News
SpaceX’s 99th Falcon launch checks off new rocket booster reuse record [updated]
Update: Right on schedule, SpaceX Falcon 9 booster B1049 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 40 (LC-40) carrying 58 Starlink satellites and three rideshare payloads from Earth observation company Planet.
A bit less than nine minutes after liftoff, B1049 performed a bullseye landing on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY), becoming the first Falcon 9 booster to successfully launch and land six times. Soon after, the expendable Falcon 9 upper stage reached orbit without issue and deployed three Planet SkySats to complete SpaceX’s third Starlink rideshare mission in two months.


Around T+45 minutes, SpaceX revealed that recovery ship GO Ms. Tree (formerly Mr. Steven) had successfully caught a Falcon fairing half for the fifth time – also the second catch of a twice-flown fairing. Seconds later, Falcon 9 deployed all 58 Starlink v1.0 satellites, completing SpaceX’s 11th Starlink mission and leaving almost 600 operational v1.0 satellites in orbit. With this success, SpaceX is now just four launches away from beginning a public Starlink internet beta test.



SpaceX is hours away from crossing off a major rocket reusability milestone while simultaneously attempting the 99th 100th launch of a Falcon rocket.
SpaceX’s 10th Starlink v1.0 satellite launch, 11th Starlink mission overall, and ninth Starlink launch this year is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida no earlier than (NET) 10:31 am EDT (14:31 UTC) on Monday, August 18th. Carrying 58 Starlink spacecraft and three Planet SkySat Earth imaging satellites, Starlink-10 will be third mission of SpaceX’s Smallsat Rideshare Program. If the mission goes according to plan, SpaceX will end the day with some 585 operational Starlink satellites in orbit – ~69% of the way to the internet constellation’s initial operational capability (IOC).
If successful, Starlink-10 would leave SpaceX just four launches shy of one of the biggest milestones facing any satellite communications constellation.

100th launch while simultaneously launching the same Falcon 9 booster for the sixth time – a reusability first. (Richard Angle)
For Starlink, there are likely several different initial operational capability (IOC) milestones ahead of the constellation. As of July 2020, SpaceX says “hundreds” of private beta test participants – mostly SpaceX employees and their families – are already putting the nascent internet service through its paces.

More recently, the first public signs of those beta testers appeared via speed tests shared (intentionally or not) online, revealing Starlink internet speeds ranging from 10-60+ megabits per second (Mbps) and latency (ping) approaching what CEO Elon Musk said early customers should expect (20-30 ms). Already, latency alone puts Starlink internet service leagues above medium Earth orbit (MEO) and geostationary (GEO) competitors, while the speeds available to private beta testers are easily comparable to or better than existing satellite internet alternatives. Given that current beta-testers are only accessing a constellation of a few hundred satellites (of thousands planned) with user terminal prototypes, it’s safe to say that the quality of Starlink internet service can only improve.
While SpaceX is barely a tenth of the way to Starlink’s first ~4400-satellite phase, a May 2020 interview with Gwynne Shotwell revealed that the company intends to open the Starlink beta program to the public once 14 batches of satellites are safely in orbit. Based on recent FCC-SpaceX interactions, it appears that the company is excluding v0.9 satellite prototypes from the operational count, implying that said public beta can begin to roll out once the Starlink V1 L14 (Starlink-14) launch is complete and the satellite batch has boosted into its final orbit.

Main purpose aside, the Starlink-10 mission will also mark several major rocket milestones for SpaceX. Regardless of the outcome, the company will be just one launch shy from cresting the triple-digit
mark, reaching 100 Falcon 1, Falcon 9, and Falcon Heavy launch attempts since its 2005 launch debut. The mission will also be Falcon 9’s 92nd launch and – if successful – 91st success. Based on SpaceX’s activity in the last eight months, the company could feasibly complete another 7-9 launches, of which 4-5 would likely be Starlink missions.
To economically launch so many Starlink missions, SpaceX has dug deep into the reusability of its Falcon 9 rockets. In April, Falcon 9 B1048 became the first booster to launch five times, although an engine failure prevented a landing attempt. In June and August, another two Falcon 9 boosters successfully launched and landed for the fifth time. Now, Falcon 9 B1049 – the first SpaceX rocket to successfully launch and land five times – is set to become the first to launch (and hopefully land) six times with Starlink-10. If the schedule holds and Starlink-10 goes according to plan, SpaceX will have set two consecutive booster reuse records less than three months (75 days) apart.
Tune in at the link below to watch SpaceX’s Starlink-10 launch and landing live.
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Cybertruck
Tesla Cybertruck windshield protection just got cheaper
Tesla is lowering the monthly price of its Cybertruck Windshield Protection Plan from $35 to $25. The new rate will apply to the first payment on or after October 1, 2026. Tesla has told subscribers that all other benefits stay the same.
The plan covers unlimited repairs for chips and minor cracks on the front windshield. It also includes one full replacement every 12 months at no extra charge. Additional replacements in the same year carry a $100 deductible. Service is performed with Tesla glass and camera calibration, which matters because Autopilot and Full Self-Driving rely on those lenses behind the windshield.
Looks like Tesla is decreasing the Cybertruck windshield protection plan price from $35 to $25
Awesome https://t.co/MRlTU1XTbf pic.twitter.com/PWkMZt1H7G
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 28, 2026
There is no long-term contract. Coverage applies only to the front glass and does not include collision, vandalism, or weather damage.
The Cybertruck’s large, complex windshield has been more expensive to replace than glass on Tesla’s cars, which is why the pickup started at a higher subscription price. The $10 monthly cut reduces the annual cost from $420 to $300. Tesla has not publicly explained the change. The timing coincides with a year of claims data after the plan was extended to the Cybertruck.
Tesla sells several related protection products as monthly subscriptions through the Tesla app. The Windshield Protection Plan is also offered on other models. Model 3 and Model Y currently cost $16 a month. Those passenger-car rates are unchanged in the latest Cybertruck notice.
The Wheel and Tire Protection Plan covers road-hazard damage such as potholes, nails, and debris. Repairs are unlimited. Each wheel or tire replacement appointment has a $25 deductible. Pricing varies by model and whether the vehicle is a Performance version. Tesla is raising some of those rates on the same October 1 date.
Reported examples include Model 3 Performance moving from $16 to $24 and Model Y Performance from $20 to $24. Cybertruck wheel-and-tire coverage has been listed at $20 a month for the standard configuration.
A separate Luxe Package bundles four years of windshield coverage, wheel-and-tire coverage, and recommended maintenance on certain new Model S, Model X, and Cyberbeast orders, although the Model S and X are now defunct.
Tesla also offers an Extended Service Agreement after the basic vehicle warranty ends. That product covers many Tesla-manufactured parts rather than glass or tires. Together, the plans give owners a menu of targeted, cancel-anytime coverage instead of relying only on auto insurance.
News
Tesla Cybercab fleet grows in Austin ahead of launch event
UPDATE: The number has now been updated to 45 units, up from 7!
Here we go! Tesla has just added another 38 Cybercabs to its Robotaxi fleet, bringing the total up to 45, according to the Texas DMV.
Robots on robots on robots! This Thursday’s launch event is gonna be awesome🤖🤖🤖 pic.twitter.com/3HF24rHK4T
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 31, 2026
Tesla is bolstering its Cybercab fleet with the State of Texas’s regulatory bodies ahead of the planned launch of the all-electric ride-hailing vehicle this Thursday.
Seven purpose-built Tesla Cybercabs have been added to Texas’s official automated vehicle registry, appearing in the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System (TxMCCS) public lookup just three days before Tesla’s invite-only Cybercab launch event in Austin on September 3.
The records, visible through TxDMV’s Motor Carrier and Automated Motor Vehicle Operator Lookup, list seven 2026 Tesla Cybercabs under Tesla Robotaxi, LLC. Their VINs begin with the 5YJA prefix, distinct from the 7SAYG Model Y robotaxis that already dominate Tesla’s Texas fleet.
Community trackers that scrape the same public database recorded the new entries on August 31, bringing Tesla’s authorized Texas robotaxi total to 276 vehicles: 269 Model Ys and the seven Cybercabs:
🚨 There are now SEVEN Tesla Cybercabs registered with the state of Texas
We are just three days from Cybercab! pic.twitter.com/ndwhuFYsep
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 31, 2026
Texas Senate Bill 2807, which took effect in late May 2026, created a self-certification framework for commercial Level 4 operations. Operators file through TxMCCS, attest to SAE Level 4 capability, maintain insurance, and keep an active vehicle list.
Tesla completed that process months earlier for its existing Model Y Robotaxi service, which has carried paying passengers in Austin, Dallas, Houston and other markets. Adding the Cybercabs to the same authorization means the new two-seat, steering-wheel-free vehicles are now legally recognized for commercial use on Texas roads.
The timing is deliberate as Tesla scheduled the September 3 event at its Austin campus after sending invitations to selected Robotaxi riders and other guests. The company has described the evening as a chance to “experience the future of full autonomy” and plans to livestream it.
Production Cybercabs, which lack pedals and a steering wheel, have been rolling off the Giga Texas line for months; some earlier examples still carried temporary driver controls for data collection. Registering a small fleet of the finished design immediately before the public event signals that Tesla intends to move the purpose-built vehicle from factory and test tracks into the same Robotaxi app already used by Model Y passengers.
The seven units remain a tiny fraction of Tesla’s overall Texas authorization and far smaller than competing fleets. Registration does not automatically equal unsupervised public rides; it is the legal prerequisite.
Still, the sudden appearance of Cybercab VINs in the state’s lookup system, after a year of Model Y-only listings, is the clearest official confirmation yet that Tesla’s dedicated robotaxi hardware is entering the regulatory pipeline at the same moment the company is preparing to show it to invited guests and a global livestream audience.
Whether those seven vehicles appear at the September 3 event or begin carrying passengers shortly afterward, their presence in TxMCCS marks a concrete regulatory step that has been anticipated since the Cybercab concept was first revealed.
News
Tesla expands driverless Robotaxi geofence in Austin
Tesla has expanded the operational geofence for its driverless Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, marking the first such increase in some time. The updated Service Area for Robotaxi in Austin now spans about 288 square miles and is roughly 9 percent larger than the previous boundary.
This incremental growth adds approximately 24 square miles of coverage, bringing the prior zone of roughly 264 square miles into a broader footprint that better serves northern suburbs.
The expansion extends the geofence northward toward Pflugerville along the US 183 corridor, incorporating additional neighborhoods north of the Domain and areas such as Mesa Park. These additions include higher-end residential and commercial districts that previously sat just outside the allowed operating zone.
Riders can now request unsupervised trips that begin or end in these newly included locations, provided the entire route remains inside the digital boundary:
Tesla has just expanded its Robotaxi service area in Austin, Texas for the first time in 10 months.
The new service area is roughly 9% larger than the old one, and is about 288 square miles in total. pic.twitter.com/i4oBM1KfWS
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 31, 2026
Tesla first launched public Robotaxi operations in Austin in mid-2025 with a modest initial zone of about 20 square miles. Subsequent enlargements in 2025 and early 2026 steadily grew the map until it covered much of the metropolitan area.
After the last major update roughly ten months earlier, the company held the boundary steady while it collected additional miles and refined the FSD suite.
The modest nine percent increase still matters for daily utility. Longer trips become possible, more residents gain access, and the fleet can accumulate more diverse real-world data across new road types and traffic patterns. Observers note that the added territory aligns with existing Tesla service infrastructure, which could support more efficient vehicle staging in the North end of Austin.
Although the geofence has grown, Tesla continues to operate a relatively small unsupervised fleet in the city. The company has emphasized safety and software readiness over rapid geographic scaling. This latest map update signals that Tesla remains committed to expanding Robotaxi availability in its home market as it prepares for further software improvements and potential Cybercab deployments.
The 288-square-mile zone now gives Austin riders one of the larger driverless service areas currently available in the United States.