Tesla Won’t Actually Build Its Own Chip Fab — Intel Is Going to Do It Tesla is not going to construct its own semiconductor fabrication plant, also known as a “chip fab.” Instead, Intel will handle the project as part of the Terafab initiative, a $25 billion Austin-based facility that Elon Musk unveiled last month. The collaboration includes Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, with Intel joining the effort to provide advanced chip manufacturing capabilities. Intel’s announcement on X emphasized its role in designing, fabricating, and packaging ultra-high-performance chips at scale, which will support Terafab’s goal of producing 1 terawatt of annual compute. This partnership marks a significant shift from Musk’s initial vision of Tesla leading the project. When Musk first introduced Terafab, he framed it as a vertically integrated mega-facility that would combine semiconductor design, lithography, fabrication, memory, advanced packaging, and testing under one roof. The facility was positioned as a bold move, akin to Tesla’s entry into battery production, with the promise of delivering 1 terawatt of annual computing power. However, skepticism arose quickly. Leading-edge chip fabs require decades of development, billions in investment, and expertise that Tesla, a car company, lacks. The idea of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI—none of which have prior experience in semiconductor manufacturing—building a competitive sub-2nm process from scratch was seen as overly ambitious. Intel’s involvement now confirms that Terafab is more of a capacity agreement than a standalone Tesla initiative. The company brings critical expertise in process technology, equipment, and packaging—components that are essential for a functional chip fab. Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, on the other hand, contribute demand and capital.#tesla #elon_musk #xai #space_x #intel
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke lost ability to speak while aboard ISS NASA astronaut Mike Fincke experienced a sudden medical emergency while aboard the International Space Station, temporarily losing his ability to speak for about 20 minutes. The incident occurred on January 7 during preparations for a planned spacewalk, prompting immediate alerts to flight surgeons on Earth and concern among his crewmates. Despite extensive medical evaluations, doctors could not determine the exact cause of the episode, ruling out possibilities such as a heart attack or choking. The event has raised questions about the effects of prolonged weightlessness on the human body, given Fincke’s 549 days in space. The situation escalated to the point where Fincke was medically evacuated from the ISS via a SpaceX spacecraft on January 15, along with three other crew members. The evacuation also led to the cancellation of a scheduled spacewalk. Fincke, who has since recovered and reported feeling fine, expressed regret over the disruption but remains hopeful about returning to space. NASA has since initiated a review of medical records for other astronauts to investigate whether similar incidents may have occurred. The incident highlights the challenges of long-duration space missions and the potential for unexpected health complications in microgravity environments. While the exact cause of Fincke’s condition remains unclear, the event underscores the importance of continuous medical monitoring for astronauts during extended stays in space. NASA officials have not yet provided further details on the findings from the medical evaluations or the steps being taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future.#nasa #international_space_station #space_x #mike_fincke #spacewalk
Elon Musk Pauses Plan to Improve X Elon Musk has paused a proposed change to X's revenue-sharing system that was announced by Nikita Bier, the platform's head of product. Bier's plan aimed to discourage users from certain regions, such as India, Thailand, and Eastern Europe, from generating income through inflammatory posts about U.S. politics. The policy would have required users to post content that resonates with people in their own country, neighboring regions, and speakers of their language. Bier argued the change would reduce the incentive for users to target U.S. or Japanese audiences with divisive content, encouraging more diverse conversations instead. The plan was part of broader efforts to address the platform's reputation for hosting harmful or misleading content. Bier had previously introduced measures to disclose the geographic locations of users, revealing that many accounts engaged in discussions about U.S. politics were operated by people outside the country. While the new policy wouldn't prevent users from participating in political debates, it would have made it harder for them to profit from such activity. Musk, however, reversed the decision, stating that the plan would be paused "until further consideration." The move came hours after Bier announced the change, and Musk's intervention surprised some users who had supported the policy. Bier had defended the plan on the platform, assuring users they would benefit financially from the new system. Musk's leadership style has long been a point of contention. His tendency to abruptly change decisions, often without clear reasoning, has led to criticism from former executives and employees. Linda Yaccarino, X's former CEO, left after just two years, citing Musk's erratic management.#spacex #elon_musk #x #space_x #nikita_bier
US Jury Finds Elon Musk Misled Investors During Twitter Purchase A federal jury in California has ruled that Elon Musk misrepresented information to Twitter shareholders, contributing to a significant drop in the company’s stock price during his planned $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform. The verdict, delivered on Friday, marks a rare legal setback for Musk, who has often evaded accountability in past lawsuits. The case, a class action securities lawsuit, could result in the world’s richest person being ordered to pay billions in damages, according to calculations by the jury. The trial, which spanned three weeks in a San Francisco federal court, included in-person testimony from Musk. Jurors determined that two tweets Musk posted in May 2022 contained false claims about the financial viability of the Twitter acquisition. These statements, the jury found, played a role in driving down the company’s share price during a critical period. Investor Giuseppe Pampena filed the lawsuit on behalf of individuals who sold Twitter shares between mid-May and early October 2022. The verdict form revealed that jurors agreed Musk violated a securities rule prohibiting false and misleading statements that depress stock prices. A plaintiff’s lawyer estimated the damages at approximately $2.6 billion. However, the nine-member jury did not find Musk guilty of intentionally scheming to deceive investors, absolving him of some fraud allegations. Musk’s legal team immediately announced plans to appeal the decision, calling it a “setback.” The billionaire, who acquired Twitter in late 2022 and renamed it X, has not publicly commented on the verdict. His reputation for avoiding legal consequences—often referred to as “Teflon Elon”—has been challenged by this ruling.#tesla #elon_musk #space_x #twitter #giuseppe_pampena
Tigress Financial Adjusts Price Target on Boeing to $290 From $275, Maintains Buy Rating Tigress Financial has revised its price target for Boeing, raising it from $275 to $290 while retaining its Buy rating. This adjustment comes amid ongoing market activity and evolving analyst perspectives on the aerospace and defense company. The move reflects renewed confidence in Boeing’s long-term prospects, despite recent challenges in its operations and competition from emerging players in the industry. Other analysts have also expressed positive sentiment toward Boeing. Jefferies recently assigned a Buy rating to the company, citing potential recovery in its commercial aviation segment and improved performance in defense contracts. Meanwhile, Wolfe Research lowered its price target to $250 from $275 but maintained an Outperform rating, indicating a cautious optimism about Boeing’s ability to navigate current market conditions. Boeing’s business model spans multiple sectors, with a significant portion of its revenue derived from defense, space, and security operations. These divisions include military aircraft, satellite technology, and logistics services, which collectively account for 46.3% of its net sales. The company also generates substantial revenue from commercial aviation, which contributes 30.4% of its total sales, alongside services such as maintenance, engineering, and aircraft financing. Geographically, Boeing’s operations are distributed across key markets, with the United States accounting for 53.8% of its sales. Asia and Europe follow, contributing 18.4% and 12.8%, respectively. The company’s global reach extends to the Middle East, Canada, and other regions, underscoring its diversified revenue streams.#boeing #wolfe_research #jefferies #space_x #tigress_financial
NASA spacecraft makes an uncontrolled plunge back to Earth A large space probe plummeted into Earth’s atmosphere early Wednesday, years earlier than expected. The spacecraft, known as Van Allen Probe A, was launched by NASA in 2012 to study the Van Allen radiation belts—two cosmic bands of high-energy particles trapped in Earth’s magnetic field. After operating for over seven years, the probe’s mission ended in 2019 when it ran out of fuel. Now, it has reentered Earth’s atmosphere, with NASA estimating that a few components could have survived the fiery descent. The reentry occurred near the equatorial Pacific, south of Mexico and west of Ecuador, at 6:37 a.m. ET. While most of the spacecraft was expected to disintegrate during reentry, NASA noted that the risk of debris harming a person was estimated at about 1 in 4,200. This is lower than the odds of past space debris incidents, such as the 2018 reentry of China’s space station, which had a chance of less than 1 in a trillion of causing harm. Dr. Darren McKnight, a senior technical fellow at space-tracking company LeoLabs, described the current risk as “not a horrible day for mankind,” emphasizing that such probabilities have improved over time. However, the event highlights the ongoing challenges of managing space debris. NASA’s policies require that spacecraft launched by the U.S. reenter or be safely disposed of within 25 years of their mission’s end. For the Van Allen Probes, the plan was to allow them to burn up in the atmosphere as they fell back to Earth. Mission planners had initially predicted the spacecraft would reenter in 2034, but the actual timeline was accelerated due to the solar cycle’s intensity.#nasa #international_space_station #space_x #van_allen_probe_a #leo_labs
Elon Musk unveils joint Tesla-xAI project 'Macrohard', eyes software disruption Elon Musk announced on Wednesday the launch of a collaborative project between Tesla and his artificial intelligence startup xAI, named "Macrohard" or "Digital Optimus." The initiative aims to develop a system capable of emulating the functions of entire software companies, according to Musk. The project leverages xAI’s Grok large language model, which acts as a high-level "navigator," paired with Tesla’s AI agent. Musk described the system as a tool that could simulate the operations of companies like Microsoft, with the name "Macrohard" serving as a humorous reference to the tech giant. The announcement follows xAI’s trademark application for "Macrohard" filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in August 2025. Musk emphasized that the system would run on Tesla’s in-house AI4 chip, combined with xAI’s Nvidia-based server hardware, positioning it as a cost-competitive solution. The project is part of a broader push by Musk to disrupt traditional software development models, as seen in the recent launch of Anthropic’s Claude Cowork, which has already raised concerns among investors about the potential of agentic AI to challenge established business practices. The collaboration comes amid significant financial and strategic moves involving xAI. Tesla recently invested $2 billion to acquire shares in xAI, while SpaceX acquired xAI in an all-stock deal valued at $250 billion, with SpaceX’s valuation reaching $1 trillion. Musk cited orbital data centers as a key driver for the merger, which precedes a potential initial public offering for SpaceX later this year. Musk’s vision for Macrohard highlights his ongoing efforts to integrate AI across multiple industries, from automotive to space exploration.#tesla #elon_musk #xai #macrohard #space_x
Elon Musk unveils joint Tesla-xAI project 'Macrohard', targets software disruption Elon Musk announced on Wednesday the launch of a collaborative initiative between Tesla and his artificial intelligence venture xAI, naming the project "Macrohard" or "Digital Optimus." The system is designed to mimic the operations of software companies, according to Musk, who described it as capable of emulating the functions of entire organizations. The project builds on xAI's previous efforts to develop Macrohard as an AI tool that would enable developers to simulate software creations akin to those of Microsoft. Musk emphasized that the system's name, "Macrohard," is a humorous nod to Microsoft, highlighting its ambition to replicate the scale and complexity of established tech giants. The project will operate on Tesla's in-house AI4 chip combined with xAI's Nvidia-based server hardware, which Musk claims offers a cost-effective solution. This hardware pairing is part of Tesla's broader strategy to integrate advanced computing capabilities into its operations. The announcement follows Tesla's January agreement to invest $2 billion in xAI, underscoring the company's commitment to expanding its AI capabilities. Additionally, SpaceX recently acquired xAI in an all-stock deal, valuing the rocket maker at $1 trillion and xAI at $250 billion. This merger is positioned as a strategic move to prepare for SpaceX's potential initial public offering later in 2026, with Musk citing orbital data centers as a key rationale for the merger. xAI filed a trademark application for "Macrohard" with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in August 2025, signaling the project's long-term development goals.#tesla #elon_musk #xai #macrohard #space_x
SpaceX Launches Starlink Satellites, Sparks "Space Jellyfish" Phenomenon SpaceX conducted a rocket launch on Wednesday morning, sending a batch of Starlink internet satellites into orbit. The mission took place at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, where the Falcon 9 rocket lifted off around 5:43 a.m. The launch marked another step in SpaceX’s efforts to expand its global broadband network. The event also drew attention for a unique atmospheric phenomenon dubbed the "space jellyfish." This visual effect, observed in the early morning sky, was described by FOX 35 meteorologist Brooks Garner as a result of sunlight reflecting off the rocket’s exhaust plume at high altitudes. The phenomenon, which appeared as glowing, jellyfish-like shapes in the sky, was reported by residents in Georgia and along the U.S. northeastern coast. Garner explained that the light scattering creates the illusion of delicate, translucent forms drifting through the atmosphere. The launch’s timing and location were consistent with SpaceX’s routine operations at Cape Canaveral, a key site for commercial and government space missions. The company’s website confirmed the event as part of its ongoing Starlink deployment, which aims to provide high-speed internet access to remote and underserved regions worldwide. While the "space jellyfish" effect was a notable byproduct of the launch, the primary focus remained on the technical success of the mission. SpaceX has consistently executed such launches with precision, leveraging its Falcon 9 rocket’s reliability and reusability. The Starlink constellation now includes thousands of satellites, forming a low-Earth-orbit network designed to support global connectivity.#starlink #falcon_9 #space_x #cape_canaveral_space_force_station #fox_35
