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SpaceX’s 99th Falcon launch checks off new rocket booster reuse record [updated]

SpaceX has successfully launched and landed the same Falcon 9 booster six times during the company's 100th mission. (SpaceX)

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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.

For the sixth time in two years, Falcon 9 B1049 streaks towards space. (Richard Angle)

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.

SpaceX is about to attempt its 99th 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.

A Starlink user terminal prototype. (SpaceX)

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.

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Starlink-10 is scheduled to launch just 11 days after Starlink-9. (SpaceX)

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.

Check out Teslarati’s Marketplace! We offer Tesla accessories, including for the Tesla Cybertruck and Tesla Model 3.

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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 discloses interesting collaboration partner for Supercharging

This BOXABL collaboration would be a great way to add a rest stop to a rural Supercharging location, and could lead to more of these chargers across the U.S. 

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Credit: Grok

Tesla disclosed an interesting collaboration partner in an SEC filing, which looks like an indication of a potential project at Supercharger sites.

Tesla said on Tuesday in the filing that it was entering an agreement with BOXABL to design and build a Micromenity structure. Simply put, this is a modular building, usually a few hundred square feet in size, and it has been seen at Superchargers in Europe.

In Magnant, France, Tesla opened a small building at a Supercharger that is available to all EV owners. There are snacks and drinks inside, including ice cream, coffee, a gaming console, and restrooms. It gives people an opportunity to get up and out of their cars while charging.

This building was not built by BOXABL, but instead by bk World Lounges. It is likely the final Supercharging stop before people get to Paris, as it is located 250 kilometers, or 155 miles, from the City of Light.

 

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Une publication partagée par Gerold Wolfarth (@gerold_wolfarth)

Magnant has 56 stalls, so it is a large Supercharging stop compared to most. The building could be a sign of things to come, especially as Tesla has opened up larger Supercharger stations along major roadways.

It is for just a single building, as the Scope of Work within the filing states “a comprehensive package for one Micromenity building.”

Superchargers are commonly located at gas stations, shopping centers, and other major points of interest. However, there are some stops that are isolated from retail or entertainment.

This BOXABL collaboration would be a great way to add a rest stop to a rural Supercharging location, and could lead to more of these chargers across the U.S.

Tesla has done a lot of really great things for Supercharging this year.

Along with widespread expansion, the company launched the “Charging Passport” this week, opened the largest Supercharger in the world in Lost Hills, California, with 168 chargers, opened the Tesla Diner, a drive-in movie restaurant in Los Angeles, and initiated access to the infrastructure to even more automakers.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms Robotaxi safety monitor removal in Austin: here’s when

Musk has made the claim about removing Safety Monitors from Tesla Robotaxi vehicles in Austin three times this year, once in September, once in October, and once in November.

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Credit: @AdanGuajardo/X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Tuesday at the xAI Hackathon that the company would be removing Safety Monitors from Robotaxis in Austin in just three weeks.

This would meet Musk’s timeline from earlier this year, as he has said on several occasions that Tesla Robotaxis would have no supervision in Austin by the end of 2025.

On Tuesday, Musk said:

“Unsupervised is pretty much solved at this point. So there will be Tesla Robotaxis operating in Austin with no one in them. Not even anyone in the passenger seat in about three weeks.”

Musk has made the claim about removing Safety Monitors from Tesla Robotaxi vehicles in Austin three times this year, once in September, once in October, and once in November.

In September, he said:

“Should be no safety driver by end of year.”

On the Q3 Earnings Call in October, he said:

“We are expecting ot have no safety drivers in at least large parts of Austin by the end of this year.”

Finally, in November, he reiterated the timeline in a public statement at the Shareholder Meeting:

“I expect Robotaxis to operate without safety drivers in large parts of Austin this year.”

Currently, Tesla uses Safety Monitors in Austin in the passenger’s seat on local roads. They will sit in the driver’s seat for highway routes. In the Bay Area ride-hailing operation, there is always a Safety Monitor in the driver’s seat.

Three weeks would deliver on the end-of-year promise, cutting it close, beating it by just two days. However, it would be a tremendous leap forward in the Robotaxi program, and would shut the mouths of many skeptics who state the current iteration is no different than having an Uber.

Tesla has also expanded its Robotaxi fleet this year, but the company has not given exact figures. Once it expands its fleet, even more progress will be made in Tesla’s self-driving efforts.

Tesla expands Robotaxi geofence, but not the garage

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SpaceX reportedly mulling IPO, eyeing largest of all time: report

“I do want to try to figure out some way for Tesla shareholders to participate in SpaceX. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to how to give people access to SpaceX stock,” Musk said.

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX is reportedly mulling an initial public offering, eyeing what would be the largest valuation at the time of availability of all time, a new report from Bloomberg said on Tuesday.

It is one of many reports involving one of Elon Musk’s companies and a massive market move, as this is not the first time we have seen reports of an IPO by SpaceX. Musk himself has also dispelled other reports in the past of a similar nature, including an xAI funding round.

SpaceX and Musk have yet to comment on the report. In the past, untrue reports were promptly replied to by the CEO; this has not yet gained any response, which is a good sign in terms of credibility.

However, he said just a few days ago that stories of this nature are inaccurate:

“There has been a lot of press claiming SpaceX is raising money at $800B, which is not accurate. SpaceX has been cash flow positive for many years and does periodic stock buybacks twice a year to provide liquidity for employees and investors. Valuation increments are a function of progress with Starship and Starlink and securing global direct-to-cell spectrum that greatly increases our addressable market. And one other thing that is arguably most significant by far.”

Musk has discussed a potential IPO for SpaceX in recent months, as the November 6 shareholder meeting, as he commented on the “downsides” of having a public company, like litigation exposure, quarterly reporting pressures, and other inconveniences.

Nevertheless, Musk has also said he wants there to be a way for Tesla shareholders to get in on the action. At the meeting in early November, he said:

“I do want to try to figure out some way for Tesla shareholders to participate in SpaceX. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to how to give people access to SpaceX stock.”

Additionally, he added:

“Maybe at some point., SpaceX should become a public company despite all the downsides of being public.”

Musk has been historically reluctant to take SpaceX public, at times stating it could become a barrier to colonizing Mars. That does not mean it will not happen.

Bloomberg’s report cites multiple unidentified sources who are familiar with the matter. They indicate to the publication that SpaceX wants to go public in mid-to-late 2026, and it wants to raise $30 billion at a valuation of around $1.5 trillion.

This is not the first time SpaceX has discussed an IPO; we reported on it nine years ago. We hope it is true, as the community has spoken for a long time about having access to SpaceX stock. Legendary investor Ron Baron is one of the lucky few to be a SpaceX investor, and said it, along with Tesla, is a “lifetime investment.”

Tesla bull Ron Baron reveals $100M SpaceX investment, sees 3-5x return on TSLA

The primary driver of SpaceX’s value is Starlink, the company’s satellite internet service. Starlink contributes 60-70 percent of SpaceX’s revenue, meaning it is the primary value engine. Launch services, like Falcon 9 contracts, and the development of Starship, also play supporting roles.

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