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SpaceX teases exciting look at Crew Dragon mated with Falcon 9 rocket (Photos)
SpaceX and NASA are going full-steam ahead towards the first astronaut launch from U.S. soil in nearly a decade. To that end, SpaceX has moved its Crew Dragon spacecraft to the hangar at Pad 39A for final launch preparations.
The craft is set to launch on May 27, at 4:33 p.m. EDT (2033 GMT), kicking off a 19-hour trip to the International Space Station. Buckled inside in the capsule will be two veteran astronauts: Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley.
The duo arrived in Florida on May 20, just a week before their historic flight is set to take off. The crew will finish up some last minute-training, try on their space suits one last time, and spend some time with their families prior to launching on a mission with no definitive return date. (They’re estimated to spend between 1-4 months on orbit, but the duration depends on several factors, including when the next Crew Dragon spacecraft will be complete.)
Meanwhile, SpaceX is busy readying their ride to space. To that end, on Friday, May 15, the gum drop-shaped capsule rolled into a hangar adjacent to the launch pad.
Once inside, SpaceX engineers inspected the vehicle before mating it to its Falcon 9 launcher.
Along with the Crew Dragon booster, three other Falcons can be seen perched in the hangar. Those boosters are for upcoming flights, including the launch of an upgraded GPS satellite that was originally slated to launch in March. But thanks to the coronavirus currently sweeping the globe, and the fact that the GPS constellation is healthy, lead officials to push the launch back.
Also seen in the photo are two flight-proven boosters, designated B1051, and B1059.
Now that the Falcon and Dragon are mated, the duo will roll to the launch pad in a day or two for a routine static fire test. After that, Behnken and Hurley will conduct one final run-through of launch day procedures. But first, the mission must pass a flight readiness review, lead by NASA’s associate administrator, Steve Jurczyk.
If all goes as planned, there will be a final launch readiness review on Monday (May 25), ahead of the launch on Wednesday, May 27.
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets.
The company also completed deployment of its first-generation Direct to Cell constellation, launching over 650 satellites in just 18 months to enable cellular connectivity.
Key achievements from Starlink’s 2025 Progress
Starlink connected over 4.6 million new customers with high-speed internet while bringing service to 35 more regions worldwide. In total, Starlink is now cosseting 9.2 million people worldwide. The service was able to achieve this just weeks after hitting its 8 million customer milestone.
Starlink is now available in 155 markets, including locations that are unreachable by traditional ISPs. The service has also change the game in airline internet, serving over 21 million airline passengers with high speed internet connectivity.
Starlink Direct to Cell
The Direct to Cell constellation, more than 650 satellites strong, has already connected over 12 million people at least once, marking a breakthrough in global mobile coverage. With Starlink Direct to Cell, even locations that are severely underserved are able to get connectivity.
“This year, SpaceX completed deployment of the first generation of the Starlink Direct to Cell constellation, with more than 650 satellites launched to low-Earth orbit in just 18 months. Starlink Direct to Cell has connected more than 12 million people, and counting, at least once, providing life-saving connectivity when people need it most,” SpaceX wrote.
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Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
Tesla’s Giga Nevada has reached an impressive milestone, producing its 6 millionth drive unit as 2925 came to a close.
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
6 million drive units
The achievement was shared by the official Tesla Manufacturing account on social media platform X. “Congratulations to the Giga Nevada team for producing their 6 millionth Drive Unit!” Tesla wrote.
The photo showed numerous factory workers assembled on the production floor, proudly holding golden balloons that spelled out “6000000″ in front of drive unit assembly stations. Elon Musk gave credit to the Giga Nevada team, writing, “Congrats on 6M drive units!” in a post on X.
Giga Nevada’s essential role
Giga Nevada produces drive units, battery packs, and energy products. The facility has been a cornerstone of Tesla’s scaling since opening, and it was the crucial facility that ultimately enabled Tesla to ramp the Model 3 and Model Y. Even today, it serves as Tesla’s core hub for battery and drivetrain components for vehicles that are produced in the United States.
Giga Nevada is expected to support Tesla’s ambitious 2026 targets, including the launch of vehicles like the Tesla Semi and the Cybercab. Tesla will have a very busy 2026, and based on Giga Nevada’s activities so far, it appears that the facility will be equally busy as well.
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Tesla Supercharger network delivers record 6.7 TWh in 2025
The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets.
Tesla’s Supercharger Network had its biggest year ever in 2025, delivering a record 6.7 TWh of electricity to vehicles worldwide.
To celebrate its busy year, the official @TeslaCharging account shared an infographic showing the Supercharger Network’s growth from near-zero in 2012 to this year’s impressive milestone.
Record 6.7 TWh delivered in 2025
The bar chart shows steady Supercharger energy delivery increases since 2012. Based on the graphic, the Supercharger Network started small in the mid-2010s and accelerated sharply after 2019, when the Model 3 was going mainstream.
Each year from 2020 onward showed significantly more energy delivery, with 2025’s four quarters combining for the highest total yet at 6.7 TWh.
This energy powered millions of charging sessions across Tesla’s growing fleet of vehicles worldwide. The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets. This makes the Supercharger Network loved not just by Tesla owners but EV drivers as a whole.
Resilience after Supercharger team changes
2025’s record energy delivery comes despite earlier 2024 layoffs on the Supercharger team, which sparked concerns about the system’s expansion pace. Max de Zegher, Tesla Director of Charging North America, also highlighted that “Outside China, Superchargers delivered more energy than all other fast chargers combined.”
Longtime Tesla owner and FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog noted the achievement as proof of continued momentum post-layoffs. At the time of the Supercharger team’s layoffs in 2024, numerous critics were claiming that Elon Musk was halting the network’s expansion altogether, and that the team only remained because the adults in the room convinced the juvenile CEO to relent.
Such a scenario, at least based on the graphic posted by the Tesla Charging team on X, seems highly implausible.
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
