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SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule ends its second flawless trip to space and back
On June 4th, SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule C113 departed from the International Space Station 250 miles (400 km) above Earth’s surface, tapped its thruster ‘brakes’, and reentered the atmosphere soon after.
After a month spent in orbit, the uncrewed Dragon returned more than 1900 kg (4200 lb) to Earth, currently the only operational spacecraft on Earth capable of doing so. Per usual, Cargo Dragon splashed down off the coast of California, was picked up by SpaceX vessel NRC Quest, and arrived at Port of Los Angeles a few hours later. Captured by Teslarati photographer Pauline Acalin in spectacular detail, C113’s second successful orbital mission serves as excellent foreshadowing for a follow-up launch – CRS-18 – that could come as soon as July 21st.
Orbital-class marshmallows
As per usual, Cargo Dragon received a healthy dose of charring during its orbital-velocity Earth reentry, barreling through the atmosphere at a blistering 7.7 km/s (4.8 mi/s, Mach 23). The capsule’s orientation during reentry is essentially seared into its hull by its own heat shield-generated plasma trail, creating the distinct dark-brown and black streaks visible in photos.
Although the visible wear and tear might look dramatic, the reality is SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft are specifically designed to survive the ordeal of Earth reentry in excellent shape – the ablative heat shield takes nearly all (~99%) of the heating-related stress. Cargo Dragon (and Crew Dragon, for that matter) are just shy of encased in a cocoon of a different type of foam-like thermal protection material, visible as Dragon’s pearly white skin prior to reentry.
Teslarati photographer Pauline Acalin did an exceptional job of capturing the well-done SpaceX spacecraft’s return to shore in all its gritty, flight-proven glory, offering glimpses of Cargo Dragon’s Drago thrusters, parachute/drogue mortar, docking mechanism, and PICA-X heat shield.
CRS-18 crests the horizon
NASA and SpaceX have already scheduled Cargo Dragon’s next launch to the International Space Station on July 21st, a brisk 85 days after CRS-17’s successful launch. To make that date, preparations are already well underway and Cargo Dragon will likely ship from California within the next two weeks if it’s not already in Florida. Having successfully supported Cargo Dragon’s CRS-17 mission one month ago, Falcon 9 B1056.2 is scheduled to become the first flight-proven Block 5 booster to launch a dedicated NASA mission and the space agency is even open to using B1056 for a third time on CRS-19.
Beyond NASA’s Block 5 booster reuse milestone, there is also a good chance that CRS-18 will mark SpaceX’s first launch of an already twice-flown and refurbished Cargo Dragon capsule. Since CRS-10 (February 2017), just one of SpaceX’s seven subsequent Cargo Dragon launches has flown with a new capsule, and all of the company’s remaining CRS missions are expected to use refurbished spacecraft. Although one mystery Cargo Dragon capsule (C107) remains publicly unaccounted for, chances are quite good that CRS-18 will mark the first time a commercial space capsule has reached orbit three times.
Assuming SpaceX’s third refurbishment follows the fairly consistent two-year time scale of past Dragon reflights, Cargo Dragon C106 – the first Dragon SpaceX reused – will likely be CRS-18’s capsule.
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Elon Musk makes a key Tesla Optimus detail official
“Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote on X.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk just made a key detail about Optimus official. In a post on X, the CEO clarified some key wording about Optimus, which should help the media and the public become more familiar with the humanoid robot.
Elon Musk makes Optimus’ plural term official
Elon Musk posted a number of Optimus-related posts on X this weekend. On Saturday, he stated that Optimus would be the Von Neumann probe, a machine that could eventually be capable of replicating itself. This capability, it seems, would be the key to Tesla achieving Elon Musk’s ambitious Optimus production targets.
Amidst the conversations about Optimus on X, a user of the social media platform asked the CEO what the plural term for the humanoid robot will be. As per Musk, Tesla will be setting the plural term for Optimus since the company also decided on the robot’s singular term. “Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote in his reply on X.
This makes it official. For media outlets such as Teslarati, numerous Optimus bots are now called Optimi. It rolls off the tongue pretty well, too.
Optimi will be a common sight worldwide
While Musk’s comment may seem pretty mundane to some, it is actually very important. Optimus is intended to be Tesla’s highest volume product, with the CEO estimating that the humanoid robot could eventually see annual production rates in the hundreds of millions, perhaps even more. Since Optimi will be a very common sight worldwide, it is good that people can now get used to terms describing the humanoid robot.
-->During the Tesla 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk stated that the humanoid robot will see “the fastest production ramp of any product of any large complex manufactured product ever,” starting with a one-million-Optimi-per-year production line at the Fremont Factory. Giga Texas would get an even bigger Optimus production line, which should be capable of producing tens of millions of Optimi per year.
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Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
Tesla will expand its factory shuttle service in Germany beginning January 4, adding direct rail trips from Berlin Ostbahnhof to Giga Berlin-Brandenburg in Grünheide.
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
New shuttle route
As noted in a report from rbb24, the updated service, which will start January 4, will run between the Berlin Ostbahnhof East Station and the Erkner Station at the Gigafactory Berlin complex. Tesla stated that the timetable mirrors shift changes for the facility’s employees, and similar to before, the service will be completely free. The train will offer six direct trips per day as well.
“The service includes six daily trips, which also cover our shift times. The trains will run between Berlin Ostbahnhof (with a stop at Ostkreuz) and Erkner station to the Gigafactory,” Tesla Germany stated.
Even with construction continuing at Fangschleuse and Köpenick stations, the company said the route has been optimized to maintain a predictable 35-minute travel time. The update follows earlier phases of Tesla’s “Giga Train” program, which initially connected Erkner to the factory grounds before expanding to Berlin-Lichtenberg.
-->Tesla pushes for majority rail commuting
Tesla began production at Grünheide in March 2022, and the factory’s workforce has since grown to around 11,500 employees, with an estimated 60% commuting from Berlin. The facility produces the Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, for both Germany and other territories.
The company has repeatedly emphasized its goal of having more than half its staff use public transportation rather than cars, positioning the shuttle as a key part of that initiative. In keeping with the factory’s sustainability focus, Tesla continues to allow even non-employees to ride the shuttle free of charge, making it a broader mobility option for the area.
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Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominate China’s real-world efficiency tests
The Tesla Model 3 posted 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y followed closely at 21.8 kWh/100 km.
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y once again led the field in a new real-world energy-consumption test conducted by China’s Autohome, outperforming numerous rival electric vehicles in controlled conditions.
The results, which placed both Teslas in the top two spots, prompted Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun to acknowledge Tesla’s efficiency advantage while noting that his company’s vehicles will continue refining its own models to close the gap.
Tesla secures top efficiency results
Autohome’s evaluation placed all vehicles under identical conditions, such as a full 375-kg load, cabin temperature fixed at 24°C on automatic climate control, and a steady cruising speed of 120 km/h. In this environment, the Tesla Model 3 posted 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y followed closely at 21.8 kWh/100 km, as noted in a Sina News report.
These figures positioned Tesla’s vehicles firmly at the top of the ranking and highlighted their continued leadership in long-range efficiency. The test also highlighted how drivetrain optimization, software management, and aerodynamic profiles remain key differentiators in high-speed, cold-weather scenarios where many electric cars struggle to maintain low consumption.
Xiaomi’s Lei Jun pledges to continue learning from Tesla
Following the results, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun noted that the Xiaomi SU7 actually performed well overall but naturally consumed more energy due to its larger C-segment footprint and higher specification. He reiterated that factors such as size and weight contributed to the difference in real-world consumption compared to Tesla. Still, the executive noted that Xiaomi will continue to learn from the veteran EV maker.
“The Xiaomi SU7’s energy consumption performance is also very good; you can take a closer look. The fact that its test results are weaker than Tesla’s is partly due to objective reasons: the Xiaomi SU7 is a C-segment car, larger and with higher specifications, making it heavier and naturally increasing energy consumption. Of course, we will continue to learn from Tesla and further optimize its energy consumption performance!” Lei Jun wrote in a post on Weibo.
-->Lei Jun has repeatedly described Tesla as the global benchmark for EV efficiency, previously stating that Xiaomi may require three to five years to match its leadership. He has also been very supportive of FSD, even testing the system in the United States.
Elon Musk makes a key Tesla Optimus detail official
Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
