Tesla China focuses on hiring at Gigafactory 3 as Model 3 production ramps


Tesla is looking to beef up its workforce in China, and if recent job listings are any indication, it appears that the company is aiming to hire more frontline workers for Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai.

Reports out of China say that Tesla will be conducting a job fair on Dec. 28, 2019, specifically for production line positions such as assembly, powertrain, welding, painting, stamping, quality control, logistics, among others.

Tesla Model S and Model X owner @Ray4Tesla shared the job posts via Twitter, detailing positions to be filled at Gigafactory Shanghai’s final assembly workshop, stamping workshop, painting workshop, and quality department. Roughly translated from Chinese, the post is asking applicants to send in their resumes for initial screening.

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As Tesla prepares to deliver the first Made-in-China Model 3 units to local customers by next month, the electric car manufacturer is also getting ready to ramp up production of the Model 3 to meet the demands in the  largest market for mid-sized premium sedans. Tesla also believes that the country could become its biggest market for the Model 3.

The electric carmaker’s production line at the 210-acre Shanghai facility is estimated to be be producing around 1,000 Model 3 units per week according to local reports. This could be a good boost to help Tesla achieve its goal of producing 360,000 to 400,000 this year. Initially, Tesla plans to produce around 250,000 units per year at the Gigafactory 3 and this will eventually rise to 500,000 vehicles annually.

Tesla has been raising its game in China as recent sightings show that the parking lot at the Shanghai facility is teeming with activities, with more transport trucks coming and going to bring locally-made Model 3s to delivery centers and showrooms across China. Likewise, workers are seen building a temporary parking lot that will possibly hold more Model 3 units rolling off the production line.

Tesla raked in $669 million in revenues from China during Q3 of 2019 and roughly $2.138 billion for the first nine months of the year. These numbers represent about 10.6 percent and 12.4 percent of the company’s total revenue, respectively. One can only expect these figures to go up as Gigafactory Shanghai hits its full production potential.

Analysts in China are optimistic with the entry of Tesla in the country’s EV market. “Tesla is a very famous and hot brand in China. It is not only an EV car brand to consumers, but also a brand of high-technology image,” said senior analyst at Shanghai-based consultancy LMC Automotive Alan Kang.

Tesla China focuses on hiring at Gigafactory 3 as Model 3 production ramps

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Tesla’s Elon Musk shares MCU1 retrofit target timeframe, estimates $2k upgrade cost


Elon Musk has provided new details about Tesla’s Media Control Unit (MCU) retrofits for vehicles that are equipped with older infotainment systems. According to the CEO, MCU1 to MCU2 retrofits may start in a few months, though he does not personally recommend it, especially considering its estimated $2,000 cost. Musk has instead suggested that Tesla will release an update to older cars that can optimize the performance of their existing MCUs.

Musk’s recent statements were shared on Twitter while the CEO was interacting with Tesla owners, some of whom owned MCU1-equipped vehicles. The limitations of the older hardware have become more prominent over time, particularly as Tesla rolled out media-heavy features such as the Tesla Theater and the Tesla Arcade. Similar to older hardware in mobile devices, MCU1 vehicles have become slower compared to the company’s newer vehicles like the Raven Model S and X, as well as the Model 3.

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Elon Musk has previously stated that MCU1 retrofits would be offered to owners whose vehicles are still equipped with older hardware. The CEO confirmed this following the initial rollout of MCU2 vehicles, and the idea was reiterated after the release of the company’s new Tesla Arcade titles. That being said, a number of Tesla owners have been informed by local service centers that an MCU1 to MCU2 retrofit was not possible.

For the uninitiated, Tesla’s MCU1 is equipped with an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, which is capable but a tad slower than its newer sibling. Meanwhile, the MCU2 runs on an Intel Atom E800 series chip and comes with a faster browser. The unit also renders videos with sound, giving it the capability of running new features such as the Tesla Theater, which includes video streaming apps such as Netflix and YouTube, as well as video games in Tesla Arcade. All Tesla Model 3s run on MCU 2, as well as Model S and Model X units purchased after March 2018. Customers who bought their Model S and X prior to March 2018 use the MCU1.

Many Tesla owners whose vehicles are equipped with MCU1 have been clamoring for an update to avail of features only enjoyed by those using the newer system. Tesla has not left those on MCU1 in the dark and has rolled out several updates to improve the performance of the older infotainment systems. That being said, the gap between the actual capabilities of Tesla’s MCU1 hardware and its MCU2 features such are growing, and it has pretty much reached the point where the infotainment systems of older vehicles are significantly slower than those in newer cars.

In a way, Elon Musk’s recent statements hint that Tesla’s current priority is the rollout of its Hardware 3, which is essential for its Full Self-Driving initiatives. Retrofits for HW2.5 vehicles have already begun, and HW2 vehicles are expected to follow soon. HW3 is Tesla’s custom-designed computer that replaces the old Nvidia computer used for HW 2.5. As noted by Tesla during its Autonomy Day presentation, Hardware 3 was specifically built to achieve true Full Self-Driving capabilities and can enhance the electric car’s processing capability by as much as 1,000 percent.

Nevertheless, it would be wise for Tesla to start rolling out its MCU1 retrofits for older vehicles, even if it’s later than expected. Considering that Tesla owners have shown a willingness to pay for the retrofit, and the CEO himself has confirmed that the upgrade is possible, it is in both Tesla and its customers’ best interest to make sure the vast majority of its fleet are able to enjoy the best that the company has to offer — even if it’s just for infotainment purposes.

Tesla’s Elon Musk shares MCU1 retrofit target timeframe, estimates $2k upgrade cost

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SpaceX fairing recovery ships return to port with Falcon 9 nosecone and battle scars


Four days after they headed out into the Atlantic Ocean, twin SpaceX fairing recovery ships Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief have returned to port with both halves of a Falcon 9 fairing, although they appear to have picked up some battle scars along the way.

Ms. Tree and its near-identical sibling Ms. Chief departed Port Canaveral on December 14th and arrived on station – 790 km (490 mi) off the coast of Florida – some 36 hours later. Each outfitted with a quartet of arms and pair of nets, it was the first time both ships successfully made it out into the Atlantic for a simultaneous fairing catch attempt, having been foiled by high seas during a prior November outing.

For unknown reasons, after the duo’s November false start, both ships stopped for almost two weeks at a South Carolina port, perhaps indicating that SpaceX was concerned about the structural integrity of the ships’ seemingly fragile net mechanism. In February 2019, Mr. Steven (now Ms. Tree) lost two of its four arms while heading downrange for an attempted catch, apparently broken off by pitching caused by high seas. Further strengthening the case that their net mechanisms are rather fragile, both Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief again suffered damage after their Kacific-1/JCSAT-18 Falcon 9 fairing recovery attempt.

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Both ships arrived back at Port Canaveral on December 18th and were caught by Teslarati photographer Richard Angle while passing through the narrow mouth of the port. GO Ms. Chief took the lead, revealing a Falcon 9 fairing half snugly secured with a tarp on her deck – the ship’s very first launch vehicle hardware recovery.

GO Ms. Chief sails past the mouth of Port Canaveral, marking the end of its first true Falcon fairing recovery mission. (Richard Angle)

First (partially) successful fairing recovery quite literally under wraps, Ms. Chief nevertheless did not make it through the rite of passage unscathed. Oddly, it appears that just one of the ship’s eight white arm supports is missing (the rear right or aft starboard arm), visibly resulting in the arm slouching a bit compared to its siblings. Intriguingly, it appears that the arm is partially stretching – and thus potentially resting on – Ms. Chief’s net and rigging.

The fact that only one of the arm’s two beams (of eight total) seems to have failed is more immediately indicative of possible human error during installation or a defective attachment mechanism, although it’s entirely possible that a fluke of weather could have damaged just the one beam.

Both Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief suffered damage during their Kacific-1/JCSAT-18 fairing recovery mission, the latest sign that their nets and arms are surprisingly fragile. (Richard Angle)

Thankfully, Ms. Tree (formerly Mr. Steven) appears to have made it through the recovery mission with all four arms fully intact, although the ship clearly struggled with a separate mechanism. Notably, Ms. Tree seems to have struggled to use its secondary net to lift its fairing half out of the sea and onto her deck, with that smaller net clearly suffering a multitude of rips and tears at some point during the process. Her recovered fairing half is somewhat awkwardly strewn on the deck with no obvious attempt to rectify the issue, indicating that the net may have torn mid-lift, causing the fairing to fall maybe 5-10 feet.

If it did actually fall onto Ms. Tree’s deck, that will almost certainly be visible in the form of damage to its aluminum-composite honeycomb structure and white insulation coating.

Ultimately, fairing recovery continues to prove itself to be a major challenge, although SpaceX obviously has no intention of giving up. With two successful catches already in hand, it’s clear that fairing recovery is undeniably possible and is more a matter of tweaking existing systems than starting from scratch. Much like Falcon 9 booster recovery had and its fair share of failed landings even after the first success, it will likely take quite a while for SpaceX to optimize fairing recovery to the point that it can be considered reliable.

For now, routine fairing recovery and reuse will likely continue to be Falcon 9’s white whale, at worst adding to the excitement of every SpaceX satellite launch.

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

SpaceX fairing recovery ships return to port with Falcon 9 nosecone and battle scars

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Boeing’s astronaut capsule set for launch debut, joins SpaceX in race for crewed missions


Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket are scheduled to lift off on their orbital launch debut no earlier than (NET) 6:36 am ET (11:36 UTC), December 20th, a little more than nine months after SpaceX’s Crew Dragon completed a similar attempt.

Officially known as their Orbital Flight Test (OFT), Starliner and Atlas V rolled around half a mile from ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) to its LC-41 launch pad, all part of the company’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) facilities.

The final roll-out aboard ULA’s Atlas V mobile launch platform is the last major integration operation ahead of Starliner’s uncrewed launch debut – a week-long visit to the International Space Station (ISS). According to ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno, things are looking good for the duo to lift off tomorrow morning.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft sits atop ULA’s Atlas V rocket at its LC-41 launch pad. (Richard Angle)
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The 24 hours after roll-out will be filled with final checks of the rocket, spacecraft, and all other associated systems and teams. The crew access arm of SLC-41 was deployed and connected to the Starliner capsule to allow the astronaut close-out “Blue Team” to conduct final capsule preparations just as they would occur before a crewed launch. 3 hours before launch, the Blue Team will return to the capsule to complete final pressurization and leak checks and close out the capsule for flight.

The OFT will closely mirror the SpaceX Crew Dragon’s recent test flight – Demonstration-1 Mission, or Demo-1 – to the International Space Station (ISS) in March 2019. OFT will serve as the capsule’s proof of flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP). Starliner will launch aboard the ULA Atlas V and is expected to complete a round-trip flight to the ISS and return for landing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico approximately 8 days following launch.

The test flight will also deliver cargo to the crew currently aboard the ISS including Christmas presents and commemorative items such as tree seeds in homage to the Apollo era and silver Snoopy pins described by Boeing as a “preeminent lifetime honor in human spaceflight.”

Both CCP capsules are intended to serve as an astronaut taxi service to the ISS taking over for NASA’s space shuttle services which concluded in 2011. Following the successful completion of Friday’s test flight – and SpaceX’s upcoming In-Flight Abort test of Crew Dragon – both CCP partners expect to support crewed spaceflight by the close of 2020.

The Atlas V and Boeing Starliner are ready to complete the second-ever, first for Starliner, flight to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The launch attempt is currently targeting Friday, December 20th at 6:36am EST/ 1136 GMT from Florida. NASA will begin a livestream of the launch approximately an hour ahead of launch Friday morning at 5:30am EST.

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

Boeing’s astronaut capsule set for launch debut, joins SpaceX in race for crewed missions

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Tesla Supercharger Network hits new milestone with 15K open stalls worldwide


Tesla’s rapidly expanding Supercharger Network recently hit 15,000 open stalls across the globe.

According to data from Supercharge.info, a site that tracks applications, permits, and the construction progress at future Tesla Supercharger sites, the number of stalls passed the 15,000 mark sometime between December 7 and December 14. As of December 18, the total number of Supercharger stations worldwide is currently 1,713, with 15,071 open stalls.

The availability of Supercharger stalls has spiked by nearly 300%, from 5,117 individual charging spots in January 2017 to 15,071 in mid-December 2019. Despite this massive amount of growth, more stalls are continuing to pop up every day. Within the last two weeks alone, Tesla has broken ground on ten new Supercharger stations within the United States. Not to mention, Supercharge.info also reveals that numerous stalls remain under construction or awaiting approval.

Credit: Supercharge.info
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Having a higher density of Superchargers, especially around popular routes that may experience congestion, will provide an all-around better experience for the increasing number of Tesla drivers hitting the roads. More chargers will also alleviate thoughts of range anxiety for drivers of Tesla’s  Standard Range and Standard Range+ Model 3.

Tesla’s Supercharger Network will also play a big part in ensuring that the electric car maker’s charging infrastructure is able to support the production ramp of its two high-volume vehicles, the Model 3 and Model Y. The Model Y is expected to outsell the Model S, 3, and X combined, and Tesla will need all the Superchargers it can build to ensure that its upcoming fleet of all-electric crossovers are supported.

In addition to Tesla’s network of over 15,000 Superchargers, owners also have access to over 3,800 Destination Chargers in the United States. These L2 chargers are not as quick as the Supercharger Network, but they are still beneficial as they add to the number of possible locations where someone could add some range to their vehicle.

Tesla’s growing Supercharger Network goes hand in hand with improvements to the company’s battery technology. Tesla has been working on improving its battery tech since it came out with the Roadster, and this allowed the company to establish a solid lead in the EV industry. Tesla’s Model S, for example, is now capable of going as far as 373 miles per charge on a 100 kWh battery. The Porsche Taycan, on the other hand, manages 201 miles per charge on a battery that’s nearly the same size.

People who seek to own electric vehicles and want to spend more time on the road and less time at charging stations will find more benefits in owning a Tesla than any other battery-powered car. Coupled with an expansive charging network, Teslas are also loaded with features that can make charging stops comfortable. Among these are the Tesla Theater and the Tesla Arcade, both of which are accessible when the vehicle is on Park.

Tesla Supercharger Network hits new milestone with 15K open stalls worldwide

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SpaceX’s next Crew Dragon launch is delayed but that’s actually good news


NASA says that SpaceX’s next big Crew Dragon flight test has slipped a bit further into 2020, a counterintuitively positive sign that the human-rated spacecraft’s next launch is firmly scheduled for the first month of the next decade.

Known as Crew Dragon’s In-Flight Abort (IFA) test, SpaceX opted to include the mission in its Commercial Crew contract, a decision NASA chose to leave up to its providers. Boeing, for example, chose not to perform a real-world in-flight abort test of its Starliner spacecraft, instead relying on a pad abort test and digital modeling to determine the spacecraft’s capabilities. NASA allowed this flexibility because it believes – at least theoretically – that it should be possible to determine whether a spacecraft can perform the most challenging abort scenarios without actually doing full-fidelity flight tests.

Given that NASA chose to perform an extremely expensive full-fidelity in-flight abort test with its own Orion spacecraft just a few months ago, one can’t exactly say that the space agency has chosen to reap what it’s sown, but with any luck, the Starliner spacecraft will never have to perform such an abort and find out how close Boeing’s modeling is to reality.

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It’s also worth noting that despite the fact SpaceX elected to perform an extra abort test that will likely destroy an entire Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon development will cost NASA $2 billion (40%) less than Starliner, while each operational Crew Dragon launch will also cost some $250 million (39%) less than a comparable Starliner launch.

As of December 18th, NASA says that SpaceX’s In-Flight Abort (IFA) test has slipped a week from January 4th to January 11th, 2020. Counterintuitively, that delay is actually an extremely encouraging sign that Crew Dragon’s next launch is quite firmly set for the first month of 2020. For reference, as NASA and SpaceX approached Crew Dragon’s Demo-1 orbital launch debut earlier this year, the mission was initially set for January 17th. Around three weeks later, NASA announced that Demo-1 had slipped to no earlier than (NET) “February”. Four weeks after that delay, NASA once again announced another delay to March 2nd, which would turn out to be the day that Crew Dragon really did reach orbit for the first time.

On March 2nd, Crew Dragon lifted off atop Falcon 9 during DM-1, the spacecraft’s uncrewed orbital launch debut. (NASA)

On the other hand, IFA – Crew Dragon’s second launch – had its first firm launch date (January 4th) announced by NASA on December 6th, 2019. Less than two weeks later, NASA says that the launch date has slipped by exactly one week to January 11th, less than four weeks from today. It’s entirely possible that SpaceX’s IFA test will slip further into 2020 in the coming weeks, but compared to Crew Dragon’s Demo-1 mission, both NASA and SpaceX appear to be far more confident in the schedule for Crew Dragon’s second launch.

Regardless of when exactly it lifts off, Crew Dragon’s In-Flight Abort is going to be an extremely challenging test for the spacecraft. Designed to simulate a near-worst-case abort scenario during launch, SpaceX will essentially trick Dragon into believing that Falcon 9 has failed around a minute and a half after launch. At that point, the rocket and spacecraft will be traveling as fast as Mach 2.5 (860 m/s, 1900 mph) and experiencing what is known as Max Q, the point of peak aerodynamic stress (referring to heating, buffeting, pressure, and more).

At that exact point, Crew Dragon capsule C205 will ignite all eight of its SuperDraco abort engines, almost instantaneously producing 130,000 lbf (570 kN) of thrust to send the spacecraft almost a kilometer (0.5 mi) away from Falcon 9 in just a few seconds. If Crew Dragon survives the ordeal, it will quickly detach its trunk section, flip around to face its heat shield towards the ground, and ultimately deploy parachutes before gently landing in the Atlantic Ocean.

Crew Dragon’s In-Flight Abort test should look almost identical to this, except the fixed launch pad will be replaced by a Falcon 9 rocket traveling roughly twice the speed of sound.

SpaceX plans to recover and reuse the otherwise orbit-worthy capsule on a future mission, likely one of the company’s upcoming CRS2 space station resupply launches. Finally, if everything goes exactly as planned during the In-Flight Abort test and both NASA and SpaceX see no issues with the flown hardware or data the test produces, Crew Dragon Demo-2 – the spacecraft’s first astronaut launch – could potentially be ready for flight as early as February or March 2020.

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

SpaceX’s next Crew Dragon launch is delayed but that’s actually good news

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Tesla shorts burned anew with TSLA’s record $70B market cap and new all-time-high


Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has dealt another painful blow to short-sellers on Wednesday, as the electric car maker hit a record market cap of $70 billion and shares hit new all-time-highs. TSLA has achieved these milestones as ardent bulls and even longtime bears from Wall Street begin acknowledging the company’s substantial lead in the electric vehicle space. 

Tesla continued to show strength on Wednesday’s intraday, with the stock climbing over 2%. This ultimately pushed the electric car maker’s market cap to a record high of $70 billion, marking its place as the world’s 3rd-most valuable carmaker. TSLA shares also traded as high as $389.28, beating the company’s previous all-time high of $386.99, which was reached on June 19, 2017. 

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In a recent update, S3 Partners Managing Director of Predictive Analytics Ihor Dusaniwsky noted that there appears to be a squeeze going on today, though not at a scale that would qualify as Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s “short burn of the century.” “$TSLA shares shorted is -118k below 1/1/19 level – seems there has been a squeeze of 2019’s first half of the year short activity,” the S3 Partners Managing Director wrote. 

While the stock’s current levels are likely not yet enough to trigger a full-on short squeeze, Dusaniwsky has previously stated that there would likely be a good amount of short covering in the $390 range since shorts would be down another -$1.5 billion in mark-to-market losses at those levels. With the ATH now breached and the stock seemingly on the verge of knocking on $390 per share, TSLA shares are now approaching the S3 Partners’ expected short squeeze range. 

Tesla is enjoying some momentum as of late. In a recent appearance at CNBC‘s Squawk Box, TSLA bull Colin Rusch of Oppenheimer stated that the electric car maker has already made it through its most difficult days. When faced with the argument from Vanity Fair‘s Bethany McLean that Tesla’s futures may be in some way in danger due to Elon Musk’s capability to raise money and the company’s potential profitability issues, Rusch was quick to point out that such statements are no longer relevant to Tesla at this stage. 

“I don’t think this is about Elon anymore. This is about what’s going on in the market with cars. Consumers are going towards premium and sustainable solutions. They’re willing to pay for that sustainability. They’ve got $5 billion of cash on the balance sheet, and they’re growing with a lot of operating leverage. I think your point was relevant a year and a half ago, maybe two years ago, and now it’s just not,” Rusch said. 

Even when faced with the argument that more and more people were buying larger trucks and SUVs, Rusch was quick to correct the CNBC panel that such trends are true in the United States, but not necessarily the entire world. The analyst is correct on this point, as large vehicles that are extremely popular in the US such as the Ford F-150 are generally not preferred by consumers at all in large regions such as Europe. This is a reason why the Model 3, a sedan, continues to perform well on the market. 

As of writing, Tesla stock is trading +2.67% at $389.11 per share.   

Watch Colin Rusch’s of Oppenheimer engage CNBC‘s panel in the video below.

Tesla shorts burned anew with TSLA’s record $70B market cap and new all-time-high

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SpaceX and Boeing’s crewed capsule race heats up with Starliner’s Friday test flight


The first week of December kicked off a flurry of productivity for NASA Commercial Crew Program partners SpaceX and Boeing. Ahead of crewed astronaut flight in 2020, both partners are working toward the completion of integral test flights of the two crew capsules that will carry astronauts to orbit from American soil for the first time since 2011.

While SpaceX nailed down a firm targeted launch date for the upcoming in-flight abort (IFA) test of its Crew Dragon capsule, Boeing and launch provider United Launch Alliance (ULA) worked to complete what is known as an Integrated Day of Launch Test (IDOLT) – a standard procedure ahead of human-rated spaceflight.

This type of rehearsal was routinely completed during the space shuttle era – then referred to as Terminal Countdown Demonstration Tests. The IDOLT was a final major step ahead of the orbital flight test (OFT) of the Atlas V and Boeing Starliner capsule. The upcoming flight test will closely reflect procedures completed by SpaceX with the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon capsule during its version of the orbital flight test referred to as Demonstration Mission – 1 which previously occurred in March of 2019.

Earlier in the week, ULA rolled out its mighty Atlas V rocket topped off with the Starliner crew capsule from the Vertical Integration Facility to the Space Launch Complex – 41 launchpad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once at the launchpad, the Crew Access Arm featuring a “white room” at the end that secures to the Starliner capsule to allow astronaut entrance was swung to the capsule for the very first time.

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On Wednesday, December 4th, ULA and Boeing teams prepared to support the IDOLT, while SpaceX teams worked nearby at Space Launch Complex – 40 to support the CRS-19 resupply mission to the International Space Station. The simultaneous preparations resulted in the unique opportunity to view both rockets slated to support crewed astronaut flights in 2020 on launchpads and essentially prepared for flight.

While SpaceX ultimately successfully launched and landed a brand new Falcon 9 booster during the CRS-19 mission on Thursday, December 5th, a scrubbed attempt meant a one-day delay of launch which in turn resulted in a one-day delay for Boeing and ULA’s IDOLT and wet dress rehearsal (WDR).

Falcon 9 B1059 lifts off with Cargo Dragon on its December 5th launch debut. (Teslarati – Richard Angle)

The scrubbed launch essentially tied up range operations of the 45th Space Wing so that the area around the active launch pads – air, sea, and land – could not be secured for both events to take place on the same day. As the CRS-19 launch was an active operation for both SpaceX and NASA, it took precedence over ULA and Boeing’s rehearsal. Instead, Thursday was used to complete other necessary vehicle testing by Boeing and ULA.

Friday’s IDOLT ahead of Starliner’s flight debut for the OFT was a coordinated effort by NASA, Boeing, and ULA teams in multiple locations around the country.

The teams went through actual fueling procedures the Atlas V rocket and Centaur upper stage. Atlas V was filled with a type of rocket-grade kerosene propellant, RP-1, on Wednesday ahead of the IDOLT. The Centaur upper stage fully filled with cryogenic propellants – liquid oxygen (LOx) and liquid hydrogen.

Once fueling had completed Boeing’s “Blue Team” entered the pad to begin their synchronized rehearsal portion of the launch day sequence to prepare and secure the Starliner capsule and astronauts flying aboard.

Once the Blue Team completed all tasks and were evacuated from the pad, flight controllers from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX gave the “GO” command and proceeded with terminal count until reaching T minus-0 at which point the test concluded. The cryogenic propellants were drained and the vehicle was safed to be safely returned to the Vertical Integration Facility where final steps will be taken to prepare for launch.

The next time the teams will all work together in such coordinated fashion this will be on the day of launch. In mid-2020 the teams are expected to work together once again to support the Crewed Flight Test (CFT) which will send NASA astronauts Col. Mike Fincke, Nicole Mann, and Christopher Ferguson.

Until then, however, they will have to settle for the uncrewed test flight. According to ULA president and chief executive officer, Tory Bruno, post-WDR data evaluation and joint flight readiness review conducted by all teams involved are proceeding smoothly. Should all go to plan, the Atlas V and Boeing Starliner OFT will launch at 6:36 am EST on Friday, December 20th.

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

SpaceX and Boeing’s crewed capsule race heats up with Starliner’s Friday test flight

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Tesla Cybertruck gets seal of approval from tough ‹Shark Tank› judge Mr. Wonderful


The Tesla Cybertruck continues to grow on more and more people. Since its unveiling, auto experts and actual truck owners have come to defend the vehicle, dubbing the all-electric pickup as a bold move in function and form. The Cybertruck has indeed impressed its own fair share of Tesla critics, including, as it turned out, Shark Tank judge Kevin O’Leary, better known by his tongue-in-cheek nickname Mr. Wonderful. 

Kevin O’Leary has not always been a fan of Tesla, particularly its stock, at one point even admitting that he hated TSLA. He has since changed his stance on the electric car maker, even investing in Tesla himself after seeing the capability of the company to attract the best and most driven talents available. Yet, despite this, O’Leary is still as sharp and critical as ever. In true Mr. Wonderful style, O’Leary is never one to hesitate when calling out something he deems as a failure. 

One could recall a Shark Tank episode from 2016 involving aspiring entrepreneur Allison DeVane, whose idea for her business, Teaspressa, failed to get a positive response from any of the sharks. Shark Tank judge Lori Greiner was quick to console the contestant, saying “Don’t look at this as a failure.” O’Leary promptly countered, saying “Look at this as a failure.” His statement was met with much disdain from fellow Shark Tank judges and viewers alike, with fellow shark Mark Cuban telling O’Leary to “shut up.” Fans of the show also stated that it seemed all too easy for Mr. Wonderful to kick someone that was already down. 

Tesla Cybertruck unveiled in Los Angeles, Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Arash Malek)
Tesla Cybertruck unveiled in Los Angeles, Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Arash Malek)
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O’Leary has always been a direct and somewhat brash critic. In the case of the Tesla Cybertruck, Mr. Wonderful will likely be one of the first to say that the vehicle has no chance in the market. Yet, in a recent conversation with noted YouTube tech reviewer Marques Brownlee, O’Leary admitted that he actually placed a reservation for the upcoming all-electric pickup. He is even getting the tri-motor AWD variant so that he gets maximum range and power for long trips. Discussing his reservation, O’Leary stated that the Cybertruck is not really a pickup truck in the traditional sense of the word. 

“It’s not a pickup truck. It’s some kind of other thing, but it’s grown on me. That Elon guy, he kind of steps ahead. He kind of reminds me of Steve Jobs in a way. I used to work for Steve in educational software and I’d always say to him ‘Steve, what about the research.’ He said ‘Screw the research.’ People don’t know what they want until I tell them.’ And I said, ‘You arrogant prick. How can you say that?’ And he was 100% right. That was it. He was not an easy guy to work for, I gotta tell you. And I’m trying to be nice,” O’Leary said. 

O’Leary’s statements about market research are true. Tesla and Elon Musk did not do traditional market research for the Cybertruck, which is among the reasons why the vehicle in itself is so radical. Despite this, the vehicle is also a culmination of exchanges between Elon Musk and the online community, with both parties brainstorming features and capabilities that are most important in an all-electric pickup. As Mr. Wonderful said, people like the legendary Steve Jobs and Elon Musk are steps ahead. For visionaries such as these, market research may not be a very useful tool at all.  

Watch Mr. Wonderful and MKBHD’s conversation in the video below. 

Tesla Cybertruck gets seal of approval from tough ‹Shark Tank› judge Mr. Wonderful

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[Updated] Tesla to reduce China-made Model 3 price by 20 percent: report


Tesla will reduce the price of its Made-in-China Model 3 electric sedans by 20 percent or more next year, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Update: Tesla China has refuted rumors of a China-made Model 3 price drop

The U.S. carmaker is preparing to deliver the first units of its locally-produced Model 3 that has an initial price set at $50,800.

Citing individuals familiar with the plans, Bloomberg notes that Tesla will likely cut the price of the China-built Model 3 in the second half of 2020 as a means to lure additional buyers in the world’s largest electric vehicle market. Analysts believe that Tesla will be able to further reduce production costs by sourcing components for Made-in-China Model 3 units locally, including the cost-heavy batteries.

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Tesla batteries are among the biggest expenses for vehicle production. Making a shift in battery suppliers from long-standing partner Panasonic Corp. to South Korea’s LG Chem, Tesla looks to streamline its supply chain and find cost efficiencies.

Additionally, earlier reports indicate that Tesla is exploring locally-produced batteries from China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology, and will implement them in the same timeframe as Made-in-China Model 3 price cuts.

A lower price for the locally-produced Model 3 will not only put Tesla at an advantage over local manufacturers but may also help the slumping electric vehicle sales in China rebound by next year. In November, the sales of new-energy vehicles in the country dropped by 43.7 percent or to about 95,000 units.

The slump on EV sales in China was partly-triggered when the government removed most subsidies in June. However, earlier this month, the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced a list of new energy vehicles, including Tesla’s locally-made Model 3 sedans, qualified for incentives.

As Tesla continues to position the brand in China, its Shanghai Gigafactory 3 continues to ramp up production of the Model 3 and is preparing for its first customer deliveries.

[Updated] Tesla to reduce China-made Model 3 price by 20 percent: report

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