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SpaceX’s newest Falcon 9 booster arrives in FL as rocket fleet activity rapidly grows
SpaceX’s fifth Falcon 9 Block 5 first stage was spotted a few dozen miles away from arriving at Cape Canaveral at the same time as a freshly launched and landed Block 5 booster was being transported from its drone ship at Port Canaveral to Kennedy Space Center.
The now flight-proven booster in question – B1047 – completed a successful launch of the massive 7100 kg Telstar 19V satellite on July 22nd (EDT), after which it landed safely aboard East Coast drone ship Of Course I Still Love You. Three days after that, sooty Falcon 9 B1047 arrived at Port Canaveral, where it took five days to prepare for transport to one of SpaceX’s several Floridan refurbishment facilities. That transport was captured by an impressive number of independent observers from start to finish, in this case winding up at Pad 39A’s hangar (or horizontal integration facility, HIF) for examination and refurbishment before its next launch.
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- B1047 returned safe and sound to Pad 39A for refurbishment less than a week after launching and landing. (Instagram /u/d_lo_ags)
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- Likely taken around the same time, Instagram /u/acslater90 took this photo from the opposite direction. (Instagram – acslater90)
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- B1047 seen rolling into 39A’s integration hangar for refurbishment on July 31st. (Reddit – Kent767)
Simultaneously, multiple separate members of the subreddit /r/SpaceX observed a different Falcon 9 rocket booster being transported in Western Florida and later Orlando, this time a brand new core shrink-wrapped in the usual black plastic – fresh from static fire testing in McGregor, Texas. A photographer flying in the area in mid-July caught the most likely booster candidate (B1050) vertical on the Texas static fire test stand, rounding out a dizzying array of photos documenting SpaceX’s rigorous test and transport system in action over the last several months.
B1050 will likely be tasked with lifting communications satellite Es’hail-2 in very late August or early September. Intriguingly, the appearance of B1050 in Florida also happens to indicate that SpaceX’s next West Coast launch – SAOCOM 1A, NET September 5th – will have to launch aboard a flight-proven Block 5 booster, of which B1047 and B1048 will be up for consideration. B1051, the next new Block 5 booster expected to ship from Hawthorne to Texas to launch pad, is specifically reserved for SpaceX’s first Crew Dragon mission (DM-1), an uncrewed demo flight that could launch in October or November.
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- Crew Dragon gleams in the orbital sunlight before the ISS. The spacecraft’s first launch has reserved Falcon 9 B1051, the next serial booster expected to leave SpaceX’s factory.(SpaceX)
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- Falcon 9 B1050 on its way to McGregor for static fire testing, July 6th.
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- SpaceX tests all new Falcon 9 boosters and upper stages in Texas before launch. (Aerial Photo/Teslarati)
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- Two weeks after it was spotted on the McGregor static fire stand, B1050 rolled into Orlando, FL on July 31st, headed East to Cape Canaveral. (Reddit – alexbrock57)
It’s likely that B1051’s testing and static fire in McGregor will take much longer than the average booster acceptance testing, meaning that the facility’s Falcon 9 booster test capabilities will likely be saturated for a month or longer, pushing B1052’s commercial launch readiness into late September or early October. In reality, B1048 is the only practical option for an early or mid-September launch in California, and that tentative and unofficial booster reflight would crush the current rocket turnaround record by more than four weeks (42 days vs. 72 days).
Booster B1048 just completed its successful debut with the launch of Iridium NEXT-7 and has been under the watchful care of SpaceX recovery technicians since its July 27th return to Port of San Pedro aboard autonomous spaceport drone ship Just Read The Instructions (JRTI). Of particular note, SpaceX technicians took the extraordinary step of opening up B1048’s Merlin engine service bay panels (one per engine along the circumference of the rocket’s base) for several hours on July 30th.
As far as Falcon recoveries go, SpaceX has never been documented performing a similar procedure while the booster is still dockside – perhaps it’s related to the fact that B1050’s East Coast arrival means B1048 will have to be ready for its second launch faster than any SpaceX rocket before it.
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- A SpaceX recovery technician works beneath Falcon 9 B1048’s massive octaweb and Merlin 1D engines, July 30. (Pauline Acalin)
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- SpaceX technicians examine F9 B1048’s quick-disconnect panel, the interface for much of the vehicle’s fluids and on-pad communications. (Pauline Acalin, 07/30/18)
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- A symphony of rocket wrenching, July 30th. (Pauline Acalin)
For prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket recovery fleet (including fairing catcher Mr Steven) check out our brand new LaunchPad and LandingZone newsletters!
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Tesla Supercharger network delivers record 6.7 TWh in 2025
The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets.
Tesla’s Supercharger Network had its biggest year ever in 2025, delivering a record 6.7 TWh of electricity to vehicles worldwide.
To celebrate its busy year, the official @TeslaCharging account shared an infographic showing the Supercharger Network’s growth from near-zero in 2012 to this year’s impressive milestone.
Record 6.7 TWh delivered in 2025
The bar chart shows steady Supercharger energy delivery increases since 2012. Based on the graphic, the Supercharger Network started small in the mid-2010s and accelerated sharply after 2019, when the Model 3 was going mainstream.
Each year from 2020 onward showed significantly more energy delivery, with 2025’s four quarters combining for the highest total yet at 6.7 TWh.
This energy powered millions of charging sessions across Tesla’s growing fleet of vehicles worldwide. The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets. This makes the Supercharger Network loved not just by Tesla owners but EV drivers as a whole.
Resilience after Supercharger team changes
2025’s record energy delivery comes despite earlier 2024 layoffs on the Supercharger team, which sparked concerns about the system’s expansion pace. Max de Zegher, Tesla Director of Charging North America, also highlighted that “Outside China, Superchargers delivered more energy than all other fast chargers combined.”
Longtime Tesla owner and FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog noted the achievement as proof of continued momentum post-layoffs. At the time of the Supercharger team’s layoffs in 2024, numerous critics were claiming that Elon Musk was halting the network’s expansion altogether, and that the team only remained because the adults in the room convinced the juvenile CEO to relent.
Such a scenario, at least based on the graphic posted by the Tesla Charging team on X, seems highly implausible.
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Tesla targets production increase at Giga Berlin in 2026
Plant manager André Thierig confirmed the facility’s stable outlook to the DPA, noting that Giga Berlin implemented no layoffs or shutdowns amid challenging market conditions.
Tesla is looking positively toward 2026 with plans for further growth at its Grünheide factory in Germany, following steady quarterly increases throughout 2025.
Plant manager André Thierig confirmed the facility’s stable outlook to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA), noting that Giga Berlin implemented no layoffs or shutdowns despite challenging market conditions.
Giga Berlin’s steady progress
Thierig stated that Giga Berlin’s production actually rose in every quarter of 2025 as planned, stating: “This gives us a positive outlook for the new year, and we expect further growth.” The factory currently supplies over 30 markets, with Canada recently being added due to cost advantages.
Giga Berlin’s expansion is still underway, with the first partial approval for capacity growth being secured. Preparations for a second partial approval are underway, though the implementation of more production capacity would still depend on decisions from Tesla’s US leadership.
Over the year, updates to Giga Berlin’s infrastructure were also initiated. These include the relocation of the Fangschleuse train station and the construction of a new road. Tesla is also planning to start battery cell production in Germany starting 2027, targeting up to 8 GWh annually.
Resilience amid market challenges
Despite a 48% drop in German registrations, Tesla maintained Giga Berlin’s stability. Thierig highlighted this, stating that “We were able to secure jobs here and were never affected by production shutdowns or job cuts like other industrial sites in Germany.”
Thierig also spoke positively towards the German government’s plans to support households, especially those with low and middle incomes, in the purchase and leasing of electric vehicles this 2026. “In our opinion, it is important that the announcement is implemented very quickly so that consumers really know exactly what is coming and when,” the Giga Berlin manager noted.
Giga Berlin currently employs around 11,000 workers, and it produces about 5,000 Model Y vehicles per week, as noted in an Ecomento report. The facility produces the Model Y Premium variants, the Model Y Standard, and the Model Y Performance.
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Tesla revamped Semi spotted, insane 1.2 MW charging video releases
These developments highlight Tesla’s ongoing refinements to the vehicle’s design and infrastructure.
Tesla is gearing up for high-volume Semi production in 2026, with the Class 8 all-electric truck’s revamped variant being spotted in the wild recently. Official footage from Tesla also showed the Semi achieving an impressive 1.2 MW charging rate on a charger.
These developments highlight Tesla’s ongoing refinements to the vehicle’s design and infrastructure.
Revamped Tesla Semi sighting
Tesla Semi advocate @HinrichsZane, who has been chronicling the progress of the vehicle’s Nevada factory, recently captured exclusive drone footage of the refreshed Class 8 truck at a Megacharger stall near Giga Nevada. The white unit features a full-width front light bar similar to the Model Y and the Cybercab, shorter side windows, a cleared fairing area likely for an additional camera, and diamond plate traction strips on the steps.
Overall, the revamped Semi looks ready for production and release. The sighting marks one of the first real-life views of the Class 8 all-electric truck’s updated design, with most improvements, such as potential 4680 cells and enhanced internals, being hidden from view.
1.2 MW charging speed and a new connector
The official Tesla Semi account on X also shared an official video of Tesla engineers hitting 1.2 MW sustained charging on a Megacharger, demonstrating the vehicle’s capability for extremely rapid charging. Tesla Semi program lead Dan Priestley confirmed in a later post on X that the test occurred at a dedicated site, noting that chargers at the Semi factory in Nevada are also 1.2 MW capable.
The short video featured a revamped design for the Semi’s charging port, which seems more sleek and akin to the NACS port found in Tesla’s other vehicles. It also showed the Tesla engineers cheering as the vehicle achieved 1.2 MW during its charging session. Dan Priestley explained the Semi’s updated charging plug in a post on X.
“The connector on the prior Semi was an early version (v2.4) of MCS. Not ‘proprietary’ as anyone could have used it. We couldn’t wait for final design to have >1MW capability, so we ran with what had been developed thus far. New Semi has latest MCS that is set to be standard,” the executive wrote in a post on X.
Check out the Tesla Semi’s sighting at the Nevada factory in the video below.
Tesla Supercharger network delivers record 6.7 TWh in 2025
Tesla targets production increase at Giga Berlin in 2026
