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SpaceX’s historic Crew Dragon spacecraft returned to dry land for reuse
Five days after becoming the first private spacecraft to successfully launch and land astronauts, as well as the first crewed spacecraft to land in the Gulf of Mexico, SpaceX safely returned historic Demo-2 Crew Dragon to dry land.
After a brief night in a Floridan port on the Gulf of Mexico, SpaceX recovery vessel GO Navigator pushed off, ultimately completing a several-day journey around the entirety of Florida before arriving at Port Canaveral on August 7th. One final lift onto dry land marked the true end of Crew Dragon capsule C206’s Demo-2 NASA astronaut launch debut, although astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley were technically extracted from the spacecraft and airlifted to NASA’s Houston facilities on August 2nd.
While, prior to Demo-2’s May 30th launch, it appeared that post-astronaut extraction recovery operations would not be of significant interest to NASA, things changed dramatically just a few days later. On June 3rd, a modification to SpaceX’s Commercial Crew contract with NASA revealed that the space agency had unexpectedly given the company permission to reuse Falcon 9 boosters – and Crew Dragon capsules, too – on astronaut launches planned as few as eight months in the future.
Given just how unexpected NASA’s (quasi) announcement was, many assumed that a clause that SpaceX could begin reusing Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon on Crew-2 (the second operational astronaut launch) meant that NASA would maybe consider the feat in 2021 or 2022. Instead, revealed in detail by both NASA and SpaceX officials over the course of several media events before, during, and after Crew Dragon’s first crewed reentry and splashdown, it quickly became clear that the plan was to reuse the Demo-2 Crew Dragon on Crew-2.
Scheduled as early as February 2021, Crew-2 is shorthand for SpaceX’s second operational astronaut launch to the International Space Station (ISS) and will follow directly in the footsteps of Crew-1, itself scheduled no earlier than (NET) late September. Given that NASA had apparently agreed to reuse the Demo-2 Crew Dragon before it had even returned to Earth (and thus before any inspections could be done), the space agency’s confidence in SpaceX must be at an all-time high.
Knowing NASA, though, that confidence is likely almost entirely based on fact and observations made over a decade of cooperation with SpaceX. With Crew Dragon capsule C206 safely in hand and back on dry land, SpaceX – alongside NASA – can begin an extensive inspection of the historic spacecraft. Building off of experience gained from Crew Dragon’s Demo-1 (C201) and In-Flight Abort (C205) test flights and recoveries, if capsule C206 look as good as SpaceX and NASA seem to think it will be, the inspection process could be a surprisingly short one.
Once NASA officially qualifies Crew Dragon for operational astronaut launches, SpaceX teams will likely begin reassembling capsule C206 as soon as possible, completing any necessary repairs, replacements, or refurbishment along the way. If capsule C201’s processing is anything to go by, SpaceX may choose to perform some major integrated tests – possibly including a Super Draco abort thruster static fire – before giving the spacecraft the go-ahead to become the first reused crew capsule.
According to SpaceX engineer Kate Tice, the Crew Dragon refurbishment process will be quick relative to Cargo Dragon thanks to major design improvements, requiring six months or less between orbital flights. That means that future reuses should leave SpaceX and NASA plenty of schedule margin and Crew Dragon capsule C206 could potentially be ready to launch Crew-2 as early as late 2020.
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Elon Musk’s Grokipedia surges to 5.6M articles, almost 79% of English Wikipedia
The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia has grown to an impressive 5,615,201 articles as of today, closing in on 79% of the English Wikipedia’s current total of 7,119,376 articles.
The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago. Needless to say, it would only be a matter of time before Grokipedia exceeds English Wikipedia in sheer volume.
Grokipedia’s rapid growth
xAI’s vision for Grokipedia emphasizes neutrality, while Grok’s reasoning capabilities allow for fast drafting and fact-checking. When Elon Musk announced the initiative in late September 2025, he noted that Grokipedia would be an improvement to Wikipedia because it would be designed to avoid bias.
At the time, Musk noted that Grokipedia “is a necessary step towards the xAI goal of understanding the Universe.”
Grokipedia was launched in late October, and while xAI was careful to list it only as Version 0.1 at the time, the online encyclopedia immediately earned praise. Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger highlighted the project’s innovative approach, noting how it leverages AI to fill knowledge gaps and enable rapid updates. Netizens also observed how Grokipedia tends to present articles in a more objective manner compared to Wikipedia, which is edited by humans.
Elon Musk’s ambitious plans
With 5,615,201 total articles, Grokipedia has now grown to almost 79% of English Wikipedia’s article base. This is incredibly quick, though Grokipedia remains text-only for now. xAI, for its part, has now updated the online encyclopedia’s iteration to v0.2.
Elon Musk has shared bold ideas for Grokipedia, including sending a record of the entire knowledge base to space as part of xAI’s mission to preserve and expand human understanding. At some point, Musk stated that Grokipedia will be renamed to Encyclopedia Galactica, and it will be sent to the cosmos.
“When Grokipedia is good enough (long way to go), we will change the name to Encyclopedia Galactica. It will be an open source distillation of all knowledge, including audio, images and video. Join xAI to help build the sci-fi version of the Library of Alexandria!” Musk wrote, adding in a later post that “Copies will be etched in stone and sent to the Moon, Mars and beyond. This time, it will not be lost.”
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Tesla Model 3 becomes Netherlands’ best-selling used EV in 2025
More than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3.
The Tesla Model 3 became the most popular used electric car in the Netherlands in 2025, cementing its dominance well beyond the country’s new-car market.
After years at the top of Dutch EV sales charts, the Model 3 now leads the country’s second-hand EV market by a wide margin, as record used-car purchases pushed electric vehicles further into the mainstream.
Model 3 takes a commanding lead
The Netherlands recorded more than 2.1 million used car sales last year, the highest level on record. Of those, roughly 4.8%, or about 102,000 vehicles, were electric. Within that growing segment, the Tesla Model 3 stood far ahead of its competitors.
In 2025 alone, 11,338 used Model 3s changed hands, giving the car an 11.1% share of the country’s entire used EV market. That means more than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3, Auto Week Netherlands reported. The scale of its lead is striking: the gap between the Model 3 and the second-place finisher, the Volkswagen ID3, is more than 6,700 vehicles.
Rivals trail as residual values shape rankings
The Volkswagen ID.3 ranked a distant second, with 4,595 used units sold and a 4.5% market share. Close behind was the Audi e-tron, which placed third with 4,236 registrations. As noted by Auto Week Netherlands, relatively low residual values likely boosted the e-tron’s appeal in the used market, despite its higher original price.
Other strong performers included the Kia Niro, the Tesla Model Y, and the Hyundai Kona, highlighting continued demand for compact and midsize electric vehicles with proven range and reliability. No other model, however, came close to matching the Model 3’s scale or market presence.
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Tesla Model Y Standard Long Range RWD launches in Europe
The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.
Tesla has expanded the Model Y lineup in Europe with the introduction of the Standard Long Range RWD variant, which offers an impressive 657 km of WLTP range.
The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.
Model Y Standard Long Range RWD Details
Tesla Europe & Middle East highlighted some of the Model Y Standard Long Range RWD’s most notable specs, from its 657 km of WLTP range to its 2,118 liters of cargo volume. More importantly, Tesla also noted that the newly released variant only consumes 12.7 kWh per 100 km, making it the most efficient Model Y to date.
The Model Y Standard provides a lower entry point for consumers who wish to enter the Tesla ecosystem at the lowest possible price. While the Model 3 Standard is still more affordable, some consumers might prefer the Model Y Standard due to its larger size and crossover form factor. The fact that the Model Y Standard is equipped with Tesla’s AI4 computer also makes it ready for FSD’s eventual rollout to the region.
Top Gear’s Model Y Standard review
Top Gear‘s recent review of the Tesla Model Y Standard highlighted some of the vehicle’s most notable features, such as its impressive real-world range, stellar infotainment system, and spacious interior. As per the publication, the Model Y Standard still retains a lot of what makes Tesla’s vehicles well-rounded, even if it’s been equipped with a simplified interior.
Top Gear compared the Model Y Standard to its rivals in the same segment. “The introduction of the Standard trim brings the Model Y in line with the entry price of most of its closest competition. In fact, it’s actually cheaper than a Peugeot e-3008 and costs £5k less than an entry-level Audi Q4 e-tron. It also makes the Ford Mustang Mach-E look a little short with its higher entry price and worse range,” the publication wrote.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia surges to 5.6M articles, almost 79% of English Wikipedia
Tesla Model 3 becomes Netherlands’ best-selling used EV in 2025
