News
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.
- B1047 returned safe and sound to Pad 39A for refurbishment less than a week after launching and landing. (Instagram /u/d_lo_ags)
- Likely taken around the same time, Instagram /u/acslater90 took this photo from the opposite direction. (Instagram – acslater90)
- 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.
- 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)
- Falcon 9 B1050 on its way to McGregor for static fire testing, July 6th.
- SpaceX tests all new Falcon 9 boosters and upper stages in Texas before launch. (Aerial Photo/Teslarati)
- 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.
- A SpaceX recovery technician works beneath Falcon 9 B1048’s massive octaweb and Merlin 1D engines, July 30. (Pauline Acalin)
- 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)
- 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!
News
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.

This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
News
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X goes down as users report major outage Friday morning
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Elon Musk’s X experienced an outage Friday morning, leaving large numbers of users unable to access the social media platform.
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Downdetector reports
Users attempting to open X were met with messages such as “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” often followed by an endless spinning icon that prevented access, according to a report from Variety. Downdetector data showed that reports of problems surged rapidly throughout the morning.
As of 10:52 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 users had reported issues with X. The data indicated that 56% of complaints were tied to the mobile app, while 33% were related to the website and roughly 10% cited server connection problems. The disruption appeared to begin around 10:10 a.m. ET, briefly eased around 10:35 a.m., and then returned minutes later.

Previous disruptions
Friday’s outage was not an isolated incident. X has experienced multiple high-profile service interruptions over the past two years. In November, tens of thousands of users reported widespread errors, including “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages. Cloudflare-related error messages were also reported.
In March 2025, the platform endured several brief outages spanning roughly 45 minutes, with more than 21,000 reports in the U.S. and 10,800 in the U.K., according to Downdetector. Earlier disruptions included an outage in August 2024 and impairments to key platform features in July 2023.









