SpaceX
SpaceX’s space-bound Crew Dragon stars in spectacular preflight photos [gallery]
SpaceX and NASA are both participating in an exceptional media blitz on the verge of Crew Dragon’s orbital launch debut, sharing dozens of detailed photos and videos documenting the advanced spacecraft’s many years of development and its brief final voyage out to Launch Complex 39A (Pad 39A).
Scheduled to attempt its first launch at 2:48 am EST (07:48 UTC), March 2nd, CEO Elon Musk has already teased one significant part of a spectacular, hosted webcast SpaceX has prepared for the milestone launch, arguably the biggest step the company will have taken towards its foundational goal of “making humanity a multiplanetary species”. Riding along on the uncrewed demonstration mission will be a test dummy – Starwoman – known as Ripley, a close relative of the Starman character now orbiting the sun in deep space.
Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rolled out to the launch pad ahead of the spacecraft’s first test flight. Liftoff targeted for 2:49 a.m. EST on March 2 pic.twitter.com/Dud93ZrkgH
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 28, 2019
Coming straight off of SpaceX’s February 21st Falcon 9 launch of commsat PSN-6 and Spaceflight’s GTO-1 rideshare, the contrast with the media presence behind Crew Dragon’s launch debut is stark. Regular SpaceX launches have grown into a routine distribution of official behind-the-scenes photos: one photo of Falcon 9 vertical on the pad after the rocket goes vertical, a hosted webcast with excellent live views of the mission, high-quality launch photos taken by SpaceX or contracted photographers, and – less frequently – a rare photo or two of the booster’s landing. NASA-led launches are a different story entirely, followed by USAF missions in a distant second place.
SpaceX and @NASA have completed thousands of hours of tests, analyses, and reviews in preparation for Crew Dragon’s first test flight to the @space_station pic.twitter.com/JvJqeoLKVy
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 28, 2019
Particularly so given that NASA has funded 99-100% of Crew Dragon’s costly development, SpaceX customers can typically reserve the right to request special views and even post photos of their own in launch or program contracts. As a civilian federal agency, NASA is largely obligated to share photos, insofar as they generally play nice with arms trafficking regulations like the US’ ITAR. For any number of reasons, SpaceX has become noticeably less keen on sharing photos of its milestones and more routine operations, regardless of whether or not a given subject is likely to raise the ire of ITAR.
While the company still shares far more than they technically have to (i.e. nothing), competitors like ULA tend to share far more even for extraordinarily security-conscious National Reconnaissance Office launches. Regardless of the company’s reasons, to which they have every right, the floodgates have been opened in the two or so months that have built up to Crew Dragon’s inaugural launch.
Ripley pic.twitter.com/Z9Ztram8Ai
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 1, 2019
Combined, NASA and SpaceX have shared dozens of extremely high-quality photos of Falcon 9, Crew Dragon, and the general behind-the-scenes work required to make every launch (including this one) happen. SpaceX has also offered numerous rare glimpses into those processes, including rocket’s roll-out to Pad 39A and a brief 60-second overview featuring clips of much of the Crew Dragon development work that has been ongoing for 5+ years.
- Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 B1051 stand vertical at Pad 39A during preparations for a late January static fire test. (SpaceX)
- Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 B1051 stand vertical at Pad 39A during preparations for a late January static fire test. (SpaceX)
- Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon rolled out to Pad 39A on February 28th, roughly 60 hours before launch. (NASA)
- Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon rolled out to Pad 39A on February 28th, roughly 60 hours before launch. (NASA)
- A few hours later, Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon were lifted into the vertical position on SpaceX’s Transporter/Erector (T/E). (NASA)
- A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen after being raised into a vertical position on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Demo-1 mission, Feb. 28, 2019 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Demo-1 mission will be the first launch of a commercially built and operated American spacecraft and space system designed for humans as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The mission, currently targeted for a 2:49am launch on March 2, will serve as an end-to-end test of the system’s capabilities Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
- A glimpse of Crew Dragon’s interior. (SpaceX)
- Starwoman – nicknamed Ripley – will be riding along on Crew Dragon’s debut launch. (SpaceX)
Onwards and upwards
Put simply, this mission may be the most important launch since SpaceX graduated from Falcon 1 to Falcon 9 almost nine years ago. Founded by Elon Musk with a single-minded purpose of creating cost-effective, reusable rockets that could allow or at least motivate humans to one day reach Mars, the pursuit of human spacecraft has been on the minds and agendas of Musk and SpaceX since the company’s 2002 formation. If Crew Dragon’s orbital debut is successful, SpaceX will have taken the biggest step yet in the direction of those lofty aspirations, thanks in large part to the funding and expertise bestowed upon the company through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
While SpaceX technically owns and operates it, Crew Dragon is a fundamentally NASA-owned vehicle with respect to fundamental capabilities and limitations baked into its design. The countless hundreds of thousands of hours of experience derived from developing Crew Dragon will, however, feed directly into Starship, a spacecraft that will very nearly be SpaceX’s and SpaceX’s alone, from a blank sheet of paper to Mars (fate permitting).
- The DM-1 Crew Dragon testing inside SpaceX’s anechoic chamber, May 2018. (SpaceX)
- SpaceX’s Demo Mission-1 Crew Dragon seen preparing for vacuum tests at a NASA-run facility, June 2018. (SpaceX)
- The first spaceworthy Crew Dragon capsule is already in Florida, preparing for its November 2018 launch debut. The same capsule will be refurbished and reflown as few as three months after recovery. (SpaceX)
- The first complete Crew Dragon is likely just days away from rolling out to Pad 39A atop Falcon 9. (SpaceX)
- An impressive view of Crew Dragon (DM-1), Falcon 9 B1051, and its upper stage. (SpaceX)
- DM-1 and Falcon 9 were greeted by an extraordinary – albeit mildly bittersweet – dawn during their first-ever trip out to Pad 39A. (SpaceX)
- Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon vertical at Pad 39A. (SpaceX)
- Crew Dragon shows off its conformal (i.e. curved) solar array while connected to SpaceX’s sleek Crew Access Arm (CAA). (SpaceX)
- Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon are raised vertical at Pad 39A ahead of a late January static fire test. (SpaceX)
- Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 B1051 stand vertical at Pad 39A during preparations for a late January static fire test. (SpaceX)
- Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 are ready for the spacecraft’s orbital launch debut, NET March 2nd. (SpaceX)
- SpaceX completed a successful static fire of the first Falcon 9 rated for human flight on January 24th. DM-1 is now NET March 2019. (SpaceX)
- Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon rolled out to Pad 39A on February 28th, roughly 60 hours before launch. (NASA)
- Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon rolled out to Pad 39A on February 28th, roughly 60 hours before launch. (NASA)
- Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon rolled out to Pad 39A on February 28th, roughly 60 hours before launch. (NASA)
- Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon rolled out to Pad 39A on February 28th, roughly 60 hours before launch. (NASA)
- Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon rollQDed out to Pad 39A on February 28th, roughly 60 hours before launch. (NASA)
- A few hours later, Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon were lifted into the vertical position on SpaceX’s Transporter/Erector (T/E). (NASA)
- A few hours later, Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon were lifted into the vertical position on SpaceX’s Transporter/Erector (T/E). (NASA)
- A few hours later, Falcon 9 B1051 and Crew Dragon were lifted into the vertical position on SpaceX’s Transporter/Erector (T/E). (NASA)
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News
SpaceX makes first acquisition post-IPO
SpaceX has exercised its option to acquire Cursor, the innovative AI coding company, in an all-stock transaction valued at $60 billion. The deal, announced on June 16, marks a significant step in SpaceX’s expansion into advanced artificial intelligence, building on months of close collaboration between the companies.
Cursor, officially operated by Anysphere, Inc., is an AI-native code editor and coding agent designed to transform software development. Founded in 2022 by a group of MIT graduates in San Francisco, Cursor builds on the familiar foundation of Visual Studio Code but integrates powerful AI capabilities directly into the core experience.
Unlike traditional code editors or simple extensions, Cursor functions as a full “coding agent” that turns natural-language instructions into actionable code.
SpaceX has exercised the option to acquire @cursor_ai in an all-stock transaction with the goal of building the world’s most useful AI models.
For the past few months, SpaceXAI has been jointly training a model with Cursor, which will be released in Cursor and Grok Build soon.… https://t.co/X5mepgXgjJ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 16, 2026
Developers interact with Cursor through features like its Composer agent, which can search entire codebases, edit multiple files, run terminal commands, debug issues, and complete complex multi-step programming tasks autonomously.
Users describe high-level goals, such as “build a scalable API endpoint with authentication,” and the AI plans, implements, tests, and refines the solution while the human oversees decisions. Additional tools include advanced autocomplete (Tab), context-aware chat, and infrastructure for handling billions of daily requests.
The platform has gained considerable traction, surpassing $3 billion in annual recurring revenue by early 2026 and earning adoption by over half of the Fortune 500 companies. Its agentic approach accelerates development dramatically, allowing engineers to focus on architecture and creativity rather than repetitive coding.
The acquisition integrates Cursor’s leading product, expert team of roughly 300 engineers, and distribution network among top software developers with SpaceX’s unparalleled computational resources. SpaceX’s Colossus supercomputer, equivalent to a million H100 GPUs, has already powered joint training of next-generation models. These models are expected to launch soon within Cursor and SpaceX’s Grok Build environment.
This combination positions SpaceX to develop the world’s most capable AI systems for coding and knowledge work. Access to Cursor’s real-world usage data from millions of professional developers provides unparalleled feedback loops for model improvement. Training on Colossus enables rapid iteration on massive datasets, potentially creating AI that outperforms current leaders in reliability, context handling, and complex reasoning.
For SpaceX, the benefits extend far beyond software tools. Rocket engineering, satellite constellation management, autonomous flight systems, and Starship development involve millions of lines of highly specialized, safety-critical code.
Cursor’s AI agents, supercharged by proprietary models trained on SpaceX’s domain expertise, could slash development timelines, reduce errors, and enable faster innovation cycles. This vertical integration of AI tooling strengthens SpaceX’s competitive edge in both aerospace and the broader AI race, complementing its xAI initiatives.
The deal reflects the exploding value of AI-native developer platforms. By owning Cursor outright, SpaceX secures a strategic talent pool and product pipeline that will accelerate internal projects while potentially offering enhanced tools to the wider engineering community. As AI continues reshaping software creation, this acquisition underscores SpaceX’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology for ambitious goals, from Mars colonization to global connectivity.
News
SpaceX soars with its first launch as a public company, marking a new era
SpaceX executed its first Falcon 9 launch since going public on June 15, a routine yet symbolically powerful Starlink mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Liftoff of the Falcon 9 booster B1093, on its 14th flight, occurred at approximately 8:34 a.m. PDT from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E), deploying 24 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low-Earth orbit.
The first stage successfully landed on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean, underscoring the company’s unmatched reusability track record.
Watch Falcon 9 launch 24 @Starlink satellites to orbit from California https://t.co/meDwb05qOE
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 15, 2026
This mission comes just three days after SpaceX’s historic IPO on June 12, which shattered records as the largest ever. The company raised $75 billion by pricing shares at $135, with trading under ticker SPCX on Nasdaq opening at $150 and closing at $160.95—a 19 percent gain—valuing SpaceX at over $2.1 trillion.
The launch highlights the seamless transition from private innovator to public powerhouse. SpaceX, founded in 2002, has revolutionized access to space with over 650 Falcon 9 flights and a massive Starlink constellation now serving millions globally.
As a public company, it faces new pressures: quarterly earnings, shareholder scrutiny, and expectations to accelerate Starship development for Mars ambitions and deeper NASA partnerships. Yet the market response signals strong confidence in its dominance, as launch costs are slashed by 95 percent, rapid satellite deployment, and a backlog of government and commercial contracts.
SpaceX maintains bold advertising push for Starlink, contrasting Tesla’s minimalistic approach
Analysts view today’s flight as business as usual, but it carries extra weight. With shares volatile in early trading days, successful operations reassure investors that core capabilities remain unaffected by public status.
SpaceX now operates under heightened transparency, potentially unlocking capital for ambitious goals like Starship orbital tests and global broadband expansion.
Challenges loom, including regulatory hurdles for megaconstellations, competition in reusable rockets, and orbital debris concerns. Nevertheless, this morning’s flawless execution reinforces SpaceX’s trajectory.
As Musk often notes, the company’s mission—to make humanity multiplanetary—now aligns with Wall Street’s growth demands. The stars, it seems, are aligning for both.
Investor's Corner
Tesla and SpaceX’s biggest bull just placed a massive $1B bet on the stock
Renowned investor Ron Baron, founder and CEO of Baron Capital, has once again demonstrated his unwavering faith in Elon Musk’s ventures.
Just after SpaceX’s record-breaking IPO, Baron announced he purchased an additional $1 billion in SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) shares. This move pushes Baron Capital’s total holdings in the company to a staggering $25 billion in market value, underscoring one of the most successful private-to-public investment stories in recent history.
Baron’s relationship with SpaceX dates back to 2017, when his firm began investing approximately $1.75–2 billion through secondary markets and employee tender offers at valuations around $20–22 billion.
By the time of the IPO, which valued SpaceX at over $2 trillion with shares closing near $161, those early stakes had generated more than $13 billion in unrealized gains. Post-IPO, Baron’s position ballooned further, reflecting the company’s meteoric rise driven by reusable rocketry, Starlink’s global satellite internet constellation, Starshield defense applications, and ambitious plans for orbital infrastructure.
In a recent interview, Baron articulated his bullish outlook with characteristic enthusiasm.
Ron Baron said today that he bought $1 billion of @SpaceX IPO shares last Friday, and said that all of Baron Capital’s $SPCX holdings are now worth $25 billion.
“I think we’re going to make hundreds of billions of dollars; If you read the prospectus, you realize what they… pic.twitter.com/U8F471KtJS
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) June 15, 2026
“I think we’re going to make hundreds of billions of dollars,” he stated, emphasizing that SpaceX’s achievements in rocketry and satellite technology are “not possible for anyone else to accomplish.” He envisions the company as a cornerstone of humanity’s multi-planetary future, potentially reaching valuations of $10–30 trillion within 10–15 years.
Baron has repeatedly affirmed he has no plans to sell, viewing SpaceX as a “lifetime investment” alongside Tesla.
Tesla bull Ron Baron reveals $100M SpaceX investment, sees 3-5x return on TSLA
This conviction stems from SpaceX’s unparalleled execution. The company has revolutionized access to space with Falcon 9 reusability, deployed thousands of Starlink satellites, and is advancing Starship for Mars missions and point-to-point Earth transport.
Baron highlights emerging opportunities like space-based AI data centers and direct-to-cell satellite connectivity, positioning SpaceX at the forefront of a new space economy projected to generate trillions in value.
Critics may question the lofty projections amid high valuations and execution risks, but Baron’s track record speaks volumes. His Tesla holdings, initiated in the mid-2010s, have also delivered outsized returns. As one of the largest institutional holders of SpaceX pre-IPO, Baron Capital’s funds, such as Baron Partners, benefited immensely from valuation markups.
Baron’s $1 billion IPO purchase signals deep confidence in SpaceX’s post-IPO trajectory. In an era of short-term market noise, his strategy exemplifies patient capital: backing visionary leadership and transformative technology.
For investors watching the space sector, it serves as a powerful endorsement that the final frontier may indeed yield the next great wealth-creation engine. As Baron puts it, SpaceX isn’t just building rockets—it’s trying to “save humanity” by expanding our horizons beyond Earth.





























