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SpaceX scrubs Falcon 9’s seventh-flight debut for more “mission assurance”
Update: SpaceX has scrubbed Falcon 9’s seventh-flight debut and the 14th Starlink launch this year to allow more time for “data reviews” and “additional mission assurance” and is now scheduled to launch Starlink-15 no earlier than (NET) 9:34 pm EST (02:34 UTC) Monday, November 23rd.
In a tweet shortly after the decision was made, SpaceX said that both the Falcon 9 rocket and Starlink payload were still healthy, adding a bit of mystery to the decision. On SpaceX’s official mission control audio stream, the Starlink-15 launch director (LD) – most likely Ricky Lim – announced the scrub around T-35 minutes, effectively the deadline for the start of Falcon 9 propellant loading. For whatever reason, SpaceX was not confident enough to commit to launch and LD stated that the scrub had been called to allow for “additional mission assurance” – the second time in recent memory that the company has used that particular industry euphemism.
Regardless of the reason, the first seventh flight (sixth reuse) of a Falcon 9 booster is certainly cause enough for caution, as it means that SpaceX is very literally pushing the envelope of orbital-class rocket reusability. Thus far, the company’s record of success during similar first-flight reuse milestones remains flawless – the preservation of which will likely go far to salve the anxieties of more conservative customers like NASA and the US military.
SpaceX says that Starlink-15’s November 23rd backup date may not hold per the threat of bad weather at Falcon 9 B1049’s Atlantic Ocean landing zone several hundred miles downrange. Stay tuned for updates as the company tracks towards what could be its first four-launch month ever.
SpaceX has static fired a record-breaking Falcon 9 booster and says it’s ready to launch its 14th Starlink mission this year just a day and a half after sailing past the company’s previous annual launch record.
Set in 2018, SpaceX’s previous annual launch record stood at 21 missions – 20 Falcon 9s and one Falcon Heavy. Now, a little over halfway through November, SpaceX has easily bested itself, launching for the 22nd time to deliver oceanographic satellite Sentinel 6A to a polar orbit on November 21st.
Back on the East Coast, SpaceX fired up six-flight Falcon 9 booster B1049 just five hours after Sentinel 6A’s successful launch, setting the rocket up for its seventh flight – a first for SpaceX and reusable rocketry – in support of Starlink v1.0 Flight 15 (Starlink-15).
Following an apparent November 20th static fire abort and a brief 24-hour delay, B1049 is now scheduled to lift off no earlier than 9:56 pm EST (02:56 UTC), November 22nd with some 16 metric tons (~35,000 lb) of Starlink communications satellites in tow. Designed to ultimately blanket the Earth in affordable high-quality broadband internet, SpaceX has already begun to roll out a public beta test to what looks like one or several thousand users across the northern US and southern Canada.
Speaking on a November 21st Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) thread, one of the SpaceX Starlink engineers participating revealed that the company is targeting a “wider beta” rollout as early as late-January 2021. Despite having some 820 functioning Starlink satellites in orbit, approximately a third were recently launched and are still raising their orbits or waiting in phasing orbits to properly orient themselves and maximize Starlink internet coverage.
While it’s effectively impossible to predict which orbital ‘plane’ a given batch of Starlink satellites is targeting, it’s likely that the ~300 spacecraft still making their way to operational orbits will complete their journeys within the next 60 days. In general, it takes roughly 2-3 months from any given Starlink launch for all ~60 satellites to reach their operational 550 km (~340 mi) orbits, a process usually performed in batches of 22 – each essentially representing one evenly-space ring of internet coverage a few hundred miles wide.
Despite SpaceX tracking towards a truly record-breaking year of ~25+ launches, CEO Elon Musk revealed that the company is pushing to achieve as many as 48 launches in 2021, more than half of which would likely be Starlink missions.
Tune in below to catch SpaceX’s Sunday Starlink launch live later tonight.
Tesla is launching its solution to end Supercharger fights once and for all, eliminating any confusion on who is to charge next at a congested location.
Last year, a notable incident at a Tesla Supercharger led to a fight, and it all stemmed from a disagreement over who arrived at the location first.
Congestion at Tesla Superchargers is a pretty infrequent occurrence for most of us, but there are more congested and popular areas where wait times can be extensive. An unfortunate growing pain of EV ownership is the plain fact that chargers are not as available as gas pumps, and there are, at times, lines to charge.
This can cause tensions to flare and people to get entitled when visiting Superchargers. Nobody wants to spend hours at a Supercharger, but now, there will be no more confusion when there is a queue, and that’s thanks to Tesla’s new Virtual Queue for Superchargers.
Tesla is finally starting to build out the Virtual Supercharger Queue, according to Not a Tesla App, but it still relies on drivers to make it work.
When a driver is near a Supercharger that is full, a message will pop up on the Tesla App, using the driver’s location to determine their eligibility to join the virtual queue.
The app states:
“While the app is closed, Tesla uses your location to notify you of accurate wait times at Superchargers when you arrive.”
Another message within the app states:
“There is a waitlist to charge. Are you sure you want to start a charging session now?”
This sounds as if it will require drivers to act appropriately and only plug in when the app prompts them to do so, by letting them know it is their turn.
The app will notify the driver of their position in the queue, as well as how many vehicles are ahead of them.
Tesla launches first ‘true’ East Coast V4 Supercharger: here’s what that means
The company announced a while back that it would be working on a solution for this issue. Personally, I’ve only had to wait at a Supercharger for a charge on one occasion, and there was a line of between 3 and 10 cars during this singular occurrence.
I’m out at the Lancaster, PA Supercharger and showed up with a queue of three vehicles.
It’s now up to five and there have been several issues with order of arrival and confusion about who is first.
Any update on Supercharger queue? @elonmusk @aelluswamy @r_jegaa
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 31, 2026
There were no conflicts or arguments about who had arrived first, but there was some discussion between several drivers during my time there about who was to charge first. Throw a non-Tesla EV into the mix, one that can only charge at a pull-in spot, and that causes even more of a complication.
News
Tesla offers awesome Free Supercharging incentive on an unexpected vehicle
In the past, Tesla has used Free Supercharging to incentivize the purchase of its expensive vehicles, like the Model S and Model X. However, those vehicles are leaving the company lineup, and Tesla saw a benefit from applying the incentive to another car.
Tesla is offering an awesome new Free Supercharging incentive on a vehicle that is sort of unexpected.
In the past, Tesla has used Free Supercharging to incentivize the purchase of its expensive vehicles, like the Model S and Model X. However, those vehicles are leaving the company lineup, and Tesla saw a benefit from applying the incentive to another car.
Tesla North America has introduced a compelling new incentive aimed at boosting Model 3 sales. Starting with orders placed on or after April 24, buyers of the Model 3 Premium (Long Range) and Performance variants in the United States will receive one full year of complimentary Supercharging.
The offer applies exclusively to new vehicle orders and does not extend to existing owners or other trims like the base Rear-Wheel Drive model.
New orders of Model 3 Premium & Performance now come with 1 year of free Supercharging 🇺🇸
Also, all Teslas pay the lowest Supercharging rates – all others pay a ~40% premium or need a subscription
— Tesla North America (@tesla_na) April 24, 2026
The announcement underscores Tesla’s continued dominance in EV charging infrastructure.
While the incentive provides 12 months of zero-cost access to the Supercharger network, Tesla also reiterated its pricing structure: all Tesla vehicles receive the lowest Supercharging rates.
Non-Tesla EVs, by contrast, pay approximately 40 percent more per kWh or must purchase a subscription to access the network at standard rates. This tiered approach highlights the strategic value of owning a Tesla, where seamless integration with the world’s largest and most reliable fast-charging network remains a key differentiator.
For prospective buyers, the savings can be substantial. Depending on driving habits, a typical Model 3 owner might log 12,000–15,000 miles annually.
With average Supercharging costs around $0.40–$0.50 per kWh, one year of free sessions could translate to $800–$1,200 in avoided expenses.
That effectively lowers the total cost of ownership and makes long-distance travel more affordable from day one. Early delivery customers have already noted similar past incentives, with one Cybertruck owner reporting over $2,400 saved in just six months under similar offers that Tesla has deployed in the past.
The timing of the offer appears strategic. Tesla faces growing competition from other automakers expanding their own charging networks and offering aggressive EV incentives.
By bundling free Supercharging rather than discounting the vehicle’s MSRP, Tesla preserves perceived value while directly addressing one of the biggest barriers for new EV adopters: charging costs and convenience.
The move also encourages higher-mileage use of the network, generating valuable real-world data for Tesla’s autonomous driving development.
Why Tesla would apply this incentive to the Model 3 is pretty interesting. It usually is a pretty good incentive to move units out the door, so there’s some speculation whether Tesla is planning to launch new upgrades to the mass-market sedan in the coming months, and the company wants to move what will be outdated units from its inventory.
However, there is also just the idea that Tesla could be attempting to stimulate some early quarter demand for the Model 3, especially as the Model Y continues to sell very well. Tesla’s loss of the $7,500 EV tax credit last year had an impact on sales, and Tesla might be testing some formidable options to see if it can add some demand once again.
News
Tesla Cybercab gets crazy change as mass production begins
Tesla has officially kicked off mass production of its groundbreaking Cybercab robotaxi at Giga Texas, and the first units rolling off the line feature a striking transformation that’s turning heads across the EV community.
Tesla Cybercab has evidently received a pretty crazy change from an aesthetic standpoint, as the company has made the decision to offer an additional finish on the vehicle as mass production is starting.
Tesla has officially kicked off mass production of its groundbreaking Cybercab robotaxi at Giga Texas, and the first units rolling off the line feature a striking transformation that’s turning heads across the EV community.
VIN Zero—the very first production Cybercab—showcases a vibrant champagne gold exterior with a high-gloss finish, a dramatic departure from the flat, matte-wrapped prototypes that debuted at the 2024 “We, Robot” event.
Presenting VIN Zero — the very first production Cybercab built at Giga Texas. pic.twitter.com/8bXo4CJAlr
— TechOperator (@TechOperator) April 23, 2026
This glossy sheen is a pretty big pivot from what was initially shown by Tesla. The company has maintained a pretty flat tone in terms of anything related to custom colors or finishes.
A specialized clear coat or process delivers the deep, reflective gloss without conventional painting. The result is a premium, mirror-like shine, and it looks pretty good, and gives the compact two-seater a more luxurious and futuristic presence than the subdued matte prototypes.
Photos shared by Tesla community members reveal VIN Zero in a showroom-like setting at Giga Texas, highlighting refined panel gaps, large aero wheel covers, and the signature no-steering-wheel, no-pedals interior optimized for full autonomy.
The open frunk in some images offers a glimpse of practical storage, while the overall build quality appears more polished than that of test mules.
This glossy evolution aligns with Tesla’s broader production ramp. After the first unit in February 2026, the company has shifted to volume manufacturing, with dozens of units already spotted in outbound lots. CEO Elon Musk and the team aim for hundreds per week, paving the way for unsupervised FSD robotaxi networks that could slash ride costs to pennies per mile.
The Cybercab holds Tesla’s grand ambitions of operating a full-service ride-hailing service without any drivers in its grasp. Tesla has yet to solve autonomy, but is well on its way, and although its timelines are usually a bit off, improvements often come through the Over-the-Air updates to the Full Self-Driving suite.
The FCC just said ‘No’ to SpaceX for now
Tesla launches solution to end Supercharger fights once and for all
