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SpaceX’s 2018 Crew Dragon launch debut imminent as spacecraft hardware comes together

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SpaceX’s first spaceworthy Crew Dragon spacecraft officially has a confident launch target in hand as a flood of activity has begun to complete, ship, test, and deliver multiple critical components ranging from the Dragon capsule itself to the Falcon 9 Block 5 first and second stages for that capsule’s November or December launch debut.

As of today, SpaceX has between three and four months to finish up a significant – but by no means impossible – amount of work, ranging from actual hardware completion, integration, and preflight checkouts and testing to a veritable flood of paperwork required by NASA before any Commercial Crew launch can proceed.

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Paper beats rock(et)

In fact, given comments from SpaceX’s President and COO Gwynne Shotwell and CEO Elon Musk, the executives appeared to be very confident that the hardware for the first uncrewed demo mission (DM-1) and second crewed test flight (DM-2) would be ready for launch. These comments most likely group software under that hardware umbrella, meaning that Shotwell and Musk seem to be very subtly commenting on the immense bureaucratic workload required from SpaceX before NASA will permit them to launch.

Decades of experience as a military-industrial complex stalwart has readily prepared Boeing to deal with those vast ‘certification’ workloads, but that certainly doesn’t mean that NASA couldn’t find a more pragmatic and less oppressive balance between carelessness and a downright obsessive compulsion to document every molecule of their commercial providers’ hardware, software, and wetware (employees, management, organizational structure).

Falcon 9 preps for Crew Dragon

Despite the often-onerous bureaucratic demands of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program office, SpaceX is moving rapidly ahead with a range of hardware, all critical for the Crew Dragon’s November/December launch debut. With the capsule itself already in Florida and the DM-1 Dragon’s trunk nearing shipment from Hawthorne to Cape Canaveral (currently NET September), the next and perhaps most important piece is Falcon 9 itself.

Confirmed earlier this year in a quarterly NASA Commercial Crew update, SpaceX assigned Falcon 9 Booster 1051 to Crew Dragon’s debut launch. That rocket booster and its complementary upper stage are already at SpaceX’s McGregor, TX rocket testing facility undergoing a number of acceptance tests and checkouts as of today, confirming a number of critical facts. Most importantly, the presence of integrated the B1051 booster in Texas appears to imply that SpaceX has successfully fixed slight design flaws in their Merlin 1D engines and composite-overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs), even if the paperwork to officially ‘certify’ them for flight has not been completed.

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This meshes nicely with details provided in a recent NASA Commercial Crew news post, which stated that “Falcon 9’s first and second stages for the Demo-1 [Crew Dragon] mission are targeted to ship … [to] McGregor, Texas for additional testing in August.” Ship they did and the booster may well have beaten that “August” timeframe according to photos of the facility from mid-July. When exactly that testing will wrap up in Texas is unclear but it would be reasonable to expect the rocket booster and upper stage to ship to SpaceX’s Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) in Cape Canaveral within 4-6 weeks, giving the company a solid month and a half to integrate the rocket, static fire it at the pad, complete assembly of Crew Dragon, and attach the spacecraft to its Falcon 9 rocket ahead of launch.


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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Elon Musk

Elon Musk estimates Tesla Semi could reach Europe next year

“We’ve got the Tesla Semi coming out, the heavy truck, and that’ll be going to Europe hopefully next year,” Musk said.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is preparing to expand its all-electric Semi truck program to Europe, with CEO Elon Musk indicating that the Class 8 vehicle could arrive in the region 2027.

Musk shared his update during an interview about Giga Berlin with plant manager André Thierig, which was posted on X by the official Tesla Manufacturing account.

“We’ve got the Tesla Semi coming out, the heavy truck, and that’ll be going to Europe hopefully next year,” he said.

Tesla has already begun limited production and customer deployments of the Tesla Semi in the United States, with the company working to scale output through the Semi factory near Giga Nevada. Considering Musk’s comments, it appears that a European rollout would be the next phase of the vehicle’s expansion beyond North America.

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Musk’s use of the word “hopefully” leaves room for flexibility, but the remark signals that Europe is next in Tesla’s commercial expansion plans.

Musk has consistently argued that electrification should extend beyond passenger vehicles. During the same interview, he reiterated his view that “all ground transport should be electric,” adding that ships, and eventually aircraft, would follow.

The Semi plays a central role in that strategy. Heavy-duty freight remains one of the most emissions-intensive segments of road transport, and European regulators have increasingly pushed for lower-emission commercial fleets. 

Tesla recently refreshed the Semi lineup on its official website, listing two variants: Standard and Long Range. The Standard trim offers up to 325 miles of range with an energy consumption rating of 1.7 kWh per mile, while the Long Range version provides up to 500 miles, which should be more than ample for European routes.

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Elon Musk

Tesla Cybercab coming next to Giga Berlin, Optimus possibly after

“From a next major product standpoint, I think most likely is the Tesla Cybercab,” Musk said.

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Credit: Cybercab

Tesla could add the Cybercab and Optimus humanoid robot to the production lineup at Giga Berlin, as per recent comments from CEO Elon Musk. 

During a recent interview with Giga Berlin plant manager André Thierig, Musk identified the Cybercab as the most likely next major product for the German factory, with Optimus potentially following after.

“From a next major product standpoint, I think most likely is the Tesla Cybercab,” Musk said. He added that there are also “possibilities of Tesla Optimus” being produced in the facility.

Tesla has already begun production of the Cybercab in Giga Texas, with volume production expected to ramp this year. Based on Musk’s comments, it appears that if conditions align in Europe, Giga Berlin could eventually join that effort.

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The CEO’s comments about Optimus coming to Gigafactory Berlin are quite unsurprising too considering that Musk has mentioned in the past that the humanoid robot will likely be Tesla’s highest volume product in the long run. 

Giga Berlin will likely be able to produce mass volumes of Optimus, as the Model S and Model X lines being converted to an Optimus line in the Fremont Factory are already expected to produce 1 million units of the humanoid robot annually. 

Apart from his comments about the Cybercab and Optimus, Elon Musk also confirmed that Giga Berlin has started ramping battery cell production and will continue expanding Model Y output, particularly as supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) gains regulatory approvals in Europe.

Taken together, the remarks suggest Berlin’s role could evolve beyond vehicle assembly into a broader multi-product manufacturing hub, not just a regional Model Y plant.

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Energy

Tesla Powerwall distribution expands in Australia

Inventory is expected to arrive in late February and official sales are expected to start mid-March 2026.

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Credit: Tesla

Supply Partners Group has secured a distribution agreement for the Tesla Powerwall in Australia, with inventory expected to arrive in late February and official sales beginning in mid-March 2026.

Under the new agreement, Supply Partners will distribute Tesla Powerwall units and related accessories across its national footprint, as noted in an ecogeneration report. The company said the addition strengthens its position as a distributor focused on premium, established brands.

“We are proud to officially welcome Tesla Powerwall into the Supply Partners portfolio,” Lliam Ricketts, Co-Founder and Director of Innovation at Supply Partners Group, stated.

“Tesla sets a high bar, and we’ve worked hard to earn the opportunity to represent a brand that customers actively ask for. This partnership reflects the strength of our logistics, technical services and customer experience, and it’s a win for installers who want premium options they can trust.”

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Supply Partners noted that initial Tesla Powerwall stock will be warehoused locally before full commercial rollout in March. The distributor stated that the timing aligns with renewed growth momentum for the Powerwall, supported by competitive installer pricing, consumer rebates, and continued product and software updates.

“Powerwall is already a category-defining product, and what’s ahead makes it even more compelling,” Ricketts stated. “As pricing sharpens and capability expands, we see a clear runway for installers to confidently spec Powerwall for premium residential installs, backed by Supply Partners’ national distribution footprint and service model.”

Supply Partners noted that a joint go-to-market launch is planned, including Tesla-led training for its sales and technical teams to support installers during the home battery system’s domestic rollout.

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