Elon Musk Weekly News Update: Starship Flight 6 & FSD 13.5 (Jan 17, 2026)

It’s been a massive week for the Musk ecosystem. Between the latest Starship milestones and new developments with Tesla’s FSD, there is a lot to unpack.In this update, we’re breaking down the top stories from the last seven days:SpaceX: The latest flight data and what it means for the next launch.Tesla & AI: New updates on Optimus and the shift in xAI’s roadmap.The Headlines: A quick look at the biggest moves on X and the latest from Neuralink.I’m cutting through the clickbait to give you the actual numbers and engineering facts. Whether you're tracking your TSLA portfolio or just want to know how close we are to the next big breakthrough, this episode has you covered.

NHTSA extended Tesla's deadline to respond to an FSD investigation covering 8,313 potential traffic violations. The new February 23 deadline arrives just after Musk announced FSD will become subscription-only on February 14, the same day California's DMV gave Tesla to fix misleading marketing or face a sales ban. We break down what federal regulators are actually investigating, why Tesla is juggling three major probes simultaneously, and how the subscription pivot may be a legal hedge as regulators close in.

Ashley St. Clair sues xAI over Grok’s sexualized images on X, X says it added safety limits, regulators move in, and a custody backdrop adds heat to a fast-building case.

Musk Says Retirement Saving May Soon Be Irrelevant.

Ford discontinued the F-150 Lightning after selling 27,300 units in 2025. Tesla's Cybertruck moved just 21,500 globally, running at roughly 10% of planned production capacity. We break down the hidden sales data, SpaceX's bulk purchases, and why the Cybertruck program faces an uncertain future.

Iran deployed military-grade jamming equipment to cripple Starlink satellite internet during nationwide protests, achieving what Russia failed to do in Ukraine. We break down the technology behind the attack, SpaceX's countermeasures, and the Trump-Musk phone call about restoring access.

NASA's Artemis 2 prepares for February launch to the Moon

Elon Musk's xAI closed a $20 billion funding round at a $230 billion valuation, but internal documents reveal the company is burning $1 billion per month with mounting losses. Bloomberg reports xAI told investors it will build the AI for Tesla's Optimus robot, raising fiduciary duty questions. Meanwhile, Grok triggered investigations in six countries after generating explicit deepfakes of minors, and Musk promised to open source X's algorithm in seven days amid regulatory pressure. We break down the financial picture, the regulatory risks, and what it all means for Musk's AI ambitions.

San Francisco is about to become the only city where four robotaxi companies compete for riders. Waymo has 1,000 vehicles and freeway access. Tesla still needs safety drivers and faces a $240 million legal judgment. Zoox plans paid rides in the second half of 2026. Uber is partnering with Lucid on $100,000 luxury vehicles. I break down each company's technology, timeline, and chances of success.

SpaceX is preparing to launch Starship Flight 12, the maiden flight of Block 3 vehicles. Booster 19 and Ship 39 will fly with Raptor 3 engines for the first time, generating 19 to 22 percent more thrust than Block 2. The launch window opens in late February or March 2026 from Pad 2 at Starbase. SpaceX will not attempt a booster catch on this flight. Ship 39 will attempt a controlled reentry over the Indian Ocean. The orbital refueling demonstration planned for June 2026 depends on Flight 12 succeeding, and NASA's Artemis program has no backup plan. We talk about Starship Flight 12 Technical Report, SpaceX production timeline and testing milestones, FCC communications window filing and NASA Artemis program dependencies.The Starship system is a fully reusable, two‑stage‑to‑orbit super heavy‑lift launch vehicle under development by SpaceX. The system is composed of a booster stage named Super Heavy and a second stage, also called "Starship" and is being built at Starbase, Texas.00:00:00 - SpaceX Starship Flight 12 update00:01:48 - Raptor 3 Engine00:02:38 - Ship 39 Design00:03:20 - COPV Failure Investigation00:04:45 - Starbase Pad 200:05:36 - Flight Profile00:07:05 - Testing Timeline00:07:57 - NASA Artemis Impact00:08:33 - 2026 Roadmap00:09:15 - What's next for flight 12?