018 show that most of the existing solar panels on the facility’s roof were already installed. Compared to aerial images obtained by Teslarati on April 18, the extensions to Gigafactory 1’s solar array are rather few. Tesla has mostly focused on boosting Gigafactory 1’s production numbers over the past year, particularly when it comes to the battery cells for the Model 3.

An aerial photo of Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 as of April 18, 2019.
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Following recent reports alleging that Panasonic is freezing its investments in Gigafactory 1, Tesla has stated that it is working on optimizing its existing lines in the facility to increase output. In a statement, a Tesla spokesperson noted that while it will continue to make new investments in the factory, adding that “we think there is far more output to be gained from improving existing production equipment than was previously estimated.”

An aerial photo of Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 as of April 18, 2019.

Gigafactory 1 is a key component for Tesla’s operations. Being a facility that is designed from the ground up by Tesla, the company has been able to adopt some unique design elements for Gigafactory 1. These include, among other things, the lack of a natural gas line within the facility, having a roof that is optimized for solar panel installation, and using natural processes to generate dry air. Tesla is also using a chilled water plant to generate a surplus of cold water naturally at night to provide cooling needs during the day.

With these in place, Gigafactory 1 is set to become not only one of the world’s largest buildings; it will also be one of the world’s most sustainable once complete. One can only hope that with Tesla Energy’s expected ramp this year, Gigafactory 1’s roof will soon be covered by solar panels, similar to the company’s Tilburg assembly plant in the Netherlands. Tesla has installed a 3.4 MW solar array on the Tilburg site, generating enough electricity to meet the facility’s needs throughout most of the year.

Tesla expands rooftop solar arrays at Gigafactory 1 in Nevada


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SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy flies a complex mission for the Air Force in launch video


SpaceX has gone to unique lengths for the third launch of its Falcon Heavy rocket and made an exhaustive webpage dedicated to the mission, reviewing its importance to SpaceX and the United States and discussing most of its 23 manifested spacecraft.

Known as the US Air Force’s Space Test Program 2 (STP-2) mission, Falcon Heavy Flight 3 will be a critical pathfinder for the US military’s systematic utilization of both Falcon Heavy and its flight-proven boosters.

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The STP-2 mission will be among the most challenging launches in SpaceX history with four separate upper-stage engine burns, three separate deployment orbits, a final propulsive passivation maneuver and a total mission duration of over six hours. [It] will demonstrate the capabilities of the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle and provide critical data supporting certification for future National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions. In addition, [the USAF] will use this mission as a pathfinder for the [military’s systematic utilization of flight-proven] launch vehicle boosters.

SpaceX, April 2019

SpaceX offers a very effective summary of the various challenges presented by Falcon Heavy’s STP-2 mission and third launch. It’s as challenging as it is for one very specific and largely artificial reason. All the way back in 2012, the USAF contracted the launch to give SpaceX a low-risk opportunity to demonstrate specific capabilities the military branch requires before they certify a given rocket to launch high-value payloads. Originally intended to fly STP-2 in mid-2015, Falcon Heavy suffered almost five years of delays during its development, caused by a combination of unexpected technical difficulties and two catastrophic Falcon 9 failures in 2015 and 2016.

Falcon Heavy’s upper stage deploys its payload fairing, revealing the STP-2 payload stack. (SpaceX)

After spending the whole of 2017 gradually catching up on delayed customer launches, SpaceX successfully conducted Falcon Heavy’s launch debut on February 6th, 2018. Four months later, the Air Force announced that it had completed the SpaceX rocket’s preliminary certification and awarded the company a $130M launch contract for AFSPC-52, a classified military satellite. According to documents describing the mission, the satellite weighs approximately 6350 kg (~14,000 lb) and needs to be placed into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) measuring 35,188km X 185km (21,850 mi X 115 mi).

Conveniently, Falcon Heavy’s commercial launch debut saw the massive rocket deliver the communications satellite Arabsat 6A – weighing ~6450 kg (~14,200 lb) – into an extremely high GTO, almost 90,000 km X 330 km (56,000 mi X 205 mi). In simpler terms, Falcon Heavy Flight 2 was an almost perfect demonstration that SpaceX is more than capable of successfully launching AFSPC-52, a milestone that could come as early as H2 2020.

A different angle of Falcon Heavy Flight 2’s liftoff from Teslarati photographer Pauline Acalin. (Pauline Acalin)
USAF photographer James Rainier's remote camera captured this spectacular view of Falcon Heavy Block 5 side boosters B1052 and B1053 returning to SpaceX Landing Zones 1 and 2. (USAF - James Rainier)
Falcon Heavy Block 5 boosters B1052 and B1053 land at Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1/LZ-2) after their launch debut and Falcon Heavy’s first commercial mission. (USAF – James Rainier)

The STP-2 mission should help to boost the US military’s confidence in Falcon Heavy even further. The mission is comprised of 23 separate satellites from a dozen or so different groups, ranging from a NOAA weather satellite constellation to a NASA-built atomic clock. The purpose of such a varied range of payloads is to have SpaceX’s Falcon upper stage (S2) place three separate sets into three distinctly different Earth orbits, a challenge that will require the rocket to ignite its Merlin Vacuum engine four times and survive in space for more than six hours.

SpaceX has been testing this critical long-coast technology since at least February 2018, when Falcon Heavy’s debut included a six-hour coast of the upper stage to send a Tesla Roadster on an Earth escape trajectory. SpaceX completed that test successfully and said Roadster is now orbiting the sun on a trajectory that regularly reaches beyond the orbit of Mars. SpaceX has continued to test the longevity of its universal Falcon upper stage, including a handful of on-orbit demonstrations after completing customer missions.

SpaceX will reuse the Falcon Heavy side boosters seen above on the USAF’s STP-2 mission.

Aside from opening the door for new areas of competition in military launch procurement, successfully proving the long-coast capabilities of the Falcon upper stage will also mean that SpaceX can offer them commercially. Military launches often require long coasts in order to get spacecraft to their operating orbits as quickly as possible, typically involving an upper stage burning at the top of a transfer orbit to circularize said orbit. This capability can also be of significant value to non-government customers, however, as the faster a satellite can get to its operational orbit, the faster its owner can start using it to generate revenue. Traditionally, most commercial geostationary communications satellites are sent to transfer orbits, raising one end of the orbit (apogee) but leaving the low end (perigee) in low Earth orbit. Satellites then use their own propulsion systems to circularize their orbits before they can begin commercial operations.

It’s safe to assume that SpaceX is interested in commercially offering services like those above to make Falcon Heavy even more competitive with the likes of ULA’s Atlas/Delta/Vulcan rockets and Arianespace’s Ariane 5 and Ariane 6. The US military will almost certainly be the anchor customer, but a reliable upper stage with long-coast capabilities may one day allow Falcon Heavy to routinely launch commercial satellites directly into circular orbits or send flagship NASA spacecraft into deep space. But first, STP-2. According to Taiwan space agency NSPO, involved in the mission through their Formosat-7 constellation (also known as NOAA’s COSMIC-2), Falcon Heavy could launch STP-2 as early as June 22nd.

SpaceX’s dedicated STP-2 webpage can be viewed here.

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SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy flies a complex mission for the Air Force in launch video


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Tesla Gigafactory 3 buildout sees more roof paving and potential stamping area


The construction of Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 in China continues to show rapid progress, with numerous workers on the site seemingly focusing on paving large sections of the upcoming general assembly building’s roof. Work in taller sections of the facility also hints at the construction of what could very well be Gigafactory 3’s stamping area.

Previous flyovers of the Gigafactory 3 lot conducted by China-based drone operator Wuwa Vision (烏瓦) revealed that roof trusses are being built in several sections of the site. The operator’s latest video shows that these sections have spread significantly to other areas of the factory, and more of the finished trusses are now being paved. Looking at the roofing of Gigafactory 3 from the air, one cannot help but see similarities to Gigafactory 1 in Nevada when its roofing was under construction.

While most of the work on the site filmed by the drone operator revealed a particular focus on Gigafactory 3’s roof, other areas of the Phase 1 project are beginning to look more refined as well. The taller sections of the facility, which are represented by a steel framework that is several stories high, now look more detailed. Heavy equipment have also been deployed in the area.

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Neither Tesla nor its construction partner in China has announced exactly what these taller areas will be once the Phase 1 buildout is complete, but speculations among the Tesla community suggest that the section might be allotted for stamping considering its size and height. Excavations are even underway in the area, possibly to make enough space for heavy presses, which are large machines that require a lot of space.

The recent flyover of Gigafactory 3 ultimately shows a project that is starting to look more and more like a car factory. This is impressive, particularly as work on the Gigafactory 3 buildout started only a few months ago. Elon Musk attended the groundbreaking event for the facility in early January, and since then, Tesla and its construction partner have transformed a section of a large, muddy field into an industrial area where an impressive electric car factory is taking shape.

The speed of Gigafactory 3’s buildout is already pretty insane by Western standards, but work on the facility might get even more expedited in the coming weeks. Last month, Shanghai official Chen Mingbo called for the Phase 1 buildout to be finished in May, which is just a few weeks from today. Once Phase 1 is complete, Tesla is expected to start preparing the site for the installation of electric car manufacturing equipment. Tesla Model 3 production at Gigafactory 3 is expected to begin sometime this year.

Watch Gigafactory 3’s latest progress in the video below.

Tesla Gigafactory 3 buildout sees more roof paving and potential stamping area


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