“Long-term, >99% of input and output for AI models will be photons. Nothing else scales…” – Elon Musk (@elonmusk)
■ TESLA ($442.60, -%):
– Put on your Apocalyptic leather and get your Mad Max on, FSD v14.1.3 is rolling out to a wider U.S. customers base! It includes the entire S3XY lineup, but no deal for Cybertruck. One cool aspect many are not talking about is the self-recovery from Take Over Immediately (TOI) warnings. When the TOI for visibility issues (glare, rain, fog, etc.), the vehicle will resume the drive if conditions improve without an intervention.
– U.S. lease prices for the Model 3, Y, and Cybertruck have been reduced by up to 23% per month.
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Model 3 at $329 per month, down 23% from $429.
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Model Y at $449 per month, down 15% from $529.
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Cybertruck at $699 per month, down 7% from $749, with a $5,000 down payment.
– Amsterdam switched on its largest battery yet: Giraffe, a 47 MWh / 10 MW system in the Western Port/Westhaven area, built by GIGA Storage using 12 Megapack 2XLs to balance the grid. Located amid 350,000 m² of solar and 73 MW of wind, it supports local grid congestion relief and energy contracts for port businesses. GIGA Storage previously delivered the Rhino and Buffalo battery parks in Lelystad and is now building Leopard in Delfzijl (300 MW / 1,200 MWh). The company targets 4 GW of storage across Europe by 2030.
– Sean Jones, Tesla’s Megapack Business Development Manager, made the rounds this past week, speaking at DERVOS 2025 at Governors Island’s Parade Ground in New York City, and the 7×24 Exchange International Fall 2025 Conference (@7x24exchange) in San Antonio, Texas. At DERVOS Sean presented on leveraging Megapack storage for reliable onsite power generation amid the fluctuating, high-demand loads from AI computing infrastructure. He highlighted hands-on insights from Tesla’s battery deployments, including xAI’s Colossus supercomputer, to showcase co-located Megapacks’ role in scaling Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) for grid resilience and data center reliability.
– 16 new V4 Supercharger stalls are being installed at the Louisiana Avenue site in Lafayette, Louisiana, on the north side of I-10 in front of Petco and across from Chick-fil-A. This is adding to the existing 8 V3 stalls for a total of 24. Activation is imminent, positioning the corridor as a key EV hub alongside a forthcoming 75,000 sq ft Buc-ee’s travel center with its own chargers.
– Sylia Yi, General Manager of Tesla Rockford, Illinois, shared their Frunk or Treat event. “Today was great community connection. It was a wonderful experience, can’t wait to do it again next year.”
■ SPACEX:
– Starship 39, the first V3, being stacked on its Forward Dome barrel in Mega Bay 2! Great shot by Travis (@HardcoreElectr1)!
– Gwynne will be featured at the Women Board of Directors’ exclusive roundtable in Dubai on the 29th October from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This event will celebrate women in tech. She will be alongside Oracle’s Safra Catz, Dr. Fei-Fei Li, and Dr. Aisha Bin Bishr.
– Today, Muon Space (@MuonSpace) announced an agreement with SpaceX to integrate Starlink mini laser terminals into its Halo satellite platform. This will give them 25 Gbps link speeds over 4,000 km for persistent optical connectivity to Starlink’s global network. Per Michael Nicolls Michael Nicolls (@michaelnicollsx), VP of Starlink Engineering at SpaceX, “By integrating Starlink mini lasers, Muon’s spacecraft can remain persistently connected through our in-space laser mesh, enabling real-time tasking, continuous command-and-control, and immediate data delivery to terrestrial points of presence. We’re excited to support Muon Space as they bring these capabilities to commercial missions.”
– At Starbase, they are actively demolishing the concrete berm separating the tank farm from Pad 1. The LOX subcoolers are being dismantled. paving the way for site reconfiguration and expansion toward Block 2 upgrades. H/T Zack Golden (@CSI_Starbase), video by @LabPadre.
– At the McGregor Test Facility, Raptor 3 R21 was spotted leaving after its test campaign. Onwards to Starbase?!
– A SpaceX-linked wallet transferred 2,495 BTC worth $268 million to two new addresses after three months of inactivity. The primary wallet, previously holding 8,285 BTC valued at $893 million, now contains 5,790 BTC worth $626 million, maintaining total holdings at 8,285 BTC with $621 million in unrealized gains. One receiving address (bc1qj7e…) holds 1,208 BTC valued at $130.4 million, with no other assets. Arkham Intelligence data labels this as internal asset management for security or accounting, not a sale.
– The Duffy Problem… Eric Berger of Ars Technica (@SciGuySpace) noted that the Wall Street Journal report confirmed Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator and Transportation Secretary (@SecDuffy, @SecDuffyNASA, @SeanDuffyWI), is advocating to merge NASA into the Department of Transportation and is actively meeting with senators. Effectively this means he can claim credit for NASA’s successes without direct oversight, and most importantly, effectively ending NASA’s independence.
On top of that, yesterday Duffy announced he was opening up the contract for others to bid on the crewed Moon mission yesterday. So with the today’s NASA news, Elon had enough, branded him as “Sean Dummy”, and asking why a man who’s only claim of achievement was being a former world-champion tree climber. “Sean Dummy is trying to kill NASA!“
Elon also noted that SpaceX’s HLS is the only option. “A permanently crewed lunar science base would be far more impressive than a repeat of what was already done incredibly well by Apollo in 1969.”
Personal note: I think competition is great and should always be in the process of bidding. I have no problem with two companies building against each other on the same program. SpaceX did it with Dragon and their competition still has not produced a viable alternative. Let Blue Origin compete for the Moon. It they were serious about it, Jeff would already be testing a lander, contract or not, and maybe he is. But to call out the company that is literally the U.S. Space Industry is idiotic.
Starbase City Commission Meeting (Located at The Hub, 39046 LBJ Blvd, Unit 2, Brownsville, TX 78521):
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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 (132 – Falcon 9, 0 – Falcon Heavy, and 5 – Starship):
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Launch 138! Wednesday, 22nd 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! Saturday, 25th 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! Saturday, 25th 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.
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Launch 142! Monday, 27th of October, at 2:12 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 11-21 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 143! Tuesday, 28th of October, at 9:14 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 10-37 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 143! Thursday, 30th of October, at 1:06 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 11-23 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.
■ THE BORING COMPANY:
– Airwave Dynamics (@AirwaveDynamics) latest flyover in Bastrop, Texas, shows us the Starlink Terminal Factory, The Boring Company HQ, and X HQ. There is a massive amount of materials stagged at TBC HQ. With all the new projects it is easy to understand why. I have never seen the large semi circle sections in the upper right pic. If you know what they are used for, let us know. And if you look at the bottom left image, you can see that the new Pedestrian Tunnel from the Starlink Factory lot actually emerges on TBC’s property. The bottom left is the Pedestrian Tunnel on the Starlink side. Flyover link is in the sources section.
■ NEURALINK:
– November 6th, at 8 p.m. ET, “Neuralink and ALS – Building Neural Interfaces to Restore Autonomy.” YouTube Live link HERE.
■ STARLINK:
– Last week, Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib (@MOIT_Egypt) held a meeting with SpaceX representatives during his official visit to Washington, D.C., organized by the Egyptian Commercial Representation under Minister Commissioner Yahya Al-Wathiq Billah. They are exploring Starlink’s entry into the Egyptian market amid discussions on technology sector investments and economic reforms. El-Khatib pledged government support for securing necessary licenses, highlighting Egypt’s push for digital transformation as a regional hub.
– Airwave Dynamics (@AirwaveDynamics) latest flyover in Bastrop, Texas, gave us a good look at the Starlink Terminal Factory completed and looking awesome! There is a staging yard to the north of the facility and some of the Cybertruck fleet. Flyover link is in the sources section.
– Rukshan Kothwala just installed Starlink in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and it is hitting 449 Mbps. “Having a fast and stable internet connection is essential when working remotely. It truly makes all the difference.”
– “They not only completed the world’s largest offshore race, but also beat their closest rivals… the Army’s Royal Engineer Yacht Club.” Per GRC Ltd, providers of the Starlink and SATCOM support to the UK Royal Air Force Sailing Association (RAFSA) team aboard the J109 yacht “Red Arrow” during the UK-France Rolex Fastnet Race Cherbourg 2025. Over the 695-nautical-mile course from Cowes to Cherbourg via Fastnet Rock, completed in 5 days, 8 hours, 40 minutes, 35 seconds, it provided navigation beyond line-of-sight comms. Per Rotary Pilot, Flight Lieutenant Nick Farren, “Having Starlink on board was a game changer. It gave us real-time data to support tactical decisions, and for us it felt very natural, as offshore navigation mirrors much of what we do when flying.”
– Sarah Morley captured this image of a Starlink Train while travelling to one of her clients. “A great reminder that even on the way to work, there’s always something new to see.”
■ 𝕏:
– X/xAI London, by X’s Chris Park (@chrisparkX)
– X Devs (@XDevelopers) announced the beta launch of X’s pay-per-use API model, expanding access to new and power users aiming to develop innovative apps, with all selected participants receiving a $500 voucher to kickstart building. This moves from the rigid tiered pricing to a granular, usage-based costs for actions like reading posts, creating content, DMs, trends, and bookmarks, complete with an estimator tool and no monthly caps, potentially revitalizing the developer ecosystem two years after the controversial overhaul that priced out many third-party tools.
– Per Elon on X Chat, “𝕏 Chat doesn’t have and never will have any “hooks for advertising”. The messages are fully encrypted with no advertising hooks or strange “AWS dependencies” such that I can’t read your messages even if someone put a gun to my head. You can also do file transfers and audio/video calls.”
– Last part of Airwave Dynamics (@AirwaveDynamics) flyover in Bastrop, Texas, showed us the completed X HQ and Hyperloop Plaza (@HyperloopPlaza), home of the Boring Bodega. Flyover link is in the sources section.
■ xAI:
– xAI is hosting a hiring event with the American Job Center’s Digital Delta Partnership tonight from 6 – 8 p.m. at Crosstown Concourse in Memphis. They will be recruiting local talent for the Colossus Centers with $20/hour starting jobs. Tonight includes a job fair, employer connections, training, and certifications for sustainable tech roles. Speakers: Melody Reeman (Greater Memphis Workforce Board) stresses local prioritization: “All of the talent is right here.”
– Judge Mark T. Pittman ordered X Corp. and xAI’s August 2025 antitrust lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI to stay in Fort Worth’s U.S. District Court, despite minimal local ties. The defendants missed the October 9th transfer deadline. X Corp claims an anticompetitive plot to dominate AI, including Apple’s App Store boosting ChatGPT over Grok. Pittman sarcastically urged HQ relocations to Fort Worth, linking a business site in a footnote, and slammed forum-shopping: “Venue is not a continental breakfast; you cannot pick and choose on a Plaintiffs’ whim.”
– Per xAI’s Jeffrey Weichsel (@jeffweichsel), “What does the daily life of an Expert Tutor at xAI look like? Many of my Finance Tutors say it’s the best job they’ve had. They ask interesting questions in their field and answer from first principles. Finance Tutors compare it to studying for business school or the CFA. Those with PHDs compare it to writing their thesis.”
■ ELON NEWS:
– Per Elon, “Working will be optional in the future. There will be universal high income.”
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.
■ WAYS TO SUPPORT THE CHRONICLE:
For October, and exclusively for X subscribers, I am giving away The Boring Company “Beat the Snail” Hat ($40)! I picked it up at the Boring Bodega in Bastrop, Texas. Like always, one random subscriber’s name will be drawn at the end of the month. Join the likes of Elon himself and SUBSCRIBE HERE!
For the remainder of the Holiday Season, you can get the ELON CHRON Substack subscription at 50% off for an entire year! That’s right, 50% off for 12 months! This discount ends New Years Eve at 11:59 pm.
And lastly, if you are interested in getting a Tesla or Starlink, switching to T-Mobile for T-Satellite, or investing in the ARK Venture Fund, checkout my referral page. REFERRALS HERE!
Have a great day!
■ SOURCES:
FLYOVERS:
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Starlink, The Boring Company, X in Bastrop: Airwave Dynamics
Tesla:
SpaceX:
Starlink:
𝕏:
Elon News: