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SpaceX Falcon 9 doubleheader still on track after fiery ULA launch abort
As previously reported by Teslarati, SpaceX announced intentions to launch two Falcon 9 missions from two Florida launchpads on Sunday, August 30th. However, the ambitious goal was left in limbo.
The record-breaking doubleheader was believed to hinge upon the Saturday morning launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket with a classified spy satellite. However, that is apparently no longer the case.
Instead of launching on time, ULA’s infrequently-flown heavy-lift rocket was hit by 72 hours of delays to rectify minor pad hardware bugs. Around 2 am EDT (UTC-4) on August 29th, Delta IV Heavy made it just seconds away from liftoff before the rocket’s autonomous flight computer detected an anomaly with pad hardware and aborted the launch. As a result, the three cores’ three Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A engines were forced to shut down after ignition – an uncommon Delta IV launch abort scenario that has historically required at least a week of work to recycle for another launch attempt.

ULA ultimately determined that it was not possible to recycle the countdown for another attempt although enough time remained in the launch window to do so. The launch vehicle was safed and a scrub was announced.
In a statement provided by ULA confirmed that the early shutdown was “due to an unexpected condition during the terminal count at approximately three seconds before liftoff.” ULA also confirmed that “the required recycle time prior to the next launch attempt is seven days minimum.”
ULA has to fly before SpaceX, right?
With a minimum of seven days required to recycle the ULA Delta IV Heavy for another launch attempt, it was unclear what that meant for the fate of the SpaceX SAOCOM-1B mission.

It was previously understood that in order for SpaceX to launch the SAOCOM-1B mission from nearby Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40), the ULA Delta IV Heavy would have to successfully launch first. The southern polar launch trajectory of the SAOCOM-1B’s mission is one that hasn’t been flown from Cape Canaveral, FL in nearly six decades. This particular flightpath includes launch hazard zones that inch ever so close to the launchpad of the Delta IV Heavy, which is currently still on its launchpad stacked with a classified payload for the U.S. government.
It was assumed that the Falcon 9 would suffer the same minimum delay of seven days, if not longer. However, on Saturday afternoon, August 29 a SpaceX media representative confirmed that the company was still targeting the historic double header launches on Sunday, August 30.
Double the launches, double the recoveries
If SpaceX can pull it off, Sunday is set to be a stellar day for Falcon 9 launches and landings. The SAOCOM-1B mission will feature a Return To Launch Site (RTLS) landing attempt of the expended Falcon 9 booster while the Starlink Falcon 9 booster is expected to land aboard the autonomous droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” currently stationed off the coast of South Carolina.
In an unusual move, SpaceX split up the fairing catching vessels. Initially, both vessels left Port Canaveral and headed south to a catch zone located between The Bahamas and Cuba in an attempt to catch both fairing halves of the SAOCOM-1B mission. Then, GO Ms.Tree did an about-turn and met up with the booster recovery vessels off the coast of South Carolina.
At the time of publishing, the two Sunday Falcon 9 launches are expected to occur just nine hours apart. The Starlink V1.0-L11 mission is slated to occur at 10:12am ET (1412 UTC) from Launch Complex 39-A at Kennedy Space Center while the SAOCOM-1B mission is set to launch at 7:18pm ET (2318 UTC) from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. As usual, SpaceX will host official launch webcasts live, typically beginning around 15 minutes before liftoff.
Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk just revealed more about Tesla’s June Robotaxi launch
Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave more information about the Robotaxi launch in Austin set for June.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk just revealed more details about the company’s June Robotaxi launch, which will kick off in Austin.
As of right now, Tesla is still set to push out the first Robotaxi rides in Austin, Texas, in early June. These vehicles will be in short supply at first, as Musk says the company is purposely rolling out the fleet in a slow and controlled fashion to prioritize safety. There will be ten vehicles in the Robotaxi fleet to start.
Tesla Robotaxi deemed a total failure by media — even though it hasn’t been released
However, in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday afternoon, Musk also revealed some other new details, including where in Austin the vehicles will be able to go, how many Robotaxis we could see on public roads within a few months, and other information regarding Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite.
A Controlled Rollout
Tesla has maintained for a few months now that the Robotaxi fleet will be comprised of between 10 and 20 Model Y vehicles in Austin.
The Cybercab, which was unveiled by the company last October, will not be available initially, as those cars will likely be produced in 2026.
Musk said during the CNBC interview that Tesla is doing a low-yield trial at first to initiate a safety-first mentality. It is important for Tesla to launch the Robotaxi fleet in a small manner to keep things in check, at least at first.
As confidence builds and the accuracy of the fleet is ensured, more vehicles will be added to the fleet.
Musk believes there will be 1,000 Robotaxis on the road “in a few months.”
Geofenced to Certain Austin Areas
Tesla will be launching the Robotaxi program in a geofenced fashion that gives the company the ability to control where it goes. Musk says that the areas the Robotaxis will be able to travel to are among the safest neighborhoods and areas in Austin.
This is yet another safety protocol that will ensure the initial riders are not put in dangerous neighborhoods.
Some might be disappointed to hear this because of Tesla’s spoken confidence regarding Robotaxi, but the initial rollout does need to be controlled for safety reasons. An accident or incident of any kind that would put riders’ lives in danger would be catastrophic.
No Driver, No Problem
As the company has rolled out an employee-only version of the Robotaxi program in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, some wondered whether the rides would be driverless, as these initial trials for Tesla workers were not. Employee rides featured a human in the driver’s seat to ensure safety.
Tesla says it has launched ride-hailing Robotaxi teaser to employees only
The company did not report whether there were any interventions or not, but it did state that the vehicles traveled over 15,000 miles through 1,500 trips.
Musk confirmed during the interview that there will be no driver in the vehicle when the Robotaxi program launches in June. This will be groundbreaking as it will be the first time that Tesla vehicles will operate on public roads without anyone in the driver’s seat.
Full Self-Driving Licensing
For more than a year, Tesla has indicated that it is in talks with another major automaker regarding the licensing of Full Self-Driving. Many speculated that the company was Ford, but neither it nor Tesla confirmed this.
Musk said today that Tesla has been in touch with “a number of automakers” that have inquired about licensing FSD. Tesla has yet to sign any deal to do so.
Here is the full interview with @elonmusk talking about Tesla and the Cybercab! pic.twitter.com/992njb0lPS
— Robin (@xdNiBoR) May 20, 2025
Elon Musk
Elon Musk on Tesla vehicle sales: “We see no problem with demand”
“The sales numbers at this point are strong, and we see no problem with demand,” Musk said.

During a rather testy interview with Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain at the Qatar Economic Forum, Elon Musk stated that the demand for Tesla’s vehicles is still strong. Musk also stated that the issues that Tesla faced earlier his year have already turned around.
Already Turned Around
Tesla sales saw notable drops in the past months, particularly in Europe, where several countries saw drastically fewer Tesla sales year-over-year. Tesla stated in its Q1 2025 vehicle delivery report that the declines were largely due to the company’s changeover to the new Model Y, but media reports nevertheless placed the blame on Musk’s politics and his work with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
It was then no surprise that Bloomberg’s Husain pointed out Tesla’s low sales in Europe this April during the interview. When questioned about the matter, Musk stated that things have “already turned around.” Musk also noted that while Tesla sales are down in Europe so far, this is true for numerous other carmakers in the region.
No Problem With Demand
When asked for evidence to back up his claims, Musk stated that Europe is indeed Tesla’s weakest market, but the company remains “strong everywhere else.” He also admitted that while Tesla has “lost some sales from the left,” the company also “gained some from the right.” Musk highlighted the fact that Tesla stock, which is partly affected by analysts with insider information, is trading at near all-time highs.
“The sales numbers at this point are strong, and we see no problem with demand. You can just look at the stock price. If you want the best insider information, the stock market analysts have that, and our stock wouldn’t be trading near all-time highs if things weren’t in good shape. They’re fine. Don’t worry about it,” Musk said.
Watch Elon Musk’s full interview at the Qatar Economic Forum in the video below.
Elon Musk
Tesla’s Elon Musk confirms he’ll stay CEO for at least five more years
Tesla CEO Elon Musk eased any speculation about his role with the company as he confirmed he would be with the automaker for at least five more years.

Tesla’s Elon Musk said that he will still be CEO of the automaker in five years’ time, dispelling any potential skepticism regarding his commitment or plans with the company.
In the past, there was some speculation that Musk would leave Tesla if he was not adequately compensated for his work. He had a massive pay package taken from him by Delaware Judge Kathaleen McCormick in a move that caused Tesla to reincorporate its company in Texas.
Tesla Chair of the Board letter urges stockholders to approve Texas reincorporation
However, Musk confirmed today with a simple “Yes” that he would still be Tesla’s frontman in five years during an interview with Bloomberg at the Qatar Economic Forum:
“Do you see yourself and are you committed to still being the chief executive of Tesla in five years’ time?”
“Yes.”
Musk has had the massive $56 billion pay package declined twice by Chancellor McCormick, who has ruled that the pay was an “unfathomable sum.” Shareholders have voted twice in overwhelming fashion to award Musk with the pay package, but she has overruled it twice. This seemed to be one reason Musk might minimize his role or even step away from Tesla.
He said (via Bloomberg):
“The compensation should match that something incredible was done. But I’m confident that whatever some activist posing as a judge in Delaware happens to do will not affect the future compensation.”
Musk’s commitment to Tesla for the next five years will help steer the company in a more stable direction as it begins to expand its market well past automotive and sustainable energy. Although Tesla has been labeled as an AI company, it is also starting to push more into the robotics industry with the future release of the Optimus robot.
Now that Musk is on board for at least five more years, Tesla investors have their frontman, who has remained firm on the company’s vision to be a true disruptor in all things tech. The company’s stock is trading up just over 1 percent at the time of publication.
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