SpaceX has successfully completed its 23rd rocket launch and landing of 2022, delivering an Egyptian communications satellite to a nominal geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).
Despite a report of a possible technical “issue” just a few minutes before liftoff, SpaceX’s launch team was able to either rapidly rectify the problem or determine it was within an acceptable range of performance, and Falcon 9 ultimately lifted off without issue at 5:04 pm EDT (21:04 UTC), Wednesday, June 8th. Flying for the seventh time overall and sixth time in less than a year, Falcon 9 booster B1062 carried the rocket’s ~100-ton (~220,000 lb) upper stage, payload fairing, and 4-ton (~9,000 lb) Nilesat 301 payload most of the way out of Earth’s atmosphere, where they parted ways about 2.5 minutes after liftoff.
While B1062 began its trip back to Earth, Falcon 9’s upper stage ignited, deployed its fairing, and carried Nilesat 301 into an initial parking orbit, where it coasted for twenty minutes before boosting into an elliptical geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and releasing the satellite.

Within a few hours, Nilesat 301 will deploy its solar arrays and begin initial checkouts. If the satellite is healthy, it will use its own onboard propulsion to raise the other end of its elliptical transfer orbit, ultimately arriving in a circular geostationary orbit (GEO) somewhere above northern or central Africa. The communications satellite’s performance will far outmatch the other spacecraft Nilesat has operated, significantly improving the company’s ability to provide customers throughout the region with high-quality TV and communications services.
After completing its main role in the mission, B1062 touched down dead center on drone ship Just Read The Instructions (JRTI), which was stationed almost 680 kilometers (~421 mi) due East of Cape Canaveral in the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX also expected to recover Falcon 9’s two new fairing halves, which should have deployed GPS-guided parafoils and gently splashed down on the ocean surface some 822 kilometers (~510 mi) downrange and been fished out of the water by support ship Doug around 45-60 minutes after liftoff.

Nilesat 301 was B1062’s seventh launch overall and second launch in just 40 days, making it SpaceX’s second-fastest Falcon booster turnaround ever for a commercial launch. The mission was also SpaceX’s 132nd consecutively successful launch and 49th consecutively successful Falcon booster landing, as well as the company’s 23rd launch in the first 23 weeks of 2022.
SpaceX has up to five more launches planned in June 2022, including an oddly secretive Globalstar mission and Starlink launch in mid-June; SARah-1 and rideshare payloads no earlier than (NET) June 18th; and the SES-22 communications satellite and Dragon’s CRS-25 space station cargo delivery NET June 28th.



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Tesla Cybercab display highlights interior wizardry in the small two-seater
Photos and videos of the production Cybercab were shared in posts on social media platform X.
The Tesla Cybercab is currently on display at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., and observations of the production vehicle are highlighting some of its notable design details.
Photos and videos of the production Cybercab were shared in posts on social media platform X.
Observers of the Cybercab display unit noted that the two-seat Robotaxi provides unusually generous legroom for a vehicle of its size. Based on the vehicle’s video, the compact two-seater appears to offer more legroom than Tesla’s larger vehicles such as the Model Y, Model X, and Cybertruck.
The Cybercab’s layout allows Tesla to dedicate nearly the entire cabin to passengers. The vehicle is designed without a steering wheel or pedals, which helps maximize interior space.
Footage from the display also highlights the Cybercab’s large center screen, which is positioned prominently in front of the passenger bench. The display appears intended to provide entertainment and ride information while the vehicle operates autonomously.
Images of the vehicle also show an additional camera integrated into the Cybercab’s C-pillar. The extra camera appears to expand the vehicle’s field of view, which would be useful as Tesla works toward fully unsupervised Full Self-Driving.
Tesla engineers have previously explained that the Cybercab was designed to be highly efficient both in manufacturing and in operation. Cybercab Lead Engineer Eric E. stated in 2024 that the Robotaxi would be built with roughly half the number of parts used in a Model 3 sedan.
“Two seats unlocks a lot of opportunity aerodynamically. It also means we cut the part count of Cybercab down by a substantial margin. We’re gonna be delivering a car that has roughly half the parts of Model 3 today,” the Tesla engineer said.
The Tesla engineer also noted that the Cybercab’s cargo area can accommodate multiple golf bags, two carry-on suitcases, and two full-size checked bags. The trunk can also fit certain bicycles and a foldable wheelchair depending on size, which is quite impressive for a small car like the Cybercab.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI wins permit for power plant supporting AI data centers
The development was reported by CNBC, citing confirmation from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
Mississippi regulators have approved a permit allowing Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI to construct a natural gas power plant in Southaven. The facility is expected to support the company’s expanding AI infrastructure tied to its Colossus data center operations near Memphis.
The development was reported by CNBC, citing confirmation from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
According to the report, regulators “voted to approve the permit” of xAI subsidiary MZX Tech LLC to construct a power plant featuring 41 natural gas-burning turbines “after careful consideration of all public comments and community concerns.”
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality stated that the permit followed a regulatory review process that included public comments and community input. Jaricus Whitlock, air division chief for the MDEQ, stated that the project met all applicable environmental standards.
“The proposed PSD permit in front of the board today not only meets all state and federal permitting regulations, but goes above and beyond what is required by law. MDEQ and the EPA agree that not a single person around our facilities will be exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution,” Whitlock stated.
The planned facility will help provide electricity for xAI’s AI computing infrastructure in the Memphis region.
The Southaven project forms part of xAI’s efforts to scale computing capacity for its artificial intelligence systems.
The company currently operates two major data centers in Memphis, known as Colossus 1 and Colossus 2, which provide computing power for xAI’s Grok AI models. xAI is also planning to build another large data center in Southaven called Macrohardrr, which would be located in a warehouse previously used by GXO Logistics.
Large-scale AI training requires substantial computing power and electricity, prompting technology companies to develop dedicated energy infrastructure for their data centers.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell previously stated that xAI plans to develop 1.2 gigawatts of power capacity for its Memphis-area AI supercomputer site as part of the federal government’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge. The commitment was announced during an event with United States President Donald Trump.
“As part of today’s commitment, we will take extensive additional steps to continue to reduce the costs of electricity for our neighbors. xAI will therefore commit to develop 1.2 GW of power as our supercomputer’s primary power source. That will be for every additional data center as well. We will expand what is already the largest global Megapack power installation in the world,” Shotwell said.
“The installation will provide enough backup power to power the city of Memphis, and more than sufficient energy to power the town of Southaven, Mississippi where the data center resides. We will build new substations and invest in electrical infrastructure to provide stability to the area’s grid.”
Elon Musk
Tesla China teases Optimus robot’s human-looking next-gen hands
The image was shared by Tesla AI’s account on Weibo and later reposted by Tesla community members on X.
A new teaser shared by Tesla’s China team appears to show a pair of unusually human-like hands for Optimus.
The image was shared by Tesla AI’s account on Weibo and later reposted by Tesla community members on X.
As could be seen in the teaser image, the new version of Optimus’ hands features proportions and finger structures that look strikingly similar to those of a human hand. Their appearance suggests that they might have dexterity approaching that of a human hand.
If the image reflects a new generation of Optimus’ hands, it could indicate Tesla is continuing to refine one of the most critical components of its humanoid robot.
Hands are widely viewed as one of the most difficult engineering challenges in robotics. For Optimus to perform complex real-world work, from manufacturing tasks to household activities, its hands would need to be the best in the industry.
Elon Musk has repeatedly described Optimus as Tesla’s most important long-term product. In posts on social media platform X, Musk has stated that Optimus could eventually become the first real-world Von Neumann machine.
In theory, a Von Neumann machine is a self-replicating system capable of building copies of itself using available materials. The concept was originally proposed by mathematician John von Neumann in the mid-20th century.
“Optimus will be the first Von Neumann machine, capable of building civilization by itself on any viable planet,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
If Optimus is expected to carry out complex work autonomously in the future, high levels of dexterity will likely be essential. This makes the development of advanced robotic hands a key step towards Musk’s long-term expectations for the product.