In a futuristic live demonstration at SpaceX McGregor, Texas test site Thursday night, Tesla unveiled its next-generation Roadster, nearly nine years since its initial 2017 prototype reveal. Developed in collaboration with SpaceX, the electric supercar utilizes cold-gas thrusters and advanced aerodynamics to achieve unprecedented performance metrics, including a demonstrated 0-60 miles per hour(mph) time in 0.81 seconds and the ability to perform mid-air flips and vertical ramp climbs.

The Roadster features SpaceX-inspired propulsion system which has tri-motor electric drive and 4 SpaceX cold-gas rear thrusters, and uses compressed air stored in ultra-high-pressure tanks rather than chemical propellants. The vehicle employs a fan-based multi-mode suction system capable of generating up to 2G active aero downforce to maximize ground grip, allowing it to drive upside down on vertical surfaces.

The supercar automatically adjusts ground clearance and underbody airflow to glue the chassis to the track regardless of speed. Traditional tires struggle with mechanical grip under instant electrical and rocket torque.

For aerial maneuvers, the car utilizes attitude-control and main thrusters to execute rolls and controlled landings. During the live demonstration the supercar successfully drove up a multi-story ramp, flipped in mid-air, and landed on its wheels, while also achieving the 0.81-second acceleration benchmark in a live test.

"When we started redesigning the Roadster, we didn't just want to build an incremental improvement over the original concept," Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen said during the live demonstration. "We wanted to delete the boundary between aerospace engineering and automotive design. Working directly with the SpaceX team allowed us to integrate hardware that has never existed on a street-legal vehicle before."

CEO Elon Musk said: "There will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car. We radically increased the design goals... Combining Tesla electric powertrain technology with SpaceX rocket thrusters creates a vehicle that defies conventional physics. Achieving 0 to 60 in 0.81 seconds is incredible, but the maneuverability and active flight-assist capabilities are what really make this a true science fiction machine on the road."

Tesla Roadster will come in the following configurations and specifications.

A Performance mode with two-seater designed for road use, featuring active aerodynamics and a multi-mode suction system. It claims a 0-60 mph time of under 1.6 seconds and is available by reservation with a $50,000 deposit.

The Thrust mode is a two-seater race-ready variant that adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters to boost acceleration. It achieves 0-60 mph in under 0.9 seconds (demonstrated at 0.81s) and is offered as a limited release with a $250,000 deposit.

The third mode is Rocket, a single-seater "air-ready" configuration featuring perimeter-mounted thrusters for upward and rotational movement, enabling flight capabilities. It claims a 0-60 mph time of under 0.59 seconds, a top speed exceeding 230 mph, and a range of over 300 miles. Access is strictly "invite only," and it is not approved for public road use.

The next-generation Roadster prototype was initially revealed in late 2017 with base specs promising a 0–60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, a 200 kWh battery pack, and a 620-mile range.

Musk teased a "SpaceX package" featuring 10 small cold-gas thrusters, initially targeting a ~1.1-second 0–60 time. The project underwent multiple redesign cycles to integrate new powertrain components, advanced battery cell technologies, and specialized high-pressure air systems. The refined design moves from prototype concept to production engineering with 2028 release date.

A SpaceX Dragon docked with the Harmony module’s space-facing (zenith) port of the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday (Oct. 15), at 1427 UTC, as both spacecraft traveled 400 kilometers (km) over South Africa at 28,000 kph, delivering 2,860 kilograms of cargo including fresh food, long-term provisions, research and hardware to the orbital lab and its crew. From inside the ISS, NASA astronaut Anil Menon led the monitoring of Dragon's approach and autonomous procedures.

The Cargo Dragon C211 spacecraft launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on Tuesday (Oct. 13), on SpaceX's 35th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission for NASA. After a roughly 51-hour autonomous chase, C211 caught up with the space station. Tuesday's launch produced a notable "space jellyfish" visual phenomenon as sunlight illuminated the rocket’s exhaust plume in the upper atmosphere.

C211 delivered a variety of payloads to support Expedition 75 crew and the newly arrived SpaceX Crew-13 astronauts, including the last pair of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs), critical for augmenting the station's power capabilities; hardware to manufacture artificial retinas in microgravity and 3D heart tissue models for drug testing; components for the Canadarm2 (including a joint for analysis), a toilet dose pump, and a robot micro-conical tool; and general Supplies like food, water, and flight support equipment for the crew.

In addition to the usual provisions carried on this mission, Dragon also brought a special suprise for Menon, who is celebrating his 50th birthday today, according to NASA's broadcast spokesperson.

Dragon will remain docked to the ISS for about one month, before a mid-November undocking from the ISS, packed with completed experiments and waste for its return to Earth. The spacecraft will perform a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, where recovery teams will retrieve the capsule for refurbishment.

A 160 kilometer/hour(km/h) speed limit was imposed Wednesday, on Starshield terminals -- SpaceX's military-grade version of its Starlink satellite communications service -- without prior warning to Ukrainian forces. This restriction caused connectivity drops at speeds as low as 72 km/h in some units, forcing the cancellation of several drone missions, including mid-range strikes and air defense intercepts against Russian Shahed drones.

Starshield dedicated satellites are owned by the US government. SpaceX builds, launches, and maintains them as contractor. Pentagon has ownership and operational oversight -- with mission directors, kill switches in Government-owned, contractor operated (GOCO) setups -- but day-to-day operations still rely on SpaceX personnel, infrastructure, and cooperation.

The Starshield deployment in Ukraine operates under a Pentagon-funded contract covering about 3,000 hardened military terminals, valid until mid-May 2027.

While commercial Starlink Mini terminals naturally cap out near 160 km/h, military-grade Starshield terminals were specifically integrated into high-speed aircraft and interceptor drones to counter jet-powered Russian Shahed drones. When these Ukrainian drones exceeded 160 km/h during target intercepts, the satellite links dropped immediately, causing several high-priority missions to fail, according to Ukraine's 7th Rapid Reaction Corps.

Ukrainian officials said this restriction undermined their most effective current defense against jet-powered Shahed drones. Defense technology advisor Serhii Beskrestnov ("Flash") and Ukrainian drone unit commanders reported that the geo-fencing and velocity restrictions were enacted without advance notice. He claimed the move was "not a coincidence" and linked it to the current political situation, noting that U.S. President Donald Trump had recently demanded Kyiv stop striking Russian oil refineries.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and senior advisers raised concerns about the timing, noting that Russian forces appeared to exploit the gap during air attacks overnight. He described the disruption as a "pity" in an interview with Piers Morgan after meetings in London with British leaders. "It's a big mistake... people will die," he said, and emphasized continued reliance on U.S. partnership.

Ukrainian officials reportedly reached out to representatives of U.S. President Trump's administration, the U.S. DoD, and SpaceX leadership to request an exemption for high-speed interceptor systems defending against missile and drone strikes.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk clarified the distinction between commercial Starlink and government Starshield. "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government," he wrote on X replying to Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS. Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company."

By the evening Wednesday, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that connection quality had improved at speeds up to 160 km/h, though the speed cap remained in place.

Poland, which funded over 29,000 Starlink and Starshield terminals provided to Ukraine, publicly cautioned SpaceX and U.S. leadership regarding unilateral restrictions that compromise Eastern European frontline defense operations.