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SpaceX to attempt first East Coast polar launch in half a century as storms loom

SpaceX will attempt to thread the needle through Florida storms later this evening for the first East Coast polar launch in half a century. (SpaceX)

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Despite bad weather that forced SpaceX to stand down from a Starlink launch planned earlier this morning, the company is still on track to attempt the first East Coast polar launch in half a century later this evening.

Known as SAOCOM 1B, the Argentinian spacecraft scheduled to launch on Falcon 9 is the second in a pair of large Earth observation radar satellites, using an advanced form of radar to analyze vast swaths of the planet’s surface. SpaceX launched SAOCOM 1A in October 2018.

Originally scheduled to launch as early as March 30th, 2020, SAOCOM 1B has suffered extensive delays as a result of coronavirus-related travel and work restrictions. At long last, the 1600 kg (~3500 lb) satellite is vertical at the LC-40 launch pad atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, but Florida’s temperamental summer weather threatens to delay the mission into September.

Falcon 9 B1059 stands vertical with SAOCOM 1B ahead of a long-delayed launch attempt. (SpaceX)

Per the 45th Space Wing tasked with range support for all Cape Canaveral launches, the forecast for SpaceX’s SAOCOM 1B launch predicts conditions will be just as bad as the weather that forced SpaceX to scrub its 10:12 am EDT Starlink-11 launch attempt. Said forecast shows a 60% chance of weather constraint violation (40% GO) due to cumulus and anvil cloud (i.e. thunderstorm) formation, among other concerns. While somewhat unrelated, photographers were unable to set up cameras on time due to a massive, hours-long lightning storm over Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) and Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

With any luck, though, SpaceX will be able to thread the needle between prevailing weather conditions and safely launch SAOCOM 1B. Historically, the company has managed to successfully launch in spite of very discouraging weather forecasts, which is why it almost never aborts launch attempts until the last minute when weather is a concern – conditions can very quickly change.

Falcon 9 B1059 (left) is still on track for a ~7pm August 30th launch attempt, while Starlink-11 (right) was scrubbed for the day by weather and Starship SN6 battles high winds for a hop attempt in South Texas. (Richard Angle; NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal)

SAOCOM 1B is the first polar launch attempt from the US East Coast in more than half a century after debris from a failed rocket struck and killed a cow on Cuban land in 1969. By adding a ‘dogleg’ maneuver to tweak its trajectory mid-flight, Falcon 9 will theoretically be able to minimize the risk of a similar accident occurring while still recovering the rocket booster and (perhaps) its payload fairing halves.

After liftoff, Falcon 9 booster B1059 will attempt to return to Cape Canaveral to land at one of SpaceX’s land-based Landing Zones for the first time in almost six months. Fairing recovery ship Ms. Chief is on site to attempt to catch and recover one or both halves of the SAOCOM 1B mission’s Falcon fairing, while twin ship Ms. Tree is several hundred miles north to attempt the same feat after SpaceX’s Starlink-11 launch (now NET September 1st).

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SAOCOM 1B is scheduled to launch no earlier than (NET) 7:18 pm EDT (UTC-4) on August 30th. An official webcast will begin around 7 pm.

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Tesla looks to expand Robotaxi geofence once again with testing in new area

It looks as if Tesla is preparing for its next expansion of the geofence, potentially moving toward a much larger service area that could eclipse 150 square miles.

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla looks to be preparing for the potential expansion of the Robotaxi geofence once again, as the company was spotted testing the suite in an area well outside of the Austin service area.

After it first launched the Robotaxi platform on June 22, Tesla has managed to expand its geofence twice, essentially doubling the travel area both times.

The most recent expansion took the size of the geofence from 42 square miles to about 80 square miles, bringing new neighborhoods and regions of the city into the realm of where the driverless vehicles could take passengers.

However, it looks as if Tesla is preparing for its next expansion of the geofence, potentially moving toward a much larger service area that could eclipse 150 square miles.

Over the weekend, one fan noticed a Robotaxi validation vehicle testing in Bee Cave, Texas, which is roughly 25 minutes from the edge of the current geofence:

Tesla has been testing vehicles in the western suburbs of Austin for some time, and it seems the company is laying some groundwork to push its geofence expansion into Plaid Mode as competition with Waymo continues to be at the forefront of the conversation.

Waymo has been expanding with Tesla for some time, as the pace of expansion for the two companies has been relatively accelerated for the past couple of months.

Tesla’s expansions of the geofence sent a clear message to competitors and doubters, but it is still aiming to keep things safe and not push the envelope too quickly.

The geofence expansion is impressive, but Tesla is also focusing on expanding its vehicle fleet in both Austin and the Bay Area, where it launched a ride-hailing service in July.

Tesla Bay Area autonomous fleet to grow to over 100 units: Elon Musk

Still, safety is the priority at the current time.

“We are being very cautious. We do not want to take any chances, so we are going to go cautiously. But the service areas and the number of vehicles in operation will increase at a hyper-exponential rate,” CEO Elon Musk said during the Q2 Earnings Call.

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Tesla considers making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing

“Trending toward a need to expedite output even further, which could mean adjusting pricing upward in the coming days. Trying hard not to, will see.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is considering making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing due to the EV tax credit expiring in just over a month.

With the $7,500 EV tax credit set to be removed on September 30, Tesla is experiencing increased demand for its Model 3 and Model Y. Customers are doing whatever they can to take delivery of the car they ordered as soon as possible.

The IRS recently adjusted the EV tax credit’s rules slightly.

Tesla set to win big after IRS adjusts EV tax credit rules

Previously, the vehicle had to be delivered by September 30, but a slight tweak the agency made last week will now allow customers to enter a legally binding contract along with a marginal down payment by that date. The delivery can occur after September 30, and the car can still qualify for the credit.

However, demand is getting so crazy for the Model Y that Tesla is considering a price increase on the all-electric crossover, as well as a potential boost in production output to keep up with orders.

Inventory is dwindling in several markets across the United States, a good sign for the company, as it could have one of its best quarters in recent history in terms of deliveries.

However, Tesla is thinking of bumping the price slightly, Raj Jegannathan, the company’s VP of IT, AI Infrastructure, Apps, Infosec, and Vehicle Service Operations, said on X:

The price adjustment would come as a response to increasing production output, Jegannathan’s response seems to indicate.

The bump would help Tesla’s margins, but the idea that the company could adjust pricing by increasing it would not be popular with potential car buyers. It might encourage some buyers to put their orders in sooner, hoping to avoid a new, higher price.

However, it could also steer some buyers away from putting an order in on a vehicle, especially if the price increase is more than a few hundred dollars.

Tesla boosted the price of the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck recently, but brought in a “Luxe Package” to help justify it.

It comes with Free Full Self-Driving, Free lifetime Supercharging, four years of premium service, and lifetime Premium Connectivity.

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Tesla produces 100,000th new Model Y in Giga Berlin

The milestone was announced on X.

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Credit: Tesla Manufacturing/X

Tesla has produced its 100,000th new Model Y at Gigafactory Berlin. The milestone was announced by the electric vehicle maker through its official Tesla Manufacturing account on social media platform X. 

New Tesla Model Y milestone

The milestone was announced by Tesla on X, when the company wrote “Today, we built the 100,000th New Model Y at Giga Berlin!” The announcement was accompanied by an image of a new Model Y coming off the line.

The milestone was received warmly by members of the Tesla community, many of whom expressed excitement at the further progress of the new Model Y program at Giga Berlin. The facility, after all, only produces Model Y units, which would make it the perfect site to produce new variants like the Model Y Performance and possibly even the Model Y L, which was recently launched in China. 

New Model Y ramp

As noted in a previous report from electrive, the initial production of the new Model Y started in Giga Berlin around mid-January 2025. Since the new Model Y involved a changeover from the legacy Y to the new variant, the ramp of the new Model Y’s production at the Germany-based facility was likely a gradual process over the past months. 

It would then be no surprise if the next 100,000 new Model Y units would be produced in Giga Berlin in a shorter period. Giga Berlin could become an even bigger factor in Tesla’s global sales, after all, especially if it becomes the site that produces the Model Y Performance and the Model Y L for Europe and other territories. Giga Berlin, if any, seems to be quite busy recently, with aerial videos of the facility showing a fleet of mysteriously covered Model Y units being stored within the complex.

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