“The rocket came back from space at hypersonic speed and then hovered at a precise position…” – Elon Musk (@elonmusk)
■ TESLA ($435.15, +1.38%):
– Per Tesla AI Lead Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy), “FSD v14.1.2, going to early access today, will debut a much awaited feature…”
– Today, Tesla and Elon’s attorneys appealed to the Delaware Supreme Court to reinstate his $56 billion Tesla compensation package. The appeal also contests a $345 million legal fee awarded to the plaintiff’s counsel in December 2024. The video is Justice Karen Valihura was questioning Tornetta’s lawyer, Gregory Varallo.
– You can submit your Tesla’s Q3 2025 earnings call questions at SAY.
– Today, Giga Texas announced they built 500,000 vehicles.
– Speaking of Texas, the limited $2500 Texas EV incentive, “The Light Duty Motor Vehicle Purchase or Lease Program”, is back! Anyone qualifies be it individuals, businesses, or governments. The Tesla must be new and bought or leased after September 1st of 2025. It must be titled/registered in Texas. The Documents required are IRS W-9, title/registration proof, purchase/lease agreement (or invoice + payment proof). It is availabe now until March 6th, 2026, or until funds run out. You can Submit online at TERP SUNSS system (http://tceq.texas.gov/sunss). First-come, first-served. Click this referral to start your order http://ts.la/stephen746292.
– Powerwall Expansion Units are now available in Germany and Portugal.
– Tesla China has finally released a bright gray premium seat for its Model YL vehicles. You can choose from the configurator, and it prices 8,000 yuan! H/T Tsla Chan (@Tslachan).
– Tesla Australia & New Zealand is offering up to a $5,000 discount on FSD for eligible HW4-equipped Model 3 and Y in-stock inventory vehicles. Requires orders to be placed by October 31st, and FSD activation by November 30th.
– Tesla Diner is getting ready for Halloween! Pics by Brandon (@brandontsla).
– Tesla filed updates to its Private Passenger Auto insurance program “Tesla Insurance” with Florida regulators, effective December 2025. This is the first expansion since Utah and Maryland in 2022.
– The Model Y is nominated for the 2025 Japan Car of the Year, for vehicles announced or launched between November 1, 2024, and October 31, 2025. It competes against 34 other vehicles, including models from Suzuki, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz. The Model Y is recognized for its electric performance, range, and advanced features like Autopilot.
– Tesla partnered as the Sustainability Provider for the 2025 Manchester Half Marathon, held on October 12th. They provided vehicles throughout the event to reduce pollution and support the race’s sustainability goals. Cybertruck was a cheer point on Deansgate. The event drew over 26,000 runners on a 13.1-mile foggy route starting and finishing at Emirates Old Trafford, raising £1.5 million for charities. Pics by James Miller of A.S.O. UK.
FLYOVERS (flight links in sources section):
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Giga Nevada Semi Factory: Zanegler, 13th of October. “Tesla Giga Semi Production Forecast Paintshop deliveries from Gieco (pronounced jayco) and a production forecast.”
■ SPACEX:
– Monday, launch 132 of Starship Test Flight 11 took place from Orbital Launch Pad 1 at Starbase, Texas. Vehicles included Starship 38 and Super Heavy Booster 15-2.
This was the second and final flight for SHB 15-2. Out of the 33 Raptor 2s, it was equipped with 24 flight-proven. All 33 Raptors powered ascent to stage separation at ~2.5 minutes. It completed boostback burn with one of 13 engines initially failing to reignite but activating for landing. It executed new progressive landing burn igniting 13 engines for deceleration, throttling to 5 for adjustments, then 3 center engines for terminal hover and precision control. It performed an amazing controlled duration hover and soft splash-downed in the Gulf ~7-8 minutes post-liftoff. The vehicle met all objectives including vehicle dynamics data collection from engine transitions. Great way to send off the SHB Block 2.
Starship 38 performed hot-staging separation and nominal ascent to second engine cutoff at ~9 minutes 15 seconds reaching 150 km altitude. The vehicle coasted through space while opening the payload door and successfully deploying all eight Starlink simulators into suborbital trajectory for demise on entry. It executed an in-space relight of a single Raptor engine to demonstrate orbital insertion capability. During reentry, tests were conducted that intentionally removed heat shield tiles to show stress and vulnerable areas. This also included dynamic banking maneuvers for data on future chopstick catches. It then transitioned to 3 then 2 engines for terminal descent, achieved controlled hover and a soft splashdown in Indian Ocean. All objectives were met, including real-time telemetry via the onboard Starlink network. Block 2, though a rough start, ended its last two flights like a champ. Great work SpaceX! On to V3!
Per Elon, “The new heat shield performed much better. That was the main objective.”
– Also on Monday, launch 133 of Falcon 9 Project Kuiper (KF-03) took place from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This was the second flight for Falcon 9 first stage booster B1091. It previously launched KF-02. The booster landed on drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Kuiper deployment successful. This was the third of three launches contract for Amazon’s Kuiper low Earth orbit satellite internet constellation.
– Just a few hours after Flight 11, Starship 39, the first V3, left the Starfactory and into Mega Bay 2 for stacking. S39 should be the Flight 12 vehicle. Pic by Interstellar Gateway – IGW (@interstellargw).
– Monday morning V3 Super Heavy Booster 18’s forward section with the new integrated Hot Stage was spotted leaving the Starfactory into Mega Bay 1.
– Starship Engineer, Xander (@MoonManX22), posted developing —thousands of hexagonal ceramic tiles shielding against 1,400°C+ reentry heat. This year, Starship’s thermal protection system (TPS) effort scaled via The Bakery, the largest automated TPS facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It produces 1,000 tiles daily with a max capability of 7,000. They use in-house silica purification and mechanical mounting on studs for reusability. Xander posted his memorabilia, shirt and commissioning coins. “It’s more than a factory. It’s a legacy… a place where innovation, precision, and relentless determination come together to make life multiplanetary.”
Per Elon, “World’s most advanced bakery.”
Starbase City Commission Meeting (Located at The Hub, 39046 LBJ Blvd, Unit 2, Brownsville, TX 78521):
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City Commission Regular Meeting, October 15, 2025 7:00 PM
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City Commission Regular Meeting, November 19, 2025 7:00 PM
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City Commission Regular Meeting, December 17, 2025 7:00 PM
Countdown to 180 (128 – Falcon 9, 0 – Falcon Heavy, and 5 – Starship):
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Launch 134! Wednesday, 15th of October, at 4:04 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer C will launch from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The booster will land on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.
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Launch 135! Thursday, 16th of October, at 2:42 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 10-52 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Launch 136! Friday, 17th of October, at 5:09 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 11-19 will launch from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The booster will land on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.
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Launch 137! Sunday, 19th of October, at 10:52 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 10-17 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Launch 138! Monday, 20th of October, at 7:00 a.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 11-5 will launch from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The booster will land on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.
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Launch 139! Wednesday, 22nd of October, at 9:30 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 SpainSat NG II will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. This is the second of two new-generation satellites built by Airbus to provide secure communications to the Spanish government, its allies, and various international organizations.
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Launch 140! Thursday, 23rd of October, at 7:00 a.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 11-12 will launch from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The booster will land on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.
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Launch 141! Saturday, 25th of October, at 10:27 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 10-21 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
■ THE BORING COMPANY:
– Nancy Paul of PS Advisory LLC hit the Vegas LOOP on day one at InsureTech Connect (ITC) Vegas and the energy is electric!
■ NEURALINK:
– Per Neuralink co-founder, DJ Seo (@djseo), “Best way to get the right signals from your org as a leader is to go direct to as many individual contributors, those closest to the real work, across as many departments as possible. Sure, you could run a company with signals from middle managers and rule by consensus, but that’s not how most successful companies operate.
Same principle applies to BCI tech: read from as many neurons, as close as possible, from many different parts of the brain. Sure, you can get pick up signals from farther away, but if you want to win, go direct.“
■ STARLINK:
– United Airlines achieved a world first by broadcasting the Today Show live from 30,000 feet on its inaugural mainline plane equipped with Starlink. Starlink is currently installed on approximately 160 two-cabin regional aircraft (over half the fleet) and is being rolled out to about 15 Boeing 737-800 planes monthly; passengers flying between Newark (EWR) and Houston (IAH), or IAH and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) can experience it firsthand now.
– SpaceX’s Director of Starlink Global Market Access, Rebecca Silk Hunter, was at Dushanbe Invest–2025 on October 14th meeting with Tajikistan’s Communications Service. They signed an agreement to advance digital infrastructure, including a licensing deal with Starlink Tajikistan to launch satellite broadband for enhanced remote internet access.
– Starlink has transformed broadband connectivity in the Falkland Islands’ Camp region, covering 99% of the landmass with 300–500 residents. It has largely replaced unreliable Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) based on WiMAX and LTE, which struggled with vast distances, rugged terrain, and weather disruptions. Starlink serves as the de facto broadband solution for remote settlements and farms, with potential for SIP-based VoIP over Starlink Business or Local Priority plans to replace traditional PSTN telephony. A hybrid future network model proposes integrating Starlink with microwave backhaul, selective 4G/LTE upgrades, and emerging Direct-to-Device satellite connectivity for resilience and universal coverage.
■ 𝕏:
– Drafts written on the X app will now be sync’d to web… finally. Per X’s Chris Park (@chrisparkX), “Team has been on fire. There has never been more focus to enable moar poasting.“
– X announced an initiative to enhance post authenticity verification by displaying profile details like the account’s base country. Rollout begins next week on select X team member profiles for initial feedback collection.
– California Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAGovernor) vetoed SB 771 on October 13th, a bill passed by the state Legislature that would require large social media platforms like X to submit semiannual reports on content moderation practices including removal of hate speech, harassment, disinformation, and extremism, with audits by approved third parties and potential fines up to $1,000 per violation for non-compliance; the veto preserves First Amendment protections against compelled speech and government oversight of moderation decisions.
– X’s Android Lead, Attila Blenesi (@attilablenesi), announced they expanded access to X Android Lite alpha testing. It is currently available to all Premium+ users, and slowly rolling out to Premium Basic. “This is a more focused experience on the Core of X. We are looking for feedback, as we work on stability and perforce before staring to roll out within the main X app.” You can visit the Premium Hub and ask to join. For feedback, submit at it the X Lite Android Alpha Testing community.
– X Android Image selection issues are fixed and part of 11.30+.
■ xAI:
– The MACROHARD logo on top of Colossus 2 is now complete!
Per Elon, “The xAI MACROHARD project will be profoundly impactful at an immense scale. Our goal is to create a company that can do anything short of manufacturing physical objects directly, but will be able to do so indirectly, much like Apple has other companies manufacture their phones.”
Per xAI’s Ming Fang (@mindbergh), “Just wrapped an incredibly productive week at xAI’s London office! The energy here is unreal—brilliant minds, endless ideas, and some serious momentum. Let’s just say the MACROHARD project is simmering nicely, and the team is absolutely cooking.”
– xAI’s lounge at the Oracle AI World; Oracle’s annual customer conference dedicated to sharing its vision for AI-driven tech, product innovations, and solutions for businesses. It’s being held in Las Vegas and ends today, so get out there before it is too late. Pic by xAI’s Jonathan Feng (@jonathan_feng).
– Per Elon, “To the degree that people are seeing improvements in their feed, it is not due to the actions of specific individuals changing heuristics, but rather increasing use of Grok and other AI tools. We will post the updated algorithm, including model weights, later this week. You will see that a lot of random vestigial rules are now gone.
Going to full AI recommendations, where all 100M+ posts per day are evaluated by Grok and those most likely to interest you are recommended happens next month. This will profoundly improve the quality of your feed. Shortly after that, we will build the ability for you to dynamically adjust your recommended content, eg “show me less politics”.”
– Images from last weeks groundbreaking of xAI’s Water Recycling Facility. Pics by previous SpaceXer and now xAI…er, Ana-Paula Dovali and HICO Sr Sales Manager, Gigi Campbell (@GigiZhang461790). Per Ana, “Shout out to Brent Mayo (@BrentM_SpaceX) and the entire xAI team for all the awesome work we do out in Memphis!“
■ ELON NEWS:
– NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang (@JensenHuang) delivered the DGX Spark, a 1.2kg AI supercomputer with 1 petaflop performance and 128GB unified memory, to Elon this weekend during Starship prep. It supports 200B-parameter models, includes NVIDIA’s AI software stack, and enables tasks like FLUX.1 customization and Qwen3 chatbot deployment. Partners like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others integrate it for desktop AI. “Ad Astra!”
Thanks for reading! As always, if you have any questions, feedback, or would like point out an error in the reporting, please do so in the comments.
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■ SOURCES:
Tesla:
SpaceX:
Starlink:
Elon News: