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SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft returns to Earth after second orbital mission
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.
SpaceX’s Dragon capsule is back at Port of LA, full of science, after a month spent at the International Space Station. #spacex #nasa pic.twitter.com/jWhZQTubgK
— Pauline Acalin (@w00ki33) August 5, 2018
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.
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.

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.
- SpaceX’s CRS-15 Cargo Dragon returns to Port of San Pedro, 08/05/18. (Pauline Acalin)
- SpaceX’s CRS-15 Cargo Dragon returns to Port of San Pedro, 08/05/18. (Pauline Acalin)
- SpaceX’s CRS-15 Cargo Dragon returns to Port of San Pedro, 08/05/18. (Pauline Acalin)
- Cargo Dragon C110 is craned from NRC Quest to SpaceX’s Port of San Pedro berth, 08/05/18. (Pauline Acalin)
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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Tesla FSD earns high praise in South Korea’s real-world autonomous driving test
As per the Korea Expressway Corporation’s report, the FSD test was conducted on December 15, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) has received a bullish assessment from the Korea Expressway Corporation following a real-world autonomous highway driving test.
A report of the test, shared on Naver Cafe, showed high praise for the system’s safety, capabilities, smooth maneuvers, and confidence.
South Korean highway test
As per the Korea Expressway Corporation’s report, the FSD test was conducted on December 15, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Four people were in the Tesla that was tested, including the head of the mobility department. All four FSD driving modes were tested, from “Sloth” to “Mad Max.”
To test FSD’s performance, the system was tasked to operate on highways such as Gyeongbu, Cheonan, and Cheonan-Nonsan, as well as city areas in Dongtan New Town, Sejong Special City, and Daejeon Metropolitan City, among others.
Since FSD is only available for the Tesla Model S and Model X that are imported to South Korea from the United States, the system was not tested in a Model 3 or Model Y, which comprise the majority of Teslas on the country’s roads today.
Highway test results
Results showed FSD performing well, both in inner-city roads and on highways. In inner city roads, the testers noted that FSD was capable of autonomous driving at a level that already exceeds that of general human drivers, except in very few areas, such as unprotected left turns and work zone intersections.
In highways, the testers described FSD’s performance as “excellent,” though the system still showed frequent cases of violations in local bus lanes and max speed limit rules. These, however, could hopefully be addressed by Tesla in a future FSD update without many issues. The testers also noted that in some parts of the test, FSD seemed to be driving autonomously in accordance with traffic flow rather than strict traffic rules.
테슬라 Fsd 고속도로 자율주행 테스트 결과 보고 by Simon Alvarez
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Tesla claims nearly 20% market share as Norway sets new car sales record
Tesla captured roughly one in five new cars in Norway, highlighting its dominance in the world’s most EV-friendly market.
Norway shattered its all-time new car sales record in 2025, and Tesla emerged as the clear winner. A year-end rush ahead of higher EV taxes pushed registrations to nearly 180,000 vehicles, with electric cars accounting for 96% of sales.
Tesla captured roughly one in five new cars in Norway, highlighting its dominance in the world’s most EV-friendly market.
Norway’s EV rush
As noted in a CarUp report, Norway’s electric vehicle sales in 2025 surged, thanks in part to buyers rushing ahead of a post–new year VAT increase of roughly 50,000 kronor on many new electric cars. This ended up pulling demand forward and setting a national record with almost 180,000 registrations in 2025.
The result was unprecedented. From the vehicles that were sold in 2025, 96% of new cars sold were fully electric. And from this number, Tesla and its Model Y made their dominance felt. This was highlighted by Geir Inge Stokke, director of OFV, who noted that Tesla was able to achieve its stellar results despite its small vehicle lineup.
“Taking almost 20% market share during a year with record-high new car sales is remarkable in itself. When a brand also achieves such volumes with so few models, it says a lot about both demand and Tesla’s impact on the Norwegian market,” Stokke stated.
Tesla domination
Tesla led all brands in Norway with 34,285 registrations, which is equal to a 19.1% market share. These results place Tesla well ahead of Volkswagen and Volvo, which held a 13.3% and 7.8% market share in 2025, respectively.
On the model chart, Tesla’s strength was even clearer. The Tesla Model Y topped all vehicles with 27,621 registrations, accounting for 15.4% of the entire market. The Tesla Model 3 also ranked among the top five, accounting for 3.7% of Norway’s entire auto sales in 2025.
Other strong performers included Volkswagen’s ID.4 and ID.7, Toyota’s bZ4X, which commanded 4.9%, 3.9%, and 4.1% of Norway’s total sales in 2025, respectively.
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Tesla China sees 2nd-best month ever by selling 97,171 vehicles wholesale in December
The results mark Tesla China’s second-highest monthly result on record, trailing only November 2022’s 100,291 units.
Tesla posted a sharp year-end rebound in China last month, with December’s wholesale figures climbing to their second-highest level to date.
The surge capped a late-year recovery for the electric vehicle maker, even as full-year wholesale figures still finished lower year over year. Still, the data highlights how Tesla China’s offerings still resonate with customers in the world’s most competitive electric vehicle market.
Tesla China’s December surge
Tesla China sold 97,171 vehicles wholesale in December, as per data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The results mark Tesla China’s second-highest monthly result on record, trailing only November 2022’s 100,291 units, based on data compiled by CNEVPost. The details of Tesla China’s December results, such as its domestic sales and exports, are yet to be released.
December’s wholesale results represent a 3.63% increase from the same month last year and a 12.08% jump from November’s 86,700 units. It also marked the second consecutive month of year-over-year growth, signaling renewed momentum in China.
Tesla’s late-year momentum is believed to be partly driven by Tesla pulling deliveries forward to allow buyers to take advantage of more favorable purchase tax policies before the calendar year ended. That strategy helped boost monthly performance even as competition in China’s EV market remained intense.
Tesla China’s FY 2025 volumes
Despite the strong December finish, Tesla China’s wholesale sales declined on an annual basis. The electric vehicle maker’s total wholesale figures for 2025 reached 851,732 units, down 7.08% year over year. This could have been due to a variety of factors, from intense competition in the domestic Chinese market to Giga Shanghai’s changeover to the new Model Y in the early part of the year.
Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai continues to play a central role in its global operations, producing the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover for both Chinese customers and export markets. The efficiency of Gigafactory Shanghai has allowed it to become Tesla’s largest factory by volume, as well as the company’s primary vehicle export hub.



