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SpaceX’s flight-proven booster to meet its demise today, final 2017 launch
Iridium Mission 4 is go for launch aboard a reused Falcon 9
SpaceX is hours away from their 18th and final mission of 2017 one week after the successful launch of CRS-13. Currently aiming to lift off at 5:27pm from SpaceX’s Vandenberg Air Force Base launch pad, known as SLC-4E.
Fittingly, the launch of Iridium-4 will carry Iridium’s fourth batch of NEXT communications satellites to orbit aboard a flight-proven Falcon 9 booster, the same booster responsible for the launch of Iridium-2 in June 2017, capping a year of explosive growth with yet another commercial reuse. As such, Iridium-4 will become the fifth SpaceX launch of 2017 to utilize flight-proven Falcon 9s, an incredible achievement for a technology as young as commercially reusable rockets.
A truly picturesque live view of the Iridium NEXT Mission 3 satellite deployment. Four sats are visible in an arc on the left. (SpaceX)
The fourth Iridium launch will bring the NEXT satellite constellation to the half-way point of completion. NEXT was designed and manufactured to replace Iridium’s aging first generation constellation, and will provide upgraded satellite communications, data, and more to its customers, both old and new. Additional copassenger payloads will provide an unprecedented method of commercial aircraft tracking from orbit, as well as marine vessel tracking services. Similar to their predecessors, the NEXT constellation can be realistically expected to remain operation well into the late 2030s or early 2040s.
In a truly unexpected move, SpaceX has apparently decided to expend booster 1036, meaning that the stage will not attempt a landing aboard the drone ship Just Read The Instructions after it separates from the second stage. Oddly, photos from attending photographers and SpaceX themselves revealed that the booster does nevertheless sport grid fins, and Iridium CEO Matt Desch has suggested that it will still go through the motions of recovery and soft-land in the Pacific Ocean, presumably to gather valuable performance data.
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- 1036 vertical once again for Iridium-4. Note the presence of grid fins but lack of legs, confirming that no recovery will be attempted 🙁 (SpaceX)
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- SpaceX will move to titanium grid fins in the future, first trialed during 1036’s launch of Iridium-2. (SpaceX)
While a tad depressing, a salve may be offered in the form of fairing recovery aboard the highly modified vessel Mr. Steven, spotted Tuesday morning sporting what appear to be massive “fairing-grabber” claws. SpaceX has been chasing fairing recovery for most of 2017, and while large recovered pieces have been spotted by fans off and on, it’s clear that all of what’s been recovered have been broken fragments.
Fingers crossed for launch success, fairing recovery, and maybe even some footage of the condemned Falcon 9 booster landing softly in the ocean. Follow along live at the official SpaceX webcast below, scheduled to begin around 5:10pm PDT, 8:10pm EST.
Elon Musk
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets.
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets. The company also completed deployment of its first-generation Direct to Cell constellation, launching over 650 satellites in just 18 months to enable cellular connectivity.
SpaceX highlighted Starlink’s impressive 2025 progress in an extensive report.
Key achievements from Starlink’s 2025 Progress
Starlink connected over 4.6 million new customers with high-speed internet while bringing service to 35 more regions worldwide in 2025. Starlink is now connecting 9.2 million people worldwide. The service achieved this just weeks after hitting its 8 million customer milestone.
Starlink is now available in 155 markets, including areas that are unreachable by traditional ISPs. As per SpaceX, Starlink has also provided over 21 million airline passengers and 20 million cruise passengers with reliable high-speed internet connectivity during their travels.
Starlink Direct to Cell
Starlink’s Direct to Cell constellation, more than 650 satellites strong, has already connected over 12 million people at least once, marking a breakthrough in global mobile coverage.
Starlink Direct to Cell is currently rolled out to 22 countries and 6 continents, with over 6 million monthly customers. Starlink Direct to Cell also has 27 MNO partners to date.
“This year, SpaceX completed deployment of the first generation of the Starlink Direct to Cell constellation, with more than 650 satellites launched to low-Earth orbit in just 18 months. Starlink Direct to Cell has connected more than 12 million people, and counting, at least once, providing life-saving connectivity when people need it most,” SpaceX wrote.
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Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
Tesla’s Giga Nevada has reached an impressive milestone, producing its 6 millionth drive unit as 2925 came to a close.
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
6 million drive units
The achievement was shared by the official Tesla Manufacturing account on social media platform X. “Congratulations to the Giga Nevada team for producing their 6 millionth Drive Unit!” Tesla wrote.
The photo showed numerous factory workers assembled on the production floor, proudly holding golden balloons that spelled out “6000000″ in front of drive unit assembly stations. Elon Musk gave credit to the Giga Nevada team, writing, “Congrats on 6M drive units!” in a post on X.
Giga Nevada’s essential role
Giga Nevada produces drive units, battery packs, and energy products. The facility has been a cornerstone of Tesla’s scaling since opening, and it was the crucial facility that ultimately enabled Tesla to ramp the Model 3 and Model Y. Even today, it serves as Tesla’s core hub for battery and drivetrain components for vehicles that are produced in the United States.
Giga Nevada is expected to support Tesla’s ambitious 2026 targets, including the launch of vehicles like the Tesla Semi and the Cybercab. Tesla will have a very busy 2026, and based on Giga Nevada’s activities so far, it appears that the facility will be equally busy as well.
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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.
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
