LNG: TESLARATI

Mars: beautiful, desolate, and the planet in the solar system whose seasons most closely match ours.

The European Space Agency (ESA) recently released an image of the red planet’s north polar region and its stunning ice caps. The image coincided with the Seventh International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration which took place last week (Jan. 13 to 17) in Argentina.

The image, taken by the Mars Express orbiter, highlights some of the natural processes that shape the planet’s surface.

Mars may seem like a dry, desert-like world devoid of water, but its supply is locked up at the poles. Thick layers of water ice cover the Martian polar regions all-year long, with an added layer of frozen carbon dioxide forming in the frigid winter months.

In the image, the Martian terrain peeks through the ice, appearing as zebra stripes. This view highlights the stark contrast between the ice and ruddy Martian terrain.

The stripes are part of larger spiral patterns that emanate outward from the center of the north pole. But what causes them?

Scientists think that this unique pattern is formed by katabatic winds, that carry higher-density air to lower elevations. On Mars, these winds ferry cold, dense air from the regions’ glaciers down to lower elevations containing valleys and depressions.

At the same time, Mars is rotating (just like the Earth) creating another cool phenomenon called the coriolis effect, which manifests as the spiral pattern we see in the image. (On Earth, the Coriolis force is seen in weather events such as hurricanes.)

Scientists are very interested in the ice deposits covering Mars’s polar regions. Not only do they contain evidence that can tell us how the red planet’s climate has changed over millions of years, but it’s also a source of water for future human missions.

The Mars Express orbiter was designed to study the red planet’s surface processes over time, documenting seasonal changes at the poles as well as track winds and any storms that pop up.

To date the orbiter has lived up to the task, expanding our understanding of just how wet ancient Mars was. It also sheds light on activities below the planet’s surface.

Understanding what sort of processes are happening at the poles will help inform future human missions to the red planet, especially in regards to the search for water.

Water is a precious commodity and if there are other places thanks to some recent data, NASA is hoping that future missions can land a bit further south, near a region called Arcadia Planitia, and rely on its water resources instead of having to travel to the poles and hauling water back.

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SpaceX’s South Texas team of Starship engineers and technicians – including CEO Elon Musk himself – are working around the clock to manufacture hardware that will likely become the company’s next Starship prototype in the near future.

Over the last few days, SpaceX has made quick progress churning out shiny steel rings and wrapping up propellant tank domes – the next round of full-scale Starship hardware. To better build the first flight and orbit-capable prototypes, not to mention hundreds or even thousands of Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy boosters in the years to come, SpaceX teams and contractors have spent the last two months aggressively expanding the company’s Boca Chica, Texas facilities. In fact, the very same company that built Tesla’s newest tent-based Model 3 assembly line – Sprung Instant Structures – has erected part of a massive, new Starship factory.

Finally giving the company’s grizzled South Texas team a large, climate-controlled space to work from, CEO Elon Musk has also been spending more and more time at SpaceX’s upgraded Boca Chica facilities. Most recently, the executive gave Twitter followers the first official glimpse inside one of the new Starship production tents, revealing several giant spacecraft parts in various stages of completion. It’s currently unclear what the destiny of that new Starship hardware will be, but a few recent clues seem to point in one specific direction.

Yeah, we just finished two more propellant domes. SpaceX team & supporting suppliers are doing amazing work ramping Starship production.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 22, 2020

On January 10th, SpaceX intentionally – and largely successfully – ‘popped’ a Starship propellant tank to determine the quality of partially-upgraded manufacturing and assembly techniques. Built in just two weeks, Musk revealed shortly after the test that the baby Starship tank – filled with water – had made it to 7.1 bar (103 psi) before bursting.

While fairly meaningless on its own, it apparently means that the test tank survived well past the pressures Starships will need for orbital flight, although it only managed a safety margin of ~18%. To be fully flightworthy, Musk says that SpaceX wants Starship tanks to survive pressures of at least 8.5 bar (125 psi) – a margin of ~40% – before it considers the giant spacecraft safe enough for humans.

Given that the 7.1 bar the test tank reached is more than enough to support “orbital flight”, albeit with a less-than-optimal safety margin, it would be reasonable to assume that SpaceX would choose to immediately green-light the first flightworthy Starship spacecraft, deemed SN01 (serial number 01) by Musk. While that first prototype would thus be unable to launch humans and fulfill its ultimate goal as a Starship, it would give SpaceX experience building a second full-scale prototype (following Mk1) and give the company time to gradually upgrade its production facilities and manufacturing hardware.

Musk sketched out a number of possible improvements even before SpaceX tested its miniature Starship tank to destruction, indicating that “more precise parts” and an enclosed, wind-protected welding shop should be enough to raise Starship’s safety margin to ~40%. A step further down the road, Musk raised autogenous laser welding as a possibility for future production upgrades, although the advanced welding method would require a truly controlled environment and much more precise parts and manufacturing hardware.

In the last 24 hours, SpaceX has filed for a number of road closures for the highway adjacent to its Boca Chica Starship facilities, a sign that some form of rocket hardware transport and testing is imminent. As such, it now seems much more likely that SpaceX has decided to spend at least a few more weeks building and testing a second (and possibly a third) Starship tank prototype before kicking off the production of the next full-scale rocket.

Intriguingly, SpaceX has also received several large shipments of liquid nitrogen (LN2), a neutral cryogenic fluid often used to simulate cryogenic propellants without risking a massive explosion or fire. That LN2 wont last forever in SpaceX’s storage tanks, confirming that some form of cryogenic testing is imminent. The most likely explanation is that SpaceX is in the late stages of manufacturing a second tank prototype, soon to be shipped about a mile down the road to the company’s nearby test and launch facilities.

If SpaceX is planning to perform a burst test with liquid nitrogen, it will likely be quite the spectacle – much closer to Starship Mk1’s spectacular failure than the milder demise of the first miniature Starship tank. SpaceX has roadblocks scheduled every day for the rest of the week, so stay tuned to find out when exactly Starship’s next big test is expected.

Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes.

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The New Street Research analyst who correctly predicted Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) rise to a $530 price target has once again raised the bar for the Silicon Valley-based automaker. Pierre Ferragu has increased the company’s price target from $530 to $800, stating Tesla’s industry-leading technology, demand, and execution as the reasons behind its increased anticipated value.

The company has seen a 22% increase in its price per share in 2020 alone. On Tuesday morning, TSLA stock price jumped by 5% to $536.20 in response to the price upgrade and amid signs that first deliveries of the Model Y crossover are imminent.

Ferragu predicted the company’s stock price would hit $530 per share in May 2018, citing Tesla’s increasing demand from consumers and dominance in the electric vehicle sector. The Elon Musk-led company has continued to improve the performance and range of its fleet of electric cars through technology advancements and frequent software updates, further broadening its appeal among car buyers.

The Model 3 was also released and began deliveries less than a year before the prediction and its overwhelming popularity was just another reason Ferragu felt the company’s stock would skyrocket.

1) We increased our $TSLA price target to $800 today. Worth noting, though, our initial target of $530 was set in 2018, so 2 years down the line, compounded 20% p.a., $800 is the right place to be. Not much has changed in our conviction!

— Pierre Ferragu (@p_ferragu) January 21, 2020

According to TheStreet, Tesla could sell around 20 million units in its “ultimate addressable market,” leaving room for growth that will help the company attain its $800 price point in the future.

Ferragu addressed his new price target in a note, stating Tesla will sell between two million and three million cars per year in 2025 and beyond. This would make Tesla’s market value somewhere between $230 billion and $350 billion or between $1,100 and $1,700 per share.

“The stock will remain volatile, as the spread between bull and bear cases remains wide,” Ferragu stated. “And God only knows what the next controversy will be.”

Tesla’s Q4 2019 earnings call is scheduled for January 29. As the company’s Model Y has received its CARB certification and VINs are registered on the NHTSA website, it appears that the car may see first deliveries ahead of its projected Summer 2020 delivery time.

But the Model Y will not be the only indicator of how the company will perform in the new year. Analysts have previously predicted that the performance of Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai will be a key indicator of Tesla’s success in the global market heading into 2020.

Based on Tesla’s successful Q4 delivery numbers and Model 3’s continued dominance in the luxury sedan category, Ferragu’s $800 price target isn’t as far-reaching as one might think.

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The Tesla Gigafactory 4 build site in Grunheide is now off-limits to local explorers as experts scan and clear the area for explosive ordnance.

“No Trespassing / Explosive Ordnance Clearance,” one of the signs in the forest reads in German. Tesla fan @Gf4Tesla who has been following the developments in Grunheide shared the news on Twitter. He added that he might resort to drone shots to update his followers about the latest GF4 news.

The Tesla board of directors recently approved the purchase agreement for the 300-hectare property where the first Tesla car factory in Europe will rise. This follows the approval of the Brandenburg Finance State Committee that sealed the deal for the purchase of the land for 40.91 million euros or about $45 million.

According to the spokesperson of the state government Florian Engels, Brandenburg authorities are still waiting for the independent report about the second appraisal of the expansive industrial property. Engels said that the report will be prepared as soon as possible and if the appraised value of the land deviates from the first assessment, the price of the Tesla GF4 property will be adjusted.

Okay, friends, the «Tesla Forest» is now – officially restricted area
🚷⛔🚫
I will have to specialize in flying drones, 🚁
because I am no longer allowed to enter the construction site..☹.

the sign means:
» no trespassing, / explosive ordnance clearance «🚨 pic.twitter.com/JyeqZCxRLW

— #Gf4 #Gigafactory4 (@Gf4Tesla) January 20, 2020

Sealing off the forest in Grunheide is a safety measure to avoid unwanted incidents as workers on the site have been building access roads for better logistics in the area. The team has also been searching for unexploded World War II explosives in the area, most likely American aviation bombs. In case vintage bombs are found, the German federal government will shoulder the cost of disposal.

Aside from the dangers of vintage bombs, Tesla is also closely coordinating with authorities and local environmental groups to move animals living in the forest such as a species of endangered bats, deers, wolves, ants, among others. The electric carmaker must be able to remove the trees in the parcel of land they will use for the first phase of construction by Feb. 27, just before the breeding season of birds in the area and when tree cutting will be prohibited.

The area has also been cordoned off and proper signs put up in the build site to make sure only authorized personnel move in the area. Members of local environment groups recently conducted forest walks to protest the building of the Tesla factory and it could be dangerous for anyone to roam around the forest that has not yet been cleared of vintage bombs.

To address the issues raised by locals, Tesla opened an information center in Grunheide and has promised to resolve issues within the legal framework.

Tesla plans to begin construction of the Gigfactory 4 facility by mid-March and start production by July next year. The car factory is set to generate about 8,000 jobs and produce roughly 150,000 cars during its initial phase.

H/T to @Gf4Tesla

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After helping SpaceX enter a new era of routine rocket reusability, the very first Falcon 9 Block 5 booster is officially nothing more than bits, pieces, and a few artificial reefs at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean — intentionally destroyed to give SpaceX the confidence it needs to soon launch astronauts.

Captured on camera by Teslarati photographer Richard Angle, the upgraded Falcon 9 booster was able to give one last spectacular hurrah prior to its even more spectacular demise, returning fire to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex 39A for the first time in more than half a year. Lacking landing legs and grid fins, visible instead as comically stark outlines on the booster’s sooty exterior, Falcon 9 B1046 lifted off for the fourth and final time on January 19th, 2020.

In doing so, B1046 became the third orbital-class booster ever to fly launch four separate missions — a more than fitting end to the first in a line of upgraded Falcon 9 rockets that have brought with them major improvements in reusability and reliability. Nevertheless, a little over 90 seconds after lifting off for the fourth time, Falcon 9 B1046 – left behind after Crew Dragon successfully escaped the (simulated) failing rocket – yielded under intense off-nominal stresses, rupturing the booster’s propellant tanks and creating a vast fireball at least 300 meters (1000+ ft) in diameter.

Powered by nine Merlin 1D engines and capable of producing up to 7600 kN (1.7 million lbf) of thrust, Falcon 9 B1046 was extensively tested at SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas development facilities over a period of two or so months – unusually lengthy. The extra time was used to make sure that the first completed Block 5 booster – representing an almost clean-slate upgrade of the Falcon rocket family – was agreeing with SpaceX’s engineering models and expectations at all points.

The company likely spent several weeks or more performing numerous wet dress rehearsals (WDRs) — filling Falcon 9 B1046’s propellant tanks with liquid oxygen, refined kerosene (RP-1), helium, and nitrogen and verifying that the rocket was structurally sound and functioning smoothly. Once complete, SpaceX moved onto static fire testing, igniting the booster’s M1D engines for increasing periods of time. Finally, the company wrapped up the rocket and shipped it by road from Texas to Florida.

Shortly thereafter, the rocket was quickly prepared for flight and became the first Falcon 9 Block 5 booster to successfully launch and land in May 2018. Over the course of 2018, SpaceX debuted another five Block 5 boosters, while Falcon 9 B1046 became the first Block 5 booster to launch both twice and three times in August and December.

Finally, on January 19th, 2020, Falcon 9 B1046 lifted off for the fourth and last time, becoming the third SpaceX booster to do so in barely two months. Fittingly, B1046’s last launch occurred at Pad 39A, the same launch site it lifted off from for the first time back in May 2018. Carrying an expendable upper stage, Dragon trunk, and Crew Dragon capsule C205, B1046 could not have experienced a more perfect 90 or so seconds of uninterrupted flight. Interrupted, however, it would shortly thereafter become.

Around 85 seconds after liftoff, Falcon 9 B1046 shut off its Merlin 1D engines at the same time as Crew Dragon C205 ignited eight SuperDraco engines, briskly carrying the spacecraft several thousand feet away in just a handful of seconds. Now fully uncontrolled and rudely interrupted to a supersonic wall of air, B1046 found itself bent and contorted in ways – and under loads – it simply was not designed to survive. Seconds later, the booster’s pressurized propellant tanks were breached, releasing a rapidly dispersing cloud of fuel and oxidizer that almost instantly ignited, creating a fireball the size of several city blocks.

All things considered, not a bad way to go for a well-worn rocket.

Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes.

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A serious car crash in Hallandale Beach, Florida left a Tesla Model X split in two after a Nissan GT-R alleged ran a red light before slamming into the all-electric SUV at high speed. The driver of the Model X walked away with a minor injury to his leg while the occupants of the other vehicle were brought to nearby hospitals for treatment and are expected to recover.

The driver of the Model X was identified as Jose Diaz who was seen counting his blessings moments after walking away from the incident. In a brief phone interview with 7News Miami, Diaz narrated that the Nissan came so fast that he didn’t even see it and that he just felt the bang.

Eyewitnesses to the scene recall seeing the white Nissan GT-R running through a red light at the intersection of Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Three Islands Boulevard before careening into the rear section of the Tesla Model X.

“I went over to help the guy in the white car, because the car had a lot of smoke, and I thought it was going to blow. He came out unscathed, and he was kissing the floor. It was a little blood coming from his nose, and he said, ‘Oh, I just wanna see my girl,’” said Tony Peart, a witness who approached to help the Tesla driver seconds after the wreck.

Tesla Model X Florida car crash (Source: 7News Miami)

Tesla Model X sheers in half after high speed crash (WPLG Local 10 | YouTube)

Tesla Model X Florida car crash (Source: 7News Miami)

Tesla Model X Florida car crash (Source: 7News Miami)

While it’s unfortunate to read about serious vehicular accidents, those involving a Tesla put into spotlight the all-electric carmaker’s award-winning safety features. It is very common to see SUVs involved in rollovers when involved in side-impact crashes because of their high center of gravity, but the opposite is true for Tesla vehicles and the Model X. With its low-mounted skateboard design battery pack, the center of gravity is far lower than traditional combustion engine cars, making it virtually impossible to roll over in high-speed crash testing.

The battery pack outer casing also serves as an extra layer of structural rigidity for the vehicle. Combined with a hybrid of ultra-high-strength materials, and large crumple zones that absorb energy to protect occupants from harm, and it’s no wonder that Tesla owners have touted never buying another car other than a Tesla.

“I waited 4 years for this one and would wait 4 more if that is what it took to protect my family like this” recalls one Model X owner after his all-electric SUV saved his life and the lives of his family after being involved in a horrific crash.

The Tesla Model X was awarded a 5-star safety rating in every category by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since its debut. Last December, the Model X was a standout in its class for earning the highest overall rating to date in the 2018/2019 protocol of the  European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) for Large Off-Road Vehicles with a near-perfect score of 98 percent in Adult Occupant Protection category.

Tesla’s Q4 2019 Vehicle Safety Report revealed that its vehicles are still 3 to 4x safer compared to the average even without Autopilot and active safety features enabled. With Autopilot on, the numbers are even more impressive at one accident per 3.07 million miles driven compared to the NHTSA findings of one automobile crash per 479,000 miles in the United States.

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Tesla’s unique Cybertruck design has gained the attention of the automotive world, including a Russian mechanic who fabricated a near-identical Cybertruck prototype for deep winter testing in Siberia.

YouTube channel Кик Обзор (translated to Kik Review) fabricated a Cybertruck in its production garage, creating quite possibly the most realistic clone of Tesla’s futuristic truck to date. The engineers and builders at Kik Review built the Cybertruck by using the exact dimensions and specifications that Tesla has listed for its first pickup.

After putting the final touches on the Cybertruck clone, the team at GARAG54 loaded it onto a hauler and transported it to a local snow-covered field. The Cybertruck managed to drive through the accumulation with little issue, and nothing significant enough to stop the test.

The Cybertruck clone was then taken into the nearby town of Novosibirsk near the Trans-Siberian Railway in Southern Russia and gained the attention of pedestrians and fellow drivers. The truck was the center of attention, being recorded on video and being snapped for photos on people’s cell phones, evidently because of its unique design and polarizing build.

“We have arrived in almost the center of the city, and people walk by, the reactions of the kids, it is very cool,” the channel’s host says. “It attracts attention to itself very much, its cool because the shape is unusual and men and women take out their phone to snap pictures.”

GARAG54 and Kik Review plan to keep the Cybertruck copy for themselves and have no plans to disassemble the vehicle.

The Cybertruck became a pop culture icon after its unveiling event last year. The vehicle became the focus of memes and music videos, and celebrities and public figures showed their support for the one-of-a-kind truck. Most interestingly, many people have attempted to build replicas of the Cybertruck, but this one from GARAG54 may be the best one to date.

Tesla will begin producing both the $49,990 Dual-Motor and $69,990 Tri-Motor variants of the truck in late 2021. The $39,990 Single Motor trim will be available the following year in 2022. All of the variants will come standard with Autopilot and an Adaptive Air Suspension feature, a necessary feature according to Elon Musk after he watched a Ford pickup become inoperable following an attempt to carry a 3,000-lb payload.

You can watch the video of Kik Review and GARAG54’s Cybertruck clone below.

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