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SpaceX aces rare Falcon 9 land landing, first California launch in a year and a half
A Falcon 9 rocket has aced a rare ‘land’ landing as part of SpaceX’s first California launch in almost a year and a half and what a company manager deemed “the start of many exciting things to come”.
Carrying the ~1200 kg (~2600 lb) Sentinel 6A oceanography and Earth observation satellite, a brand new Falcon 9 rocket (including booster B1063) lifted off on schedule from SpaceX’s Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) SLC-4E launch pad at 9:17 am PST (17:17 UTC). In no simple terms, it’s nothing short of incredible that SpaceX was able to launch Falcon 9 on the first try from SLC-4E – and with NASA as its customer, no less – after nearly 18 months of inactivity.
As usual, Falcon 9 performed flawlessly, with first stage B1063 effortlessly lofting the combined ~120-ton (~260,000 lb) second stage, Sentinel 6A spacecraft, and payload fairing to approximately 75 km (~50 mi) before shutting down, separating, and flipping around to head back to the launch site. Falcon 9’s second stage ignited and continued towards orbit, burning for about six minutes. After completing a three-engine reentry burn and igniting its central Merlin 1D a third time for a landing burn, Falcon 9 B1063 touched down at SpaceX’s LZ-4 landing pad less than a second after the rocket’s upper stage shut down in orbit.
45 minutes after that initial ‘second stage cutoff’ (SECO), Merlin Vacuum reignited, burning for ten seconds to circularize its polar orbit and get Sentinel 6A as close as possible to a nominal operational altitude. The spacecraft deployed from Falcon 9 a few minutes later, wrapping up the mission and signifying the completion of Falcon 9’s 98th successful launch and 100th mission overall, as well as SpaceX 22nd launch this year – a record for the company.
Sentinel 6A now complete, SpaceX still has one more mission – Starlink V1 L15 – scheduled to launch as early as November 22nd, potentially capping off SpaceX’s first four-launch month ever. Additionally, the company has at least five more launches with reasonable launch targets in December, albeit back on the East Coast.
In 2021, though, SpaceX could have as many as four or five potential West Coast launches, although challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic could push one or more of those missions into 2022. A step further, commercial missions aside, SpaceX recently expressed interest to the FCC about beginning polar Starlink internet satellite launches as soon as possible, suggesting that dedicated Starlink launches from Vandenberg could very well begin next year if the company receives regulatory approval.
Ultimately, it looks like SpaceX’s West Coast operations are back in action and here to stay (at least for now) after an unusual year and a half of hibernation. Stay tuned for updates on the company’s next California launch.
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.
News
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
