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SpaceX Dragon returns astronauts to Earth after record-breaking spaceflight
After spending almost 200 days in orbit, a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft has successfully returned four international Crew-2 astronauts to Earth, marking major firsts both for the company and NASA.
Launched on April 23rd, 2021, NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide are now safely back on Earth, marking the successful end of their Crew-2 mission. Unusually, due to poor weather conditions, Crew-2 has returned to Earth before their Crew-3 counterparts and replacements were able to join them at the International Space Station (ISS) and are now scheduled to fill the void left behind no earlier than November 11th after a launch late on November 10th.
Crew-2’s near-flawless undocking, reentry, descent, and splashdown should nevertheless add no additional risk of delay.
For a number of reasons, Crew-2’s safe recovery is a major milestone for SpaceX and spaceflight in general. Most notably, following flight-proven Crew Dragon C206’s flawless second launch earlier this year, Crew-2 is officially the first time an orbital space capsule has twice safely carried humans to and from orbit – and after spending longer in space than any other US crewed spacecraft in history. While there was little reason for doubt, Dragon’s first successful ‘reused’ recovery is nevertheless an absolutely essential and historic milestone for SpaceX, a company that one day aims to routinely launch and land dozens of people at a time on Earth and other planets.
NASA – through its Space Shuttle program – is the only other entity in history to successfully launch and reuse a crewed orbital spacecraft, making SpaceX the second member of perhaps the most exclusive club in all of spaceflight.
Unexpectedly, despite indications from NASA in a recent prelaunch press conference that the maneuver would be skipped to increase schedule flexibility, Crew-2’s Dragon spacecraft ultimately performed the first US space station ‘flyaround’ maneuver in a decade. Astronaut Thomas Pesquet – rapidly becoming one of the best astronaut photographers in recent memory – took the opportunity to capture a number of photos of the ISS. NASA isn’t looking for anything in particular in those photos but they will still assuredly be useful for station engineers.
-->While numerically flawless, during Crew Dragon C206’s second descent, one of its four main parachutes lagged behind the other three during a process known as parachute inflation. Associate Administrator Kathy Lueders noted the odd appearance of the chute – which eventually expanded to its proper size – in comments shortly after crew egress but she confirmed that Dragon’s descent rate was nominal, meaning that the apparent nonconformance had zero impact on Dragon’s recovery and splashdown. The chute behavior – and Crew-2 recovery performance in general – will be reviewed in Crew-3’s launch readiness review (LRR) as early as November 9th.
SpaceX’s recovery team continues to refine Crew Dragon recovery procedures and Crew-2 certainly continued that trend. An hour and fifteen minutes after the spacecraft was in orbit and traveling seven kilometers (4.5 mi) per second and less than an hour after splashdown, all four Crew-2 astronauts were safely removed from Dragon and moved to medical facilities. All four will now be prepared to return by helicopter to dedicated facilities on land.
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Tesla China delivery centers packed as Q4 2025 enters its final month
Fresh photos from delivery centers in the country show rows upon rows of Model Ys and Model 3s.
Tesla’s delivery centers in China are filled with vehicles as the company ramps up for its final push in Q4 2025. Fresh photos from delivery centers in the country show rows upon rows of Model Ys and Model 3s, signaling strong end-of-quarter momentum.
A delivery push for Q4 2025
A recent aerial shot from a Tesla delivery center in China captures the company’s efforts to deliver as many vehicles as possible as the year comes to a close. As could be seen in the image, which was posted by on X by Tesla enthusiast Nic Cruz Patane, the facility was filled with numerous Model Y and Model 3 units, each vehicle seemingly ready to be handed over to customers.
Echoing the scene, another post, reportedly from two weeks prior, showed a similar scene in a Shanghai location, which was packed with Model Y units. X user Roberto Nores shared the photo, noting that the image also shows multiple Model Y Ls, a six-seat extended wheelbase version of the popular all-electric crossover.
Towards a strong Q4 finish
China remains Tesla’s volume powerhouse, accounting for a good portion of the company’s global deliveries in recent quarters. That being said, reports did emerge in early November stating that the company only reached 26,006 retail sales during October, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The reasons for this remain to be seen, though a focus on exports could have been a contributing factor.
Tesla China does seem to be hinting at some momentum this November. Just recently, Tesla watchers observed that the order page for the Model Y in China 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.
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SpaceX’s Starship FL launch site will witness scenes once reserved for sci-fi films
A Starship that launches from the Florida site could touch down on the same site years later.
The Department of the Air Force (DAF) has released its Final Environmental Impact Statement for SpaceX’s efforts to launch and land Starship and its Super Heavy booster at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s SLC-37.
According to the Impact Statement, Starship could launch up to 76 times per year on the site, with Super Heavy boosters returning within minutes of liftoff and Starship upper stages landing back on the same pad in a timeframe that was once only possible in sci-fi movies.
Booster in Minutes, Ship in (possibly) years
The EIS explicitly referenced a never-before-seen operational concept: Super Heavy boosters will launch, reach orbit, and be caught by the tower chopsticks roughly seven minutes after liftoff. Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage will complete its mission, whether a short orbital test, lunar landing, or a multi-year Mars cargo run, and return to the exact same SLC-37 pad upon mission completion.
“The Super Heavy booster landings would occur within a few minutes of launch, while the Starship landings would occur upon completion of the Starship missions, which could last hours or years,” the EIS read.
This means a Starship that departs the Florida site in, say, 2027, could touch down on the same site in 2030 or later, right beside a brand-new stack preparing for its own journey, as noted in a Talk Of Titusville report. The 214-page document treats these multi-year round trips as standard procedure, effectively turning the location into one of the world’s first true interplanetary spaceports.
-->Noise and emissions flagged but deemed manageable
While the project received a clean bill of health overall, the EIS identified two areas requiring ongoing mitigation. Sonic booms from Super Heavy booster and Starship returns will cause significant community annoyance” particularly during nighttime operations, though structural damage is not expected. Nitrogen oxide emissions during launches will also exceed federal de minimis thresholds, prompting an adaptive management plan with real-time monitoring.
Other impacts, such as traffic, wildlife (including southeastern beach mouse and Florida scrub-jay), wetlands, and historic sites, were deemed manageable under existing permits and mitigation strategies. The Air Force is expected to issue its Record of Decision within weeks, followed by FAA concurrence, setting the stage for rapid redevelopment of the former site into a dual-tower Starship complex.
SpaceX Starship Environmental Impact Statement by Simon Alvarez
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Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) testing gains major ground in Spain
Based on information posted by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), it appears that Tesla is already busy testing FSD in the country.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) program is accelerating across Europe, with Spain emerging as a key testing hub under the country’s new ES-AV framework program.
Based on information posted by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), it appears that Tesla is already busy testing FSD in the country.
Spain’s ES-AV framework
Spain’s DGT launched the ES-AV Program in July 2025 to standardize testing for automated vehicles from prototypes to pre-homologation stages. The DGT described the purpose of the program on its official website.
“The program is designed to complement and enhance oversight, regulation, research, and transparency efforts, as well as to support innovation and advancements in automotive technology and industry. This framework also aims to capitalize on the opportunity to position Spain as a pioneer and leader in automated vehicle technology, seeking to provide solutions that help overcome or alleviate certain shortcomings or negative externalities of the current transportation system,” the DGT wrote.
The program identifies three testing phases based on technological maturity and the scope of a company’s operations. Each phase has a set of minimum eligibility requirements, and applicants must indicate which phase they wish to participate in, at least based on their specific technological development.
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Tesla FSD tests
As noted by Tesla watcher Kees Roelandschap on X, the DGT’s new framework effectively gives the green flight for nationwide FSD testing. So far, Tesla Spain has a total of 19 vehicles authorized to test FSD on the country’s roads, though it would not be surprising if this fleet grows in the coming months.
The start date for the program is listed at November 27, 2025 to November 26, 2027. The DGT also noted that unlimited FSD tests could be done across Spain on any national route. And since Tesla is already in Phase 3 of the ES-AV Program, onboard safety operators are optional. Remote monitoring would also be allowed.
Tesla’s FSD tests in Spain could help the company gain a lot of real-world data on the country’s roads. Considering the scope of tests that are allowed for the electric vehicle maker, it seems like Spain would be one of the European countries that would be friendly to FSD’s operations. So far, Tesla’s FSD push in Europe is notable, with the company holding FSD demonstrations in Germany, France, and Italy. Tesla is also pushing for national approval in the Netherlands in early 2026.
Tesla China delivery centers packed as Q4 2025 enters its final month
SpaceX’s Starship FL launch site will witness scenes once reserved for sci-fi films
