**Summary of Tesla Time News Episode 627**
- **Starship Flight 12:** The launch was scrubbed on Thursday when a hydraulic pin on the tower arm failed to retract. A successful launch followed on Friday, featuring a test “PEZ‑dispenser” free‑flyer satellite that relayed video of Starship back to Earth via Starlink. The vehicle landed in the Indian Ocean with little heat‑shield damage, marking the first flight of the Raptor 3 engines and demonstrating improved pad‑departure speed thanks to the new V3 Raptors (≈80 × 747 thrust). Elon Musk called it a good learning day, noting that perfection isn’t the goal—gathering data is.
- **Vehicle efficiency & Cyber Cab:** Tesla’s VP of engineering revealed the Cyber Cab consumes 165 Wh/mi, 35 % more efficient than the Model 3, largely due to being ~1,000 lb lighter and having lower rolling resistance.
- **Labor & regulatory news:**
* Sweden: Tesla won its second labor court case against the union IF Metall; the union must now pay Tesla’s court costs (~ $53 k).
* Belgium: Federal approval of Full Self‑Driving in any one region now validates nationwide, removing regional roadblocks.
* Norway: The Model Y became the first car to reach 100,000 new registrations (≈1 in 29 passenger cars).
- **Infrastructure & future plans:**
* Irving, Texas: A former warehouse will be renovated into a 35,000 ft maintenance hub for cyber cabs/robo‑taxis, with a 16‑stall V4 Supercharger and 212 vehicle‑storage stalls nearby.
* Starlink: Exploring lunar connectivity (potential GPS on the Moon) and has connected 140 schools in Brazil’s Amazon, giving >14 k students high‑speed internet.
- **Community & viewer content:** Patreon bonus stories, shout‑outs to supporters, and Supercharger reviews (Baker, CA; Box Hill, Melbourne).
- **Elon’s remarks:** Highlighted the Boring Company’s traffic‑solving/Hyperloop goals, Neuralink’s mind‑computer interface, a goal of launching Starship >10 k times/year, and reflected on the shift from human‑only to AI‑assisted engineering.
Overall, the episode covered a successful Starship test flight, advances in vehicle efficiency, legal wins for Tesla, expanding FSD approvals, new ground‑support infrastructure, and ongoing Starlink initiatives, alongside community engagement and Elon’s visionary comments.
1. Starship Flight 12 did not launch last Thursday because the hydraulic pin holding the tower arm in place failed to retract.
2. Starship Flight 12 launched successfully on the following Friday.
3. A test satellite nicknamed a “dodger dog” was launched through a PEZ‑dispenser‑style mechanism carrying cameras and Starlink hardware.
4. The test satellite recorded video, linked with the Starlink constellation, and downlinked the footage to ground stations.
5. The test aimed to develop a free‑flyer that could be released outside Starship’s payload bay, observe the vehicle, and perform a pirouette to inspect the heat shield.
6. Dozens of Starlink satellites continuously track Starship and maintain a link through a plasma gap in the leeward, aft region of the rocket.
7. Starship Flight 12 landed in the Indian Ocean after a landing‑burn startup, two‑engine flip, and successful flip maneuver.
8. Elon Musk reported that the heat shield showed no burn damage on Flight 12, unlike Flights 10 and 11.
9. A SpaceX buoy team placed camera‑equipped buoys in the Indian Ocean to capture the landing footage.
10. Starship Flight 12 left the launchpad faster than Flight 11 due to the new V3 Raptor engines.
11. The V3 Raptor thrust is equivalent to that of 80 Boeing 747 aircraft.
12. Elon Musk stated that fully reusable rockets favor a higher thrust‑to‑weight ratio because propellant cost dominates cost‑per‑ton‑to‑orbit.
13. For Falcon 9, losing the upper stage costs more than the propellant itself.
14. NASA Administrator Jared Isixman and Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson attended the Starship launch, arriving in an F‑5 Tiger 2 fighter jet.
15. Matt Anderson is also a fighter pilot.
16. The Belgian Federal Minister of Mobility confirmed that approval of Tesla Full Self‑Driving in any one region (Brussels, Wallonia, or Flanders) makes it valid nationwide.
17. Tesla has completed over 2,000 km of FSD testing on Flemish roads, with a target of 5,000 km.
18. In Norway, the Tesla Model Y reached 100,000 new registrations, meaning one in 29 passenger cars on Norwegian roads is a Model Y.
19. The Model Y has been the world’s best‑selling car (including gas, diesel, and hybrid) three times.
20. Plans exist to renovate a warehouse on West Royal Lane in Irving, Texas into a 35,000‑sq‑ft maintenance facility for cyber cabs and robotaxis, also including a 16‑stall V4 Supercharger site with 212 vehicle‑storage stalls farther north.
21. The Irving facility lies north of Dallas and Fort Worth, positioned to service both cities.
22. Starlink is exploring ways to extend connectivity beyond Earth, including potential lunar GPS service.
23. Starlink, together with Brazilian nonprofit Rees Def Futuro, is connecting 140 schools in the remote Amazon region to reliable high‑speed internet, benefitting over 14,000 students.
24. A fire occurred at the Baker, California Supercharger around Christmas Day; the adjacent Mega Packs appeared undamaged, but caution tape remained on the last charger row.
25. A reviewer rated the Baker, California Supercharger approximately 7‑8 out of 10.
26. A brand‑new 12‑stall Supercharger in Box Hill, Melbourne is the largest charging station the reviewer has used in Australia, rated 8 out of 10.
27. Elon Musk stated his goal is to launch Starship over 10,000 times per year (more than once per hour), delivering over 200 tons of useful payload per flight.
28. Elon Musk described Neuralink as a major breakthrough enabling mind‑controlled computing and restoring sight to the blind, likening it to “Jesus‑level miracles.”
29. Tesla Asia shared that ground was broken for a factory and, two years later, Mega Packs were being shipped worldwide.