"I look forward to helping make government much more efficient and improve the lives of all Americans!" - Elon
■ TESLA TSLA 0.00%↑ ($249.02, -3.49%):
Want to Know is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
- Tesla's Franz von Holzhausen (@woodhaus2from) gave a talk at the UP Summit yesterday. He said Cybertruck was the most complex vehicle design challenge ever, despite its apparent simplicity of design. An entourage of Cybertrucks followed him there. Pics above and below by Beff – e/acc (@BasedBeffJezos).
- Tesla Third Quarter 2024 Production, Deliveries & Deployments Numbers:
Total Vehicles: Produced = 469,796, Delivered = 462,890
Model 3/Y: Produced = 443,668, Delivered = 439,975
Other Models: Produced = 26,128, Delivered = 22,915
6.9 GWh of energy storage products deployed = +73% YoY
- Tesla will post its Q3 financial results after closing bell on the 23rd of October. Tesla will hold a live Q&A that day at 4:30 p.m. CST.
- The above graph by Jeff Boichuk (@jeffboichuk) shows Tesla was on an X posting spree for the month of September. They posted 482 times from nineteen different accounts. They generated over 200 million impressions, 485k likes, 52k reposts, 8k quote posts, 23k replies, and 13k bookmarks.
- Tesla extended their $0 down at signing offer for all new Model Y and select 3s for new orders starting yesterday.
- The Tesla Roadster RC car is now available in white. Spotted in Costco for $65 by Rhys Samson (@samsonusmc).
FLYOVERS:
Giga Texas: Joe Tegtmeyer (@JoeTegtmeyer), 2nd of October, '24.
Giga Texas: Brad Sloan, 1st of October, '24.
■ SPACEX:
- A Notice to Mariners (NOTMAR) has been issued for the 12th of October, between 7 and 8:10 a.m. CST, for rocket launch operations near Boca Chica, Texas. Back-up launch dates and times include October 13, 18, and 19 from 7 and 8:10 a.m., plus October 14, 15, 16, and 17 from 7 to 8:40 a.m. Note, this is not a launch approval. The FAA released a statement today stating the Starship Flight 5 test is not expected before late November. Pic from this morning by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer) of NASA Spaceflight.
- Booster 14 was spotted by @StarshipGazer as it rolled out of Mega Bay 1 last night. A road closure will be in place from midnight to 3 a.m. CST. B14 will head to Massey's Outpost to undergo cryo-testing.
- Could not find a lot of details on this SpaceX capsule, but it is at the UP Summit and has seen flight time.
- The Framonauts (@framonauts) first photo in their SpaceX training suits. Per Eric Philips (@Icetrek), "Soon our patch sticker will join previous missions on the side hatch of the training capsule behind us. FRAM2…bring it on!" FRAM2 will be the first human spaceflight to Earth’s polar regions.
- According to Christian Davenport (@wapodavenport), SpaceX and several commercial space companies, like Blue Origin and Rocket Lab, are upset that the FAA will not allow the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) on the advisory board. COMSTAC is the industries preferred member. Reason? The FAA says no lobbyists.
- SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom firing Draco thrusters during the docking sequence to the ISS for the Crew-9 mission. Amazing pic taken by Astronaut Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit).
Countdown to 144 (93 - Falcon 9, 1 - Falcon Heavy, and 2 - Starship):
Launch 97! Monday, 7th of October, at 10:52 a.m. Falcon 9 Hera Block 5 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Hera is a mission in development at the European Space Agency's (ESA) Space Safety program. Its primary objective is to study the Didymos binary asteroid system that was impacted by DART and contribute to validation of the kinetic impact method to deviate a near-Earth asteroid with a colliding trajectory with Earth. It will measure the size and the morphology of the crater created by and momentum transferred by an artificial projectile impacting an asteroid. This will allow measuring the efficiency of the deflection produced by the impact. It will also analyze the expanding debris cloud caused by the impact. As of now, the booster will be expended in the Atlantic Ocean.
Launch 98! Wednesday, 9th of October, at 11:49 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 OneWeb 20 will launch from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. This is a batch of 20 satellites for the OneWeb satellite constellation, intended to provide global Internet broadband service for individual consumers. The constellation is planned to have around 648 microsatellites around 150 kg each, operating in Ku-band from low Earth orbit. The booster will land at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg.
Launch 99! Thursday, 10th of October, at 1:52 a.m. Falcon 9 Starlink 10-10 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Launch 100! Thursday, 10th of October, at 12:31 p.m. Falcon Heavy Europa Clipper will launch from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Europa Clipper is the first dedicated NASA mission to study Jupiter’s moon Europa. It comprises of an orbiter spacecraft, which, while in orbit around Jupiter, will perform numerous flybys over Europa. Its payload suit included high-resolution cameras and spectrometers for imaging Europa’s surface and thin atmosphere, an ice-penetrating radar to search for subsurface water, and a magnetometer and gravity measurements to measure the moon’s magnetic field and unlock clues about its ocean and deep interior. As of now, all three boosters will be expended in the Atlantic Ocean.
■ THE BORING COMPANY:
- Boring crews have staged the new road sections near the west side of the Cyber-Tunnel at Giga Texas. These pics by Joe Tegtmeyer this morning shows a great view of the interior with the utilities on the bottom. Great shot, Joe!
■ NEURALINK:
- Elon spoke at the 2024 Congress of Neurological Surgeons (@CNS_Update) yesterday evening. He spoke about the Neuralink team’s innovations and devices, the challenges of building and scaling brain-computer interfaces (BCI), Neuralink's innovative approaches to addressing these challenges for patients in need, and future directions.
■ STARLINK:
- Per Elon, "We are making a system update to allow all Starlinks in the affected areas to work, regardless of payment. Software update hopefully completed tonight. Tomorrow at the latest." Shortly after, Starlink posted the service is free for 30 days in regions affected by Hurricane Helene.
- Ellie in Space (@esherifftv) spotted Starlink Maritime on her European cruise that a ship of nearly 4,000 people are sharing. Per Ellie, "The connection is good if the internet can stay connected, but this could be more of an issue with the service provider, Voom... Not the best for me (can’t upload a YouTube video to save my life), but I have been able to stream Netflix with no hiccups."
- Today, Philippines Senator Grace Poe has filed a bill seeking to grant a franchise to Starlink Internet Services Philippines Inc. and allow it to provide satellite-based internet services, particularly in remote areas. Poe said she believes Starlink can address the digital gap in the country by using its extensive satellite constellation. Already a provider, Starlink as a franchise will allow the company to build, maintain, and operate Starlink Gateway stations in the country.
- The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced Starlink's license is only pending a security clearance. PTA officials stated SpaceX is required to enter into a commercial agreement with Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) in order to provide internet services in the country.
- Ivanka Trump flew to Hickory, North Carolina, today and delivered 300 Starlinks to be dispersed around western North Carolina flood victims. Medic Corps, one of at least four organizations conducting relief operations from Hickory Regional Airport, coordinated the visit. One group, Operation Airdrop, transports supplies by helicopter to people in western North Carolina.
■ X:
- ALX (@alx) hanging with Linda Yaccarino at X New York City. Per ALX, "Stars — Linked. Great meeting Linda."
- According to Rachel de Oliveira Villa Nova Conceição, X's legal representative in Brazil, yesterday X informed Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes that it will fully pay the R$ 28.6 million ($5.3 million) in fines and its legal representation. This is to be done without the use of Starlink funds. Alexandre ordered the Central Bank and the Securities and Exchange Commission to unfreeze the company's bank accounts.
■ xAI:
- Elon and the xAI Team at the open house yesterday. It was held at the Pioneer Building in San Francisco. This location was OpenAI's original HQ. Elon replied to one of my post letting me know that he owns this building. "That’s where we created OpenAI (as an open source, non-profit!!) and Neuralink." During his talk, Elon made it clear that the AI game is all about speed and they will be launching their API soon.
- xAI's ibab (@ibab) at yesterday's Open House with Andrew Gao (@itsandrewgao), ex-Tesla Marvin von Hagen (@marvinvonhagen), and Silas Alberti (@SilasAlberti).
- The Financial Times is reporting that OpenAI has called on investors not to back rival companies such as xAI and Anthropic in a bid to preserve its lead in generative artificial intelligence. OpeAI aims to reach exclusive arrangements with investors, preventing its rivals from making strategic partnerships and accessing capital. Just recently OpenAI raised more than $6.5 billion in fundraising from Microsoft Corporation, SoftBank, Thrive Capital, Tiger Global Management, Coatue Management, and ARKK.
- The "Colossus Water Recycle Facility" permits have been filed for the Memphis facility. This is a $78 million collaborative project between xAI, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and Nucor Steel. Permits were filed with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) on the 18th of September. According to xAI representatives, the facility will be privately funded and use and treat water from the nearby T.E. Maxson wastewater treatment plant. It is expected to average 7 million gallons of water daily, with a peak flow of 10.4 million gallons.
■ ELON NEWS:
- Today, at a rally, Donald Trump said, "I'm appointing Elon Musk to lead a government efficiency commission focused on saving trillions by cutting fraud, waste, and abuse, while driving down inflation and costs."
Elon replied by saying, "Great, I look forward to helping make government much more efficient and improve the lives of all Americans!"
You can support for only $4 a month. That averages to only .18¢ per update! Subscribe here and thanks for supporting!
Additionally, if you are interested in Tesla Products, you can also support me by using my Tesla Referral. You will get $1,000 off the purchase of a S3XY vehicle. Click here!
SOURCES:
FLYOVERS:
Giga Texas: Joe Tegtmeyer... coming soon.
Giga Texas: Brad Sloan
Tesla:
Starlink:
X:
xAI:
Elon News:
Want to Know is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
