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SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft returns to Earth after second orbital mission

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SpaceX’s workhorse Cargo Dragon spacecraft has returned from its 16th successful mission to orbit, in this case as the fourth flight-proven Dragon capsule.

CRS-15 carried several thousand pounds of cargo to the International Space Station on June 29 and transported a roughly equivalent amount of invaluable cargo and scientific experiments from orbit back to Earth – incredibly, SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon is currently the only operational spacecraft in the world able to return an appreciable amount of (non-human) cargo back to Earth. The toasty-looking vehicle was captured after a soft landing in the Pacific Ocean and transported back to Port of San Pedro aboard SpaceX vessel NRC Quest between August 3rd and 5th.

Cargo Dragon is the only commercial orbital spacecraft in history that has been reused and stands in the company of a tiny handful of reusable orbital vehicles built or procured by countries, including the Space Shuttle, a one-off Mercury capsule reflight, and a few others. While most of each Cargo Dragon can be reused, the rear segment (known as a trunk) will always be expended, and the vehicle’s parachutes and heatshield also have to be replaced after each ocean recovery.

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Still, the vast majority of the cost and effort that goes into producing and operationalizing Cargo Dragon is contained within the capsule itself, including extremely sensitive electronics, docking equipment, aluminum, titanium, and carbon composite structures, and its 12 Draco thrusters for maneuvering on orbit, as well as propellant tanks and many dozens of other long-lead components.

SpaceX’s CRS-15 Cargo Dragon (capsule C110) seen docked to the International Space Station on July 14th. (NASA)

According to CEO Elon Musk and COO Gwynne Shotwell, Cargo Dragon was certified from the start with a spacecraft lifespan of three orbital missions, and SpaceX now has four Cargo Dragon capsules in various states of storage or refurbishment, some readying for their third and final launches over the next eighteen months. Aside from those twice-flown Dragons, three once-flown capsules remain in the flight-proven Dragon roost – more than enough to complete the five cargo missions remaining in SpaceX’s CRS-1 (Commercial Supply Services) contract. CRS-1’s last (20th) contracted mission is currently scheduled for early 2020, after which a modified version of Cargo Dragon (Dragon 2) will take over all future SpaceX resupply missions to the ISS.

 

Back at the docks, Teslarati photographer Pauline Acalin managed to capture some gorgeous noon-lit photos of Cargo Dragon capsule C110’s (Dragon 1, serial #10) return from the Pacific to Port of San Pedro, even catching a rare glimpse of the capsule’s extra toasty rear and parachute compartment as SpaceX vessel NRC Quest sailed by. Patience further paid off, and she was able to watch as the capsule was craned from Quest to dock and later caught a few close-ups of the spacecraft before it was rushed under cover to extricate dozens of time-sensitive scientific experiments and offload several thousand pounds of miscellaneous cargo.

SpaceX’s next Cargo Dragon launch is targeting the end of November 2018 and will mark the spacecraft’s first launch atop Falcon 9 Block 5, likely with both a flight-proven booster and capsule.


For prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket recovery fleet (including fairing catcher Mr Steven) check out our brand new LaunchPad and LandingZone newsletters!

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture

“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Diner, the all-in-one Supercharging and dining experience located in Los Angeles, will transition to a full-service restaurant in January, staff said, as Chef Eric Greenspan said he would take on a new project.

A report from the Los Angeles Times says Greenspan confirmed through a text that he would leave the Diner and focus on the opening of his new Jewish deli, Mish.

Greenspan confirmed to the paper:

“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”

Greenspan took on the job at the Tesla Diner and curated the menu back in March, focusing on locally-sourced ingredients and items that would play on various company products, like Cybertruck-shaped boxes that hold burgers.

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Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner

The Tesla Diner has operated as somewhat of a self-serve establishment, where Tesla owners can order directly from their vehicles through the center touchscreen. It was not exclusive to Tesla owners. Guests could also enter and order at a counter, and pick up their food, before sitting at a booth or table.

However, the report indicates Tesla is planning to push it toward a sit-down restaurant, full of waiters, waitresses, and servers, all of which will come to a table after you are seated, take your order, and serve your food.

It will be more of a full-featured restaurant experience moving forward, which is an interesting move from the company, but it also sounds as if it could be testing for an expansion.

We know that Tesla is already considering expanding locations, as it will be heading to new areas of the country. CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla will be considering locations in Palo Alto near the company’s Engineering HQ, and in Austin, where its HQ and Gigafactory Texas are located.

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Musk said that the Diner has been very successful in its first few months of operation.

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Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program

“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”

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Credit: Grok

Tesla has added a new and somewhat surprising fee to the Robotaxi program. It’s only surprising because it was never there before.

Tesla shocked everyone when it launched its Robotaxi platform and offered riders the opportunity to tip, only to tell them they do not accept tips. It was one of the company’s attempts at being humorous as it rolled out its driverless platform to people in Austin.

As it has expanded to new cities and been opened to more people, as it was yesterday to iOS users, Tesla has had to tweak some of the minor details of the Robotaxi and ride-hailing platforms it operates.

First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more

With more riders, more vehicles, and more operational jurisdictions, the company has to adjust as things become busier.

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Now, it is adjusting the platform by adding “Cleaning Fees” to the Robotaxi platform, but it seems it is only charged if the vehicle requires some additional attention after your ride.

The app will communicate with the rider with the following message (via Not a Tesla App):

“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”

The cost of the cleaning will likely depend on how severe the mess is. If you spill a soda, it will likely cost less than if you lose your lunch in the back of the car because you had a few too many drinks.

This is an expected change, and it seems to be one that is needed, especially considering Tesla is operating a small-scale ride-hailing service at the current time. As it expands to more states and cities and eventually is available everywhere, there will be more situations that will arise.

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The messes in vehicles are not a new situation, especially in a rideshare setting. It will be interesting to see if Tesla will enable other fees, like ones for riders who request a ride and do not show up for it.

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Tesla Model Y sold out in China for 2025

Customers who wish to get their cars by the end of the year would likely need to get an inventory unit.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

It appears that the Model Y has been sold out for 2025 in China. This seems to be true for the four variants of the vehicle that are currently offered in the country. 

Tesla China’s order page update

A look at Tesla China’s order page for the Model Y shows a message informing customers that those who wish to guarantee delivery by the end of the year should purchase an inventory unit. This was despite the Model Y RWD and Model Y L showing an estimated delivery timeline of 4-8 weeks, and the Model Y Long Range RWD and Model Y Long Range AWD showing 4-13 weeks. 

As per industry watchers, these updates on the Model Y’s order page suggest that Tesla China’s sales capacity for the remainder of 2025 has been sold out. The fact that estimated delivery timeframes for the Model Y Long Range RWD and AWD extend up to 13 weeks also bodes well for demand for the vehicle, especially given strong rivals like the Xiaomi YU7, which undercuts the Model Y in price. 

Tesla China’s upcoming big updates

What is quite interesting is that Tesla China is still competing in the country with one hand partly tied behind its back. So far, Tesla has only been able to secure partial approval for its flagship self-driving software, FSD, in China. This has resulted in V14 not being rolled out to the country yet. Despite this, Tesla China’s “Autopilot automatic assisted driving on urban roads,” as the system is called locally, has earned positive reviews from users.

As per Elon Musk during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, however, Tesla is expecting to secure full approval for FSD in China in early 2026. “We have partial approval in China, and we hopefully will have full approval in China around February or March or so. That’s what they’ve told us,” Musk said.

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