LNG: TESLARATI

SpaceX support ship GO Discovery has successfully completed its third trip from Florida to Texas, ferrying additional rocket production hardware to the company’s fast-expanding South Texas Starship factory.

Captured on arrival by local spaceflight fan and observer SPadre (@SpacePadreIsle), the SpaceX ship entered Port of Brownsville on March 22nd, carrying a few minor pieces of equipment that SpaceX’s Starship factory will likely find helpful down the road. The company’s South Texas presence has undergone a meteoric period of growth in the last few months, hiring hundreds to staff a Starship factory that is now churning out rocket parts on the rugged South Texas Gulf Coast.

While it’s more a question of “when” than “if” the birth of a global pandemic will come to seriously impact SpaceX’s supply chain and general operations, South Texas included, the company’s Starship factory has yet to show any signs of slowing down. Facilities expansion and Starship production continues at a breakneck pace, with the latest major construction project beginning just days ago and the company’s newest rocket prototype speeding towards completion. As such, the hardware delivered from Florida could see use in a matter of days, although SpaceX may be moving so quickly that it’s already somewhat redundant.

The stands were loaded onto GO Discovery in Port Canaveral, Florida for a March 16th departure and the ship took six days to complete its ~2100-km (1300 mi) journey to Texas. This is the third time SpaceX has shipped hardware from its Florida Starship factory – temporarily shuttered since December 2019 – to its Texas Starship factory, which continues to expand and build rockets at an incredible rate.

Just a few hours after arrival, SpaceX workers removed GO Discovery’s cargo and prepared it for transport, moving the hardware to its facilities around 12pm CDT (UTC-5). Curiously, SpaceX immediately transported two large steel stands past its Starship factory and to its launch and test facilities, situated about a mile down the road.

The company has used numerous similar stands and even completed several new ones over the last several months. The steel structures serve as work stands that offer great access and easy mobility, as well as testing mounts for several Starship tank prototypes SpaceX has tested this year. Given that SpaceX recently passed its first tank test unscathed and is in the midst of completing assembly of the third full-scale Starship prototype, it appears that the two stands shipped from Florida will populate the company’s reserves instead of immediately entering service.

SpaceX could be just a week or two away from completing its third full-scale Starship prototype and proceeding into pressure testing. If successful, the massive vehicle could become the first of its kind to attempt wet dress rehearsals (WDRs) – using real, explosive propellant – and, soon after, Raptor engine static fires.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Tesla Model Y saw the introduction of a new heat pump that’s designed to be more energy-efficient and provides a more reliable range in cold weather conditions.

Until now, the Model Y heat pump was only seen in the vehicle’s Owner’s Manual, however, we now have a first look at the actual mechanism inside the all-electric crossover.

Tesla owner Erik Strait and host of the DÆrik Youtube channel recently disassembled the front trunk (“frunk”) section of the vehicle to have a closer look at the Model Y heat pump.

Tesla Model Y heat pump (Credit: Erik via YouTube)

Credit: YouTube | Andy Slye

After removing the plastic liners in the frunk, Erik was able to discover Model Y’s heat pump located on top of the front motor assembly. Coolant lines can also be seen running through the vehicle’s firewall and to a location where Tesla’s Hardware 3 computer resides.

Tesla Model Y‘s heat pump is one of the electric crossover’s most unique features that sets it apart from other vehicles in the company’s fleet. Model S, Model X, and Model 3 utilize an electric resistance system to support heating but the nature of how it operates isn’t as conducive to range efficiency in colder climates as a heat pump would.

A heat pump can be thought of as an air-conditioning unit that operates in reverse, as outlined in our story that describes this Model Y advantage over the system used in the Model S, Model X, and Model 3.

Check out Erik’s “teardown” video and go beneath the Model Y frunk.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

A Tesla Semi prototype was spotted in transport, presumably, after having completed several weeks of winter testing near its cold-weather testing facility outside of Delta Junction, Alaska.

Various sightings of the Tesla Semi from over the weekend suggest that the all-electric semi-truck was making its way down the western seaboard of the United States from Washington, through Oregon, and back to its Fremont, California test facility.

Video captures of a Tesla Semi being transported on the back of a semi-trailer shows the prototype’s salt-covered exterior as it makes its way back from cold-climate performance testing under snowy conditions.

Tesla Semi have done some #SosialDistancing @elonmusk hardcore testing? pic.twitter.com/keqweQ6GSh

— John D. (@Real_John_D) March 23, 2020

In January, Tesla noted in an email communication to Semi-truck reservation holders that the truck was undergoing hazard testing at its test facility in Fremont, California.

“Over the last few months, we have continued testing the trucks in real world conditions. We also spent time at a proving ground to evaluate the truck’s resilience over rougher road conditions. Using instruments mounted on the vehicle, we collected road input data to ensure the trucks can handle severely degraded roads. At our own Fremont test facility, we subjected the trucks to a number of high energy, discreet events such as curb strikes, pot holes, and other harsh inputs to confirm the truck is capable of handling common hazards.”

In the same communication, the company indicated that Tesla Semi has already completed “important engineering development checkpoints” and would be rolling out more “production-representative vehicles” vehicles in 2021.

Ahead of planned production, Tesla Semi would undergo several weeks of winter testing. The company has an extreme cold testing facility in Alaska where its vehicles, including the Tesla Model S and Model 3, to intense winter testing.

“In the short term, the team is gearing up for several weeks of winter testing to validate the truck’s performance in cold weather and low traction conditions. We are excited to share insights from the winter with you, as we will be able to highlight the major advantages of electric traction and motor control, which no diesel powertrain can match,” said the company in an email to a Tesla Semi reservation holder.

Actually I re-read the letter it says they will have limited volume production 2nd qtr of 2020. pic.twitter.com/A2hTYyTVdz

— chris (@chris31402370) January 9, 2020

Tesla has not confirmed where Semi-truck production will take place, only noting in its fourth-quarter earnings update letter that the facility would be in North America.

CEO Elon Musk indicated in the Q4 earnings call that Tesla Semi would be initially produced in limited quantity as the company focused efforts on increasing battery production capacity. Given the size of the all-electric truck and its energy needs, having a strong supply of battery cells is crucial to preventing a strain on supply for its consumer vehicles like the Model 3 and Model Y.

“So, the thing we’re going to be really focused on is increasing battery production capacity because that’s very fundamental because if you don’t improve battery production capacity, then you end up just shifting unit volume from one product to another and you haven’t actually produced more electric vehicles,” said Musk when asked about the Tesla Semi. “So, that’s part of the reason why we have not, for example, really accelerated production of the Tesla Semi because it does use a lot of cells and unless we’ve got a lot of battery cells available, then — and say like accelerating production of the Tesla Semi would then necessarily mean making pure Model 3 or Model Y cars. And so, we’ve got a really — make sure we get a very steep ramp in battery production and continue to improve the cost per kilowatt-hour of the batteries.”

A Tesla Semi was captured on Sunday, making its way down Interstate 5 in Olympia Washington, roughly 60 miles south of Seattle. Credit: Tvlog.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

OneWeb, the only pressing competitor facing SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet constellation, has reportedly begun to consider filing for bankruptcy shortly before the London-based company completed its third dedicated launch.

Following the completion of its first full 34-satellite launch with a Russian Soyuz rocket on February 7th, OneWeb managed to complete a second launch on March 22nd just a few days after Bloomberg revealed its bankruptcy concerns. OneWeb now has 74 ~150-kg (330 lb) satellites in orbit – roughly 11% of its initial 650-satellite constellation. Like SpaceX, OneWeb’s goal is to manufacture and launch an unprecedented number of high-performance small satellites for a per-spacecraft cost that would have previously been inconceivable.

SpaceX’s Starlink, OneWeb, Telesat, Amazon Project Kuiper, and other prospective low Earth orbit (LEO) communications constellations all aim to provide high-speed, low-latency internet services to users almost anywhere on the surface of Earth. First and foremost, those constellations would seek to provide service to those who want broadband internet but have yet to be connected through traditional ground-based means by existing internet service providers (ISPs) that are either unable or unwilling to do so. Simply put, that is not an easy goal and OneWeb now appears to be heading towards sunset despite the wealth of resources it at one point possessed.

Requiring numerous revolutions in satellite manufacturing, antenna production, and launch vehicle affordability, as well as a vast and complex network of ground terminals, numerous companies have tried and failed to rise to the challenge over the decades. Original Globalstar, Teledesic, and Iridium constellations all raised more than $10 billion in the 1990s under the promise of blanketing the Earth with internet from space. All wound up bankrupt at one point or another.

Globalstar eventually completed an operational constellation, as did Iridium. Piggybacking off of many painful lessons-learned, Iridium even managed to become profitable, stable, and sustainable enough to fund an entirely new replacement constellation, launched on eight SpaceX Falcon 9 missions and completed in January 2019.

Short of a miracle, especially given the imminent economic catastrophe now facing much of the world, OneWeb appears to be close to becoming the latest body on a very tall pile. As if OneWeb learned nothing from the fates of those that came before, it has somehow managed to run out of money (or nearly so) despite having raised more than $3.4 billion in just four years. How OneWeb managed to turn $3.4 billion into a single factory and ~75 satellites in orbit is undoubtedly a mystery worth demystifying but for now, all that’s known is that the company is concerned about coronavirus impacts and anticipates imminent layoffs on top of future launch and production delays.

Ever the lone wolf, SpaceX forges ahead

Speaking earlier this month at the SATELLITE 2020 conference, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk frankly noted that Starlink – SpaceX’s exceptionally ambitious entrant to the LEO satellite internet race – was a work in progress with a real chance of failure. He made it clear that he was aware the constellation is now navigating a graveyard that has brought numerous companies with far more funding to their knees – now possibly including OneWeb. Nevertheless, SpaceX has shown no signs of slowing down. It’s possible – if not all but guaranteed – that the company’s Redmond, Washington-based has already been severely impacted by the coronovirus pandemic, given that the state is one of the US epicenters.

The company’s Los Angeles rocket factory is also likely to begin to experience major impacts as the city starts to take pandemic-related threats seriously. SpaceX’s Florida launch facilities and Texas Starship factory and development facilities are much less likely to be harmed in the interim. It’s another question entirely whether continuing to operate large factories and facilities is the right thing to do for SpaceX’s employees and the regions they reside in, whether states intervene or governments govern.

Nevertheless, thanks to the fact that SpaceX’s Washington factory has been building satellites 50% faster than it can launch them, it’s likely that at least one or two (if not several) launches worth of Starlink satellites are stockpiled and waiting to fly. The company’s next Starlink mission (Starlink L7 or V1 L6) is expected to launch no earlier than (NET) April 2020. The global pandemic could potentially create some open space in the company’s near-term manifest, but it could just as easily make SpaceX’s US launch activities next to impossible.

SpaceX has already delivered 360 Starlink satellites to orbit, 300 of which were launched in the last four months alone and all but ~10 of which are believed to still be operational. Barring increasingly likely delays from the growing pandemic, SpaceX anticipated it could have enough spacecraft in orbit (~500-600 satellites) to begin serving internet to customers in Canada and the northern US as early as this summer. For now, we’ll have to wait and see how things shake out in the coming weeks.

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

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Real-world 0-60 mph acceleration tests of the Tesla Model Y Performance are proving that the all-electric crossover is quicker than what the company advertises.

Tesla claims in its online configurator for the Model Y that the dual-motor Performance variant can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. This is the case for both the Model Y Performance with 19″ Gemini wheels as well as the Model Y with Performance Upgrade package that includes larger brakes and 21″ Uberturbine wheels.

However, in a series of real-world Model Y 0 to 60 mph acceleration tests conducted by Erik of the DÆrik Youtube channel, Tesla’s newest 5-seater crossover managed to stop the clocks at a lightning-quick 3.30 seconds.

Tesla Model Y with Performance Upgrade Acceleration Testing

Using a Racelogic VBOX Sport device, Erik performed three 0-60 mph acceleration tests of his new Model Y with Performance Upgrade. With a 90% battery state of charge and tire pressure set at 40 psi, Erik registered the following 0-60 mph acceleration times:

Run 1

• 0-60 mph: 3.30 seconds
• 0-100 mph: 8.12 seconds
• 30-70 mph: 2.72 seconds
• 50-70 mph: 1.53 seconds

Run 2

• 0-60 mph: 3.43 seconds
• 0-100 mph: 8.19 seconds
• 30-70 mph: 2.72 seconds
• 50-70 mph: 1.55 seconds

Run 3

• 0-60 mph: 3.40 seconds
• 0-100 mph: 8.15 seconds
• 30-70 mph: 2.77 seconds
• 50-70 mph: 1.53 seconds

Erik managed to knock out an impressive 0-60 mph time of 3.30 seconds in his Model Y Performance, which is a solid two-tenths quicker than what Tesla publishes on its online configurator. That puts the acceleration for Model Y Performance nearly on par with the acceleration of its smaller sibling, Model 3 Performance, which Tesla advertises to have a 0-60 mph time of 3.2 seconds.

Taking an average of all three runs performed by Erik and Model Y Performance registers a 0-60 mph time of 3.376 seconds, or nearly twice as quick as other SUV/Crossovers in its size category. By comparison, the Mercedes GLC300 SUV that stacks up in size would lose by more than 2 seconds when drag racing Model Y from a standstill to 60mph.

The better-than-expected results obtained by Erik isn’t too surprising considering Tesla’s penchant to underestimate the performance figures of its vehicles. Without including any presumed over-the-air software updates to unlock more power and hardware improvements, the Model Y stands as a performance beast that’s fitting of Tesla’s DNA.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

There’s been many questions around Tesla Model Y’s trailer hitch and its ability to tow ever since a cover plate was first detected on the rear bumper. However, as new Model Y customers begin their comprehensive first reviews and question the vehicle’s ability to tow,  combined with indications from the Tesla Model Y Owner’s Manual that towing might be a feature down the road, we’re finally getting confirmation that Model Y’s rear bumper cover plate isn’t hiding a receiver mount.

New Tesla Model Y Performance owner and YouTuber Brian from the i1Tesla channel gives us a first look at what’s actually behind the trailer hitch cover plate.

Taking a flathead screwdriver to the rear cover plate, Brian maneuvered the plastic plate off of the rear bumper. Behind the plate are metal clips on the left side of the plate and clips to the right, suggesting that the plate should be pried from the right during the removal process.

Removing Model Y’s rear cover plate reveals an empty space where a trailer hitch would normally be seen. “I, like you, don’t see a hitch. No trailer hitch,” notes Brian as he looks inside the void behind the rear bumper.

However, Brian is able to pinpoint the rear crash bar for Model Y in the upper portion within the cubby. The mounts for the impact bar can also be seen, further suggesting that an optional tow package could be coming in later production versions of the Model Y. Aftermarket vendors for Tesla trailer hitches will often leverage the mounting points of the rear crash bar as a means to secure the product to the car.

X-Rack Tesla Model X cargo carrier: lightweight aluminum and custom fit for the trunk

With initial focus on volume production of Tesla Model Y, the company most likely focused its initial efforts on streamlining production on the most commonly desired features of the all-electric crossover. Tesla will be able to better vet the need and subsequent timing for the production of a Model Y trailer hitch once more vehicles are delivered to customers.

For now, check out Brian’s video as he gives us a good look behind Model Y’s rear bumper cover plate. Be sure to follow i1Tesla for some of the best non-invasive “teardowns” and DIY Tesla videos that any everyday owner can do.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

SpaceX successfully launched another batch of Starlink satellites into space on March 18, the fourth such launch this year. That brings the total number of internet-beaming satellites to 362, which includes two experimental ones. But ever since the initial batch got off the ground, astronomers and skywatchers have voiced concerns over the apparent brightness of the satellites.

That’s because the satellites appear in the night sky as a train of bright white dots marching across the sky. The sight is alarming to scientists who depend on clear skies in order to peer deep into space. Their concern is this: if the satellites are already interfering with telescope observations, what’s going to happen when there are 42,000 in orbit?

Initially, SpaceX has said its Starlink network will consist of 1,584 satellites, all operating in low Earth orbit. But the company has approval from the Federal Communications Commission for 12,000 satellites and could seek permission to launch 30,000 more. And they’re not the only company with space internet ambitions; OneWeb and Amazon have similar constellations planned.

To help assuage their concerns, SpaceX decided to test out an experimental coating that would reduce the brightness of its satellites. SpaceX tested it out on a previous launch, on one individual satellite, aptly named “DarkSat”.

During the live broadcast of the most recent Starlink mission, SpaceX representatives said that the experiment was somewhat successful and that the coating did help to reduce the satellite’s brightness. But SpaceX wanted to try other means to see which technique was the more effective.

“Preliminary results show a notable reduction,” said Jessica Anderson, one of the hosts of the webcast. But just how effective it is remains to be seen.

Astronomers in Chile measured the DarkSat’s brightness and compared it to the rest of the Starlink satellites. The findings show that the DarkSat was about 55% dimmer, which is good news for certain telescopes. Other telescopes, like the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory will need the brightness reduced even further as the sensitive optics would be greatly affected by the satellites zooming across the sky.

Astronomers ran computer simulations that showed that the Starlink satellites would not only show up as pronounced streaks across images, but would saturate the pixels in the detectors, causing other ghost-like artifacts to appear. Observatories like the Vera Rubin would need the satellites to be at least 10-20% darker to mitigate their effects.

During the broadcast, Anderson also explained that the company was looking into other ideas that could reduce the satellites’ reflectivity even further.

One of those other ideas is a sunshade. SpaceX didn’t divulge too many details, other than the fact the technology would be used on a future mission and that it would deploy like a patio umbrella from the satellite. How that compares to the coating on the DarkSat remains to be seen.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});