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SpaceX’s Gwynne Shotwell makes Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list for 2020
Time Magazine’s annual “100 Most Influential People” list has named SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell among its 2020 picks. Appearing under the “Titan” category alongside other famous names such as Sundar Pichai of Alphabet/Google, Shotwell’s 18-year career with Elon Musk’s private spaceflight company was highlighted by former astronaut and first woman to walk in space, Kathryn D. Sullivan.
“She is not only a quintessential engineer with a passion to build things, but also a “people engineer” who thrives on working with colleagues and customers,” Sullivan wrote. “Gwynne Shotwell is helping to launch our future, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.” The high-powered executive was also credited as being an instrumental part of SpaceX’s historic firsts of launching, landing, and recovering commercial spacecraft as well as the first commercial launch and recovery of astronauts.
Time’s “Most Influential” list has been running for nearly 20 years, and multiple staff members of the publication are involved in lengthy discussions about the annual selections. “We see the TIME 100 as more than a list,” detailed Dan Macsai, the TIME 100 editorial director.
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- COO and President Gwynne Shotwell shows elected stakeholders SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket.
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- Shotwell, pictured on the right, spoke in depth about SpaceX’s profitability and synergies with Tesla’s battery expertise. (NASA)
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- Mrs. Shotwell at the helm of SpaceX’s Hawthorne, CA mission control center. (SpaceX)
“It’s a community of hundreds of leaders from across the years and around the world whose visions can guide us and whose achievements can bring us hope.” This year’s list was a bit more unique in both its creation process and names picked due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the former involving Zooms and Google Meets, and the latter from the inclusion of a record number of doctors, nurses, and scientists.
Gwynne Shotwell’s storied career stands as an embodiment of success for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, especially over the last decade. Her position at SpaceX began with a call from Musk asking her to apply for a position as Vice President of Business Development, after which she was interviewed and hired immediately. Shotwell’s prior career experience includes working as an engineer for the Aerospace Corporation and leading a wide array of analytical studies for government agencies geared towards space policy.
Altogether, the COO has used her arsenal of high-valued skills to build a solid customer base at SpaceX, among many other successes. For instance, Shotwell was instrumental in working with Musk to win around $2 billion dollars from NASA for commercial resupply services to the International Space Station, saving SpaceX from bankruptcy in 2008. Her promotions to COO and President soon after followed. Shotwell continues to lead the spaceflight company towards even more monumental achievements which will soon include missions to both the Moon and Mars.
You can watch Gwynne Shotwell’s famous Ted Talk detailing SpaceX’s plans to ferry humans around the Earth in rocket-powered vehicles below:
Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.
If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.
FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:
- But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
- This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
- As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
- For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States.
This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
— JC Christopher (@JohnChr08117285) January 29, 2025
The convenience of…
FSD user’s tale:
- As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
- During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
- In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous.
- “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
- “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products.
The video:
- Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver.
- The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
- While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
- Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.
Future Robo-cop @Tesla_Optimus
— SOKRISPYMEDIA (@sokrispymedia) January 12, 2025
full video: https://t.co/TXpSRhcP5K pic.twitter.com/YFHZ7siAP7
Cool inside jokes:
- The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it.
- From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
- The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
- The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.
Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
Tesla definitely seems to be determined to release the coolest lineup of accessories for its coolest vehicle. As could be seen in an update to the Tesla Shop, the electric vehicle maker has now launched a metal key card for the Cybertruck—because why not?
Cybertruck keys:
- The Cybertruck, similar to Tesla’s other vehicles, is shipped with a regular key card.
- The vehicle could also be accessed and locked through a phone key.
- As per the Cybertruck’s Owner’s Manual, the all-electric pickup truck is capable of supporting a total of 19 keys.
The Cybertruck’s Metal Key Card:
- Tesla’s Cybertruck Metal Key Card functions much like the vehicle’s regular key card, but it is finished using premium stainless steel
- As per Tesla’s description of the item:
- “Convenient, durable, versatile. The Cybertruck Metal Key Card is a premium stainless-steel alternative to our traditional plastic key cards, making it easy to access your Cybertruck without your Phone Key. Ideal for when your phone is unavailable or when sharing your vehicle with a friend or valet.”
- The Cybertruck Metal Key Card costs $60.
- In comparison, the Cybertruck’s regular key card is sold for $40.
- The Cybertruck Metal Key Card comes with the metal key card itself, as well as a bifold key card wallet.
Tesla Cybertruck merch push:
- Being the company’s most eye-catching vehicle, it is no surprise that that Tesla has been releasing quite a lot of merchandise inspired by the all-electric pickup truck.
- These include a $250 levitating Cybertruck model, as well as a $35 Cybertruck wind-up racer, both of which are out of stock.
- Tesla also sells the $35 “CyberMug,” a $40 “CyberStein,” and a $50 “CyberVessel.”
- Other Cybertruck-inspired merchandise are the $60 Cyberwhistle Stealth, and the $50 CyberOpener.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
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