LNG: TESLARATI

It’s pretty difficult to believe it at this point, but there are still groups of Tesla critics who insist that Gigafactory 3 is not really fully operational. A central part of this thesis is the allegation that Gigafactory 3 does not have a stamping press, which means that Tesla’s China team is only assembling cars in the Shanghai-based factory using pre-stamped panels from Fremont. 

A recently released video from Tesla China has just decimated these allegations in a subtle but definitive manner. The clip was short, less than 30 seconds long, but it showed a busy stamping press operating in Gigafactory 3. The video was released in China, and shared on Twitter by Tesla enthusiast @JayinShanghai. 

What is rather surprising is that this is not really the first time that Tesla released an image of Gigafactory 3’s stamping press. Among the press images released by the company last year featured a stamping facility producing a few Model 3 panels. This image was questioned by Tesla skeptics, several of whom claimed that the picture was from the Fremont factory, despite the areas surrounding the press being bare concrete, a notable sign that it’s situated in the China facility since the interior of GF3’s Phase 1 area was still under construction at the time. 

Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 and the company’s potential in China are starting to become painful truths for critics. Even a number of TSLA bulls from Wall Street, after all, have exhibited a tempered stance for Tesla’s growth in China. Yet, the open support from the Chinese government, coupled with the MIC Model 3’s reasonable starting price, may very well end up pushing more and more local customers to purchase the company’s all-electric vehicles. China is the world’s largest auto market, after all, so the room for Tesla to grow its reach is vast. 

The full operation of Gigafactory 3’s stamping and paint lines for the MIC Model 3 are imperative for the electric car maker, especially amidst the impending arrival of the Model Y crossover. CEO Elon Musk recently launched the Model Y program in China, which could signify that the release of the crossover in the country may not be too far off from its US release. If this is indeed the case, Gigafactory 3’s stamping press would have to work perfectly to ensure that the company meets the demand for the Model 3 and Model Y in the country. 

Tesla has started delivering the MIC Model 3 to local customers this month, exactly one year after Gigafactory 3’s groundbreaking ceremony. A teaser of how much China could help Tesla’s finances could be released this coming January 29 as well, when the electric car maker holds its Q4 2019 earnings call.

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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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Tesla’s over-the-air (OTA) software updates take the spotlight on a new video created by Tesla owners who are constantly amazed at how the Palo Alto, California-based car manufacturer enhances their electric vehicles. With OTA updates, Tesla can easily fix bugs or roll out features that practically makes its cars so much better as they age.

Tesla Model 3 owner and YouTuber Tesla Raj created a video with the help of other Tesla-focused YouTubers about the 124 OTA enhancements for the Model 3 since its release in 2017. The information was based on the Tesla Model 3 change logs compiled by tech enthusiast and Tesla fan Rocco Speranza.

“So, we are a two-car household. You obviously know my Tesla Model 3 but this is my wife’s 2016 Toyota RAV4 hybrid and the interesting thing is we bought this vehicle three years ago and it’s exactly the same that it was then as it is now,” Tesla Raj said.

“In retrospect, this is my Tesla Model 3 where in the last year and a half, it has gotten so many over-the-air enhancements, adding new features and abilities to it that it’s mind-blowing,” he added.

Tesla regularly pushes OTA software updates to the Model 3, Model S, and Model X to fix software bugs, add new features, or enhance existing ones. The firmware updates can improve the car’s performance via a power boost, add safety features, or just make the car more fun for its driver and occupants. Speranza’s compilation of Model 3 change logs shows that Tesla updates its cars’ software every 7.3 days on average.

This ability to update the vehicle over WiFi sets Elon Musk’s car brand from the rest of the automotive industry. Ford is diving in and will start with OTA updates starting this year while most vehicles in GM’s lineup will have this feature by 2023.  Such Tesla advantage pushes automotive giants and legacy automakers such as Volkswagen to rally their team to act fast or risk falling behind beyond recovery.

OTA updates make consumers feel that their old vehicles are new because they are able to enjoy the latest features rolled out to newly-produced units as well. Tesla has been doing it since the beginning when consumers still dealt with range anxiety. It also changing how car companies can deal with a recall just like what it did when Consumers Report was so amazed how Tesla fixed a braking issue with its Model 3 via OTA.

Elon Musk explained Tesla’s advantage during the Tesla Autonomy Investor Day last April when he said, “The fundamental message that consumers should be taking today is that it’s financially insane to buy anything other than a Tesla. It would be like owning a horse in three years.”

Tesla’s electric cars, their connectivity, autonomous driving capability, and dream of having Tesla robotaxis reshaped and continues to drive changes in the car industry.

In September, Tesla owners received an update that includes the Smart Summon feature that is an improved version of the original Summon, plus some more. The update added a geographical location option that adds more convenience for users. Additionally, the Tesla holiday update gave Tesla vehicles better inner-city Driving visualization, voice commands, Camp Mode, among others.

Aside from free OTA updates, Tesla has also started exploring firmware updates that can be purchased through its mobile app. The carmaker introduced the Acceleration Boost upgrade for $2,000 that improved the Model 3 Dual Motor’s 0-60 mph time from 4.4 seconds to 3.9 seconds.

Elon Musk also has the habit of interacting with the Tesla community via Twitter where vehicle owners suggesting car features that they need such as using the cameras of the vehicle to negotiate tight parking spots, a feature to avoid dooring, or requesting for popular apps such as Disney+.

Consumers can only expect Tesla to continue pushing OTA updates in the future so its electric vehicles will perform better, be safer, and be more fun to drive.

Here’s the video by Tesla Raj in collaboration with notable members of the Tesla YouTube community on the 124 OTA enhancements:

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A well-known Tesla hacker has released his thoughts about the recent claims of “Sudden Unintended Acceleration,” claiming that the company’s vehicles are not capable of gaining speed on their own.

Self-proclaimed “Tesla Tinkerer” Jason Hughes has been vocal about the company’s hardware issues in the past. Hughes has managed to make something of a career of recognizing flaws in Tesla vehicles and addressing ways to fix them. However, Hughes is not a believer in the new claims that Teslas will subject some owners to unexpected acceleration and has now publically dispelled them.

Hughes took to his Twitter account to address the rumors and claims they are simply an attempt to blame Tesla for mistakes the driver may have made, or an attempt to gain attention through the internet and gain traffic to a website. Hughes stated, “Seriously, Teslas do NOT have a sudden unintended acceleration issue. The engineering here is spot on. They have people not wanting to accept responsibility for their screw ups, plus clickbait.”

So the BS sudden unintended acceleration claims are front and center again… *sigh*

Seriously, Teslas do NOT have a sudden unintended acceleration issue. The engineering here is spot on.

They have people not wanting to accept responsibility for their screw ups, plus clickbait.

— Jason Hughes (@wk057) January 20, 2020

While Hughes states that he does not hold any TSLA stock, he is a supporter of the company. In the past, Hughes recognized issues with the MCUv1 hardware and brought them to light for Tesla owners to ponder. While he claims to have issues with some of the things Tesla has done with their vehicles, he fails to believe the company has issues with something that is as simple as a gas pedal.

In a post addressing the issues on the Tesla Motors Club forum, Hughes said, “Tesla’s accelerator pedal is actually the exact same drive-by-wire pedal used in several other manufacturer’s vehicles. It’s a highly proven technology over decades. Nothing special at this point. No Tesla secret sauce here. Just two hall effect sensors with slightly different curves for redundancy and position validation. If they don’t agree, the car doesn’t move.”

Hughes believes that any issues with sudden acceleration may be the fault of the driver. “I’ve almost made a pedal misapplication mistake several times in the past with multiple different vehicles… fortunately not in any catastrophic situation. We’re not infallible creatures. You get in a zone of habit, feel like you know what’s going on, and when something unexpected happens you’ll swear you were doing everything normally the way you’ve done it 10000 times before, when in reality you just screwed up. It happens,” he added on the TMC forum under his username wk057.

Tesla released an official statement on the Sudden Acceleration claims on Monday, January 20, and claimed they were completely false. Tesla has worked closely with the NHTSA to resolve any issues that come forward with its cars and all research and data have shown that the company’s vehicles accelerate in a proper fashion.

Hughes’ belief that Tesla’s vehicles are not capable of sudden acceleration is more credible than most claims. Hughes has spent years breaking down and finding issues with Teslas, but he simply finds no proof in the claim that the vehicles are randomly accelerating. “But in this case, Tesla did their homework on the hardware and software side very well to make sure this would never be an issue. Kudos where due,” he said.

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NASA is proposing sending emotionally intelligent robots with a crew of astronauts to help with keeping humans company in their long-duration mission to the moon and eventually Mars.

Throughout the sci-fi universe, you see droids and other sentient robots traveling with human companions and helping with a variety of tasks. Thanks to Stanley Kubrick, the thought of artificial intelligence in space can be a little unsettling.

But NASA and its astronauts currently work with a small group of benign, helpful robots on the International Space Station. To take that one step further, the agency is exploring sending emotionally intelligent robotic helpers along with the crew, to assist astronauts on future trips to Mars and the Moon.

Proponents of the project hope that the virtual assistant would be able to anticipate the needs of the crew and help out as needed. Recently, a medicine-ball-sized robot, called CIMON (for “crew interactive mobile companion”) launched to the space station. It’s tasked with assisting the crew with various tasks over the course of three years. 

The original version of CIMON was designed to work specifically with European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst as he conducts different experiments on station. However, things didn’t go exactly as planned and the robot proved it came with more attitude than Gerst bargained for.

The current robots lack emotional intelligence, but engineers are working to change that. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is working with the Australian tech firm, Akin to develop a virtual assistant that could one day not only help with daily tasks but also provide emotional support to astronauts on long-duration missions. 

The company says its goal is not to simply build a cosmic Alexa or Siri, but to have that technology act as a companion and be able to evaluate the crew’s mental and emotional health. This could prove useful as humans venture further out into space. Astronauts in low-Earth orbit are able to easily access a medical professional but those on long-duration missions will have to deal with longer lags in communication times. This type of virtual assistant could help diagnose issues.

Akin relies on JPL’s  Open Source Rover project, which makes NASA’s basic robotic designs available to the public. This even includes rover designs like the Mars Curiosity rover that launched to the red planet in 2012. The company has been using this program to build and test its AI. 

The result: an emotionally intelligent rover named Henry the Helper. Right now, Henry spends its time traveling around JPL to interact with employees, showcasing how well it can recognize human emotion. Future iterations will come online in the near future testing various other tasks. 

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