How Starship Flight 12 Can Save NASA

Tesla announced a recall of about 13,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a battery‑pack contactor defect that can cause sudden power loss while driving. We walk through which models and build dates are affected, how the defect works, who the suppliers are, and what it means for owners and the EV market.

NASA’s acting chief Sean Duffy says SpaceX is behind on Artemis III and opens the lunar lander to competition. Elon Musk fires back on X with “Sean Dummy,” “2 digit IQ,” and “trying to kill NASA!” I break down what NASA actually changed, how Blue Origin factors in, and what technical gates Starship must clear to keep a 2027 landing alive. Sources: Axios, Politico, Reuters, and LA Times.

Starship ended 2025 with a successful Flight 11 and a clean handoff to Block 3. I break down what Flight 12 needs to prove, why orbital refueling is the real blocker, how Kennedy comes into play, and what must happen in 2026 to keep Artemis III on a 2027 track.

The Kremlin proposed an $8B Bering Strait tunnel linking Russia to the U.S., asking Elon Musk’s Boring Company to build it and suggesting it be named after Putin and Trump.https://wilwaldon.com

>> FREE $5 at ACORNSElon Musk's $56 billion Tesla compensation package is under review by the Delaware Supreme Court after being voided earlier this year. The case questions whether Tesla's board acted independently or simply followed Musk’s lead. This episode breaks down what’s at stake for Musk, Tesla, and future CEO pay structures across corporate America.

GM will take a $1.6 billion charge on its EV business after scaling back production plans and delaying launches, reflecting lower-than-expected consumer demand and rising costs.https://wilwaldon.com

With Cybertruck sales falling, Tesla is sending unsold units to Elon Musk’s other companies to absorb excess inventory and avoid deeper production cuts.

Zeekr’s new 001 FR can add 310 miles of range in just over 11 minutes using CATL’s Qilin battery and an 800-volt system. The production model delivers 1,265 horsepower, charges faster than any Tesla or Porsche, and marks a major leap for real-world EV performance.

SpaceX targets an 8 a.m. ET window to fly Starship with booster and ship splashdowns for data on reentry, guidance, and engine control. The mission advances reliability for Artemis lunar work, national security payloads, and Starlink scale-up.

A covered vehicle at Tesla’s Palo Alto HQ appears to match the shape of the upcoming robotaxi, signaling that the company has begun building Cybercab hardware