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SpaceX Starlink launch to smash California pad turnaround record
Update: SpaceX’s Thursday Starlink 3-2 launch was automatically aborted less than a minute before liftoff by Falcon 9’s onboard computers. The company will try again tomorrow, Friday, July 22nd, at 10:39 pm PDT (17:39 UTC).
SpaceX says it’s on track to launch another batch of polar Starlink satellites from the West Coast as early as 10:39 am PDT (17:39 UTC), Thursday, July 21st.
On top of featuring one of the fastest Falcon 9 booster turnarounds ever, SpaceX’s Starlink 3-2 launch will more than halve the fastest turnaround of its Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) SLC-4E pad, potentially rendering it capable of launching dozens of times per year.
Barring delays, Starlink 3-2 is scheduled to launch from SLC-4E just 10 days and 14 hours after the same pad supported Starlink 3-1. The current record – 22 days and 11 hours – was set between the launches of Germany’s SARah-1 radar satellite and Starlink 3-1, meaning that SLC-4E is on track to break its turnaround record twice in a row.
For most of the time since SpaceX began using SLC-4E for Falcon 9 launches in 2013, the pad has rarely supported more than one launch every few months. Between 2013 and 2020, the pad supported a total of 16 successful Falcon 9 launches. 15 occurred between January 2016 and November 2020, averaging one launch every four months and never flying twice in less than 36 days. Between January 2019 and September 2021, the pad only supported three launches and even went 17 months without a single use.

In late 2021, something changed. On top of the introduction of dedicated West Coast Starlink launches, apparent upgrades to the pad’s turnaround capabilities have allowed it to support more launches than usual. In the ten months since SLC-4E exited its hibernation period, it’s supported nine Falcon 9 launches – five for Starlink and four for customers. Prior to 2021, SLC-4E never supported more than six launches in a ten-month period, meaning that the pad is already operating at a 50% higher capacity.
SpaceX, however, apparently wasn’t satisfied and is on track to substantially expand SLC-4’s operational constraints yet again, more than halving its minimum demonstrated turnaround time. By definition, that also doubles the pad’s operational ceiling, meaning that it could theoretically support about 34 launches per year with no downtime. SpaceX appears to have achieved that expansion by applying the same upgrades it already made to its two East Coast launch pads, LC-39A and LC-40, which both set respective turnaround records of approximately nine days and eight days earlier this year. SLC-4E will comfortably bookend the two with its imminent 10.7-day turnaround.
Of course, no launch pad routinely operates at its demonstrated minimum, but a leap forward like SLC-4E’s (22.5 to 10.7 days) all but guarantees that the pad will be able to launch far more frequently as long as rockets and payloads are available. Over the last seven months, LC-39A has averaged one launch every 19 days – more than twice its 9.1-day turnaround record. LC-40, which generally deals with simpler missions and only one of three Falcon rocket variants, has managed one launch every 13 days over the same period – closer to its 8.2-day record but still a ways off.
Even if SLC-4E’s average cadence settles somewhere between SpaceX’s other two pads going forward, it will still likely double its contribution the company’s annual launch cadence and help expedite the deployment of its Starlink internet constellation. If all three pads manage an average of about one launch every two weeks, a target that’s well within reach, SpaceX will have the capacity to launch 72 Falcon rockets per year – more than any other family of rockets in history.
Pad aside, Starlink 3-2 will be Falcon 9 booster B1071’s fourth launch overall and second launch in 33 days – SoaceX’s fifth fastest Falcon booster reuse since the practice began in March 2017. Tune in below around 10:30 am PDT (17:30 UTC) to watch Falcon 9’s 32nd launch of 2022.

Elon Musk
Elon Musk to file lawsuit against former US Rep Jamaal Bowman: “I’ve had enough”
Bowman called the Tesla CEO a “Nazi” and a “thief” during a segment on CNN.

Elon Musk has announced that he is filing a lawsuit against former United States Representative Jamaal Bowman over his recent comments in a CNN segment.
Musk shared his legal intentions in a post on social media platform X.
Bowman’s Comments
During an appearance on CNN, Bowman, who made news in 2023 by triggering a fire alarm while Congress was in session, strongly criticized Elon Musk. Unlike other Musk critics, Bowman went straight for the jugular, calling the CEO a “Nazi” and a “thief.” Bowman’s comments received polarizing reactions in social media, with some users stating that such words could be used to sue for defamation.
“The American people do not trust Elon Musk. And Elon Musk is incompetent in his position. And how do we know? Because they fired tens of thousands of people, it was challenged in court, the court said people have to go back, and now the people are coming back. He’s incompetent, he’s a thief, he’s a Nazi, and people don’t trust him,” Bowman said.
“I’ve Had Enough”
In a comment to a video of Bowman’s CNN segment that was shared on X, Musk stated that the former Democratic Congressman’s words have crossed a line. “I’ve had enough. Lawsuit inbound,” Musk wrote in a post on X. Musk’s post received some support from X users, several of whom noted that it’s high time the CEO fought back against the vitriol that is consistently thrown his way.
Musk has been on the receiving end of protests from critics who oppose his work with U.S. President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Opposition against Musk has spilled over to Tesla, resulting in stores being shot, firebombed by Molotov cocktails, vandalized, and vehicles and Superchargers being subjected to arson. Even regular Tesla owners have reported a growing wave of vandalism incidents.
News
Tesla aiming to produce first “legion” of Optimus robots this 2025
Tesla is aiming to start the production of Optimus this year, and its first run will be no joke.

Tesla’s Q1 2025 All-Hands meeting saw CEO Elon Musk share a key update about the company’s most ambitious product yet — Optimus. As per Musk, Tesla is aiming to start the production of Optimus this year, and its first run will be no joke.
Tesla Optimus’ Quick Evolution
Tesla initially announced Optimus during its AI Day event in 2021. At the time, Tesla only had a mockup of the robot and a literal person in a suit to demonstrate what Optimus could look like. By 2022, Tesla had a working prototype of the robot. Optimus’ progress has been rapid since then, with several dozens of the humanoid robots interacting with attendees at the Cybercab’s unveiling last October.
Optimus’ Potential
During the recent All-Hands meeting, Elon Musk reiterated the idea that Optimus could very well be the biggest product of all time, likely being ten times larger than the next-biggest product. Musk also shared an update about Optimus’ production, stating that the first humanoid robot has been manufactured at the Fremont Factory.
A Legion for 2025
When discussing Optimus’ ramp, Musk clarified that Tesla is internally aiming for enough parts to produce 10,000 to 12,000 Optimus robots this year. However, since Optimus is a completely different product, even half of 10,000 units would be a huge victory for Tesla. Tesla also plans to ramp Optimus to a notable degree in 2026, with the company aiming for 50,000 units, or 10 “legions” of humanoid robots, next year.
“So this year, we hopefully will be able to make about 5,000 Optimus robots. We’re technically aiming for enough parts to make 10,000, maybe 12,000, but since it’s a totally new product with a totally new, like everything is totally new, I’ll say we’re succeeding if we get to half go the 10,000.
“But even 5,000 robots, that’s the size of a Roman legion, FYI, which is like a little scary thought. Like a whole legion of robots, I’ll be like ‘whoa.’ But I think we will literally build a legion, at least one legion of robots this year, and then probably 10 legions next year. I think it’s kind of a cool unit, you know? Units of legion. So probably 50,000-ish next year,” Musk said.
Tesla’s Q1 2025 All-Hands Meeting can be viewed below.
News
Tesla Shanghai Megafactory starts exporting Megapacks, first to Australia
Tesla Asia celebrated the Shanghai Megafactory’s first Megapack exports on X.

Tesla has begun exporting Megapack battery systems from its Shanghai Megafactory, with the first shipment departing for Australia on Friday. This marks a key step in Tesla Energy’s expansion into the global energy storage industry, utilizing its new China-based Megafactory to supply several new markets.
Tesla Asia celebrated the Shanghai Megafactory’s first Megapack exports through its official social media account on X.
Tesla Megapacks in Focus
The Tesla Megapack is capable of storing 3.9 MWh of energy, and they are designed for grid use. As per Tesla in its official website, each Megapack battery has enough energy to power an average of 3,600 homes for one hour. The Megapack is designed to be infinitely scalable as well, making it a good fit for large-scale sustainable energy projects.
The Shanghai Megafactory
The Shanghai Megafactory began production in early 2025, a record eight months after its May 2024 groundbreaking. With an initial output of 10,000 units annually, equal to about 40 GWh, the Shanghai Megafactory has the potential to significantly boost Tesla’s battery storage deployments.
As per a report from Xinhua News Agency, Tesla is expecting its energy deployments to rise 50% year-over-year this 2025.
Tesla Leaders on the Shanghai Megafactory
Mike Snyder, vice president of energy and charging at Tesla, previously outlined the potential of the Shanghai Megafactory. “Megafactory gives us the ability to scale production and efficiency. We can lower logistics costs as well as product costs, and grow the business to new markets,” he stated.
The Shanghai Megafactory also seems to be part of Tesla’s efforts to grow its presence in China, which was highlighted by CEO Elon Musk during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. During their meeting, Musk reportedly stated that “Tesla is willing to deepen cooperation with China and achieve more win-win results.”
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