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SpaceX Dragon spacecraft heads to ISS as crewed version preps for debut
SpaceX’s third flight-proven Cargo Dragon spacecraft has arrived in orbit and is currently making its way uphill to the International Space Station for the 15th SpaceX resupply, scheduled for arrival around 7 am EDT July 2nd. Meanwhile, the company’s new Crew Dragon is undergoing its own earthbound trials, split between an artificial vacuum chamber and parachute drop tests over the California desert.
Following a twilight launch that brought to a spectacular close an era of older, less-reusable Falcon 9 rockets, the Cargo Dragon capsule trunk full of several tons of supplies and scientific instruments were placed into a parking orbit roughly 200 miles above Earth’s surface, trailed by a mesmerizing rainbow plume created by Falcon 9’s first and second stage over their nine-minute journey.
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- CRS-15 minutes before an early July 29 launch. (SpaceX)
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- Nine minutes after launch, Falcon 9’s upper stage shut off its main engine and Cargo Dragon detached. (SpaceX)
After arriving in orbit, Crew Dragon separated from Falcon 9’s second stage and officially commenced its second orbital mission roughly 25 months after its first, CRS-9 in July 2016. Alongside the three that have now flown successfully, all five of SpaceX’s remaining Commercial Resupply Services-1 (CRS-1) missions will be conducted with flight-proven Dragon spacecraft, two or three of which will see the already-reused capsules fly a third time before being officially retired.
After SpaceX’s first CRS contract comes to an end, currently scheduled for early 2020 with the CRS-20 mission, the upgraded Dragon 2 will take over all future cargo launches. Dragon 2’s cargo configuration is expected to be a slightly different version of the Crew Dragon capsule and trunk, scheduled to debut as early as late 2018, but the specifics are still somewhat hazy. Most probably, recovered Crew Dragon capsules – unlikely to ever been certified to fly NASA astronauts – will instead be refurbished after their first orbital missions, modified slightly to meet the cargo requirements, and then use to complete SpaceX’s CRS-2 contract alongside their crew transport missions.
At Naval Air Facility El Centro in Southern California, SpaceX recently completed its 16th test of Crew Dragon’s parachute system—verifying the system’s ability to slow Crew Dragon and ensure a safe landing in the unlikely event of a low altitude abort. https://t.co/OOQnAtNXJ3 pic.twitter.com/kFX7Qth3AK
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 26, 2018
While its predecessors continue to grow SpaceX’s experience in orbit, the Crew Dragon program is making its own impressive progress towards the first uncrewed and crewed launch debuts in late 2018 and early 2019. DM-1, the capsule tasked with that first uncrewed demonstration, is likely nearing the end of a suite of tests inside NASA’s huge Plum Brook vacuum chamber facilities, ensuring that the brand-new spacecraft behaves as expected in the extreme environment of space. If successful, the capsule will be sent on its way to Cape Canaveral, Florida to begin true prelight preparations for the first time ever, while its trunk – an expendable structure installed at the base of the craft with solar arrays, radiators, and bays for unpressurized cargo – will be sent back to the Hawthorne, CA factory to be outfitted with flight hardware, after which it will ship to Florida one to two months after the capsule arrives.
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- Crew Dragon parachute tests are likely to continue into the summer to ensure NASA certification in time for DM-1. (SpaceX)
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- Falcon 9 B1045 and it’s flight-proven Cargo Dragon head skyward, marking the end of last-gen SpaceX Falcon 9 launches. (Tom Cross)
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- CRS-15’s ‘jellyfish’ plume glowed as Falcon 9 flew above the terminator into the morning sun. (Tom Cross)
Meanwhile, the CRS-15 Dragon capsule currently orbiting Earth will dock with the International Space Station early Monday morning and is scheduled to depart, reenter, and return to Hawthorne, CA for Flight 3 refurbishment in early August, at which point the DM-1 Crew Dragon ought to have arrived in Florida. Aside from Dragon, SpaceX has three new Falcon 9 Block 5 launches scheduled between July 20 and August 2, the boosters of which will all be recovered aboard SpaceX’s fleet of drone ships
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Tesla has quietly opened a public interest form for companies that want to buy fleets of its purpose-built Cybercab robotaxis, marking the first official channel for commercial purchases of the two-seat autonomous vehicle. The form went live on September 3, the same day Tesla hosted an invite-only Cybercab launch event in Austin, Texas.
Tesla titled the page “Help Us Build Our Robotaxi Network.” Applicants provide name, email, phone number, company name, and deployment region. They then select one or more categories: Cybercab fleet vehicle purchasing, mobility hubs and infrastructure, event collaboration, or other. Tesla says a representative will follow up with those who express commercial interest.
Tesla has introduced a new form that you can fill out if you are interested in purchasing a fleet of Cybercabs:
Form: https://t.co/Ut0yoiEyXD pic.twitter.com/uuaCXmksIO
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 3, 2026
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Until now, the company had no public ordering path for the vehicle, which was first shown as a concept at the October 2024 “We, Robot” event.
The Cybercab is designed from the ground up for unsupervised operation. It has no steering wheel and no pedals.
Regulatory filings list a 48-kilowatt-hour battery, a single 219-horsepower front motor, a curb weight of 3,113 pounds, and an EPA-adjusted range near 290 to 300 miles. Tesla has already registered dozens of the vehicles with Texas authorities and has been testing them on public streets around Austin.
Tesla Cybercab sightings broaden well outside of Austin with autonomy in focus
The company’s existing Robotaxi service, which currently uses modified Model Y vehicles in parts of Texas and Florida, is expected to add Cybercabs as production ramps up at Gigafactory Texas.
The form signals that Tesla is preparing to treat the Cybercab as more than an in-house fleet asset. Investors and operators have discussed buying groups of the vehicles and placing them on Tesla’s ride-hailing network, with Tesla taking a platform fee. High-profile figures have publicly stated plans to acquire fleets if Tesla allows third-party ownership.
The new page gives those parties a direct way to register interest rather than waiting for a conventional configurator.
Whether the form leads quickly to firm purchase agreements remains unclear. Regulatory approval for widespread unsupervised operation still varies by state, and Tesla has not published pricing or delivery timelines for fleet customers. The company has previously discussed a target price near $25,000 to $30,000 per vehicle.
For now, the form is an early signal that Tesla wants partners to help scale the network rather than operate every Cybercab itself.
Pairing the launch of the Cybercab fleet form with the Austin event is no coincidence. Tesla is inviting businesses to participate in the next phase of its Robotaxi plan at the moment the production vehicle first appears in public.
Tesla has updated its Robotaxi app so riders can pick which vehicle they want before they book. The latest in-app screens now show two options side by side: the two-seat Cybercab and the four-seat Model Y.
A screenshot circulating Thursday shows the change in practice. In Austin, a rider could choose a gold Cybercab for two people or a Model Y for four. Tesla’s updated description calls Cybercab “our first purpose-built autonomous vehicle,” designed for safety, accessibility, and comfort, and says the lineup is available only through the Robotaxi app.
Tesla has updated their Robotaxi page in the App Store. You’ll be able to select if you want a Cybercab or Model Y Robotaxi.
“Our Robotaxi vehicle lineup now includes Cybercab, our first purpose-built autonomous vehicle. Designed for safety, accessibility and comfort, Cybercab… pic.twitter.com/Jff4klilDr
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 3, 2026
The distinction is more than cosmetic, and it’s important to note that Robotaxi refers to the platform, while Cybercab refers to a vehicle.
Model Y Robotaxis have carried the service since it opened in Austin in mid-2025 and later expanded to Dallas, Houston, and parts of Florida. Those vehicles are converted production SUVs that still have steering wheels and pedals.
Cybercab is different. It has no driver controls, butterfly doors, a low seat height meant to work with wheelchairs, extra trunk space for assistive devices, and braille on the handles. Tesla has registered dozens of the two-seaters with Texas regulators in the days leading up to its September 3 Austin event.
Giving riders a choice lets Tesla match the vehicle to the trip. Most rides involve one or two people, which is where Cybercab is meant to be cheaper and more efficient to operate. Groups of three or four, or anyone who needs more space, can still request a Model Y.
The same app handles booking, payment, cabin settings, and, on Cybercab, features such as phone-based door opening and in-cabin voice controls.
The update does not mean every city suddenly has both cars available. Cybercab support is listed for Austin first, and the purpose-built fleet is still small compared with the existing Model Y roster. Even so, the app change marks a shift from a single-vehicle pilot to a mixed fleet.
Riders can now choose between the compact, purpose-built robotaxi and the familiar SUV that launched the service.
Tesla Cybercab sightings are broadening far and wide, well outside of downtown Austin, Texas, with autonomy in focus as the company plans to launch the all-electric, two-seater this evening in the Lone Star State.
Tesla is set to launch Cybercab to a small group of people this evening in a dedicated event in Austin, Texas. Public details on the event are relatively slim.
However, Tesla’s focus on Cybercab falls well outside of the downtown Austin area and is expanding well across the United States as things continue to move quickly with the company’s autonomous efforts in 2026. Today, various images of Cybercab fleets in interesting locations have started to circulate.
The most notable is a fleet of at least 20 Cybercabs at Miami International Airport in Florida. Spotted last night, the fleet is expansive and is indicative of a looming release of Cybercabs once regulatory boxes are checked off.
Tesla has already been operating the Robotaxi platform in Miami for several months, but this Cybercab fleet at the airport could be joining the ride-hailing platform as approvals arrive:
20+ Cybercabs spotted near Miami international airport. pic.twitter.com/ORLsw8yFhf
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 3, 2026
Another fleet of Cybercabs was spotted at the Devon, PA showroom just outside of Philadelphia. We have seen several Cybercab units testing around the Philadelphia Metro Area, which is interesting considering Tesla does not have any active Robotaxi geofence in Pennsylvania.
Cybercab at the Devon location in PA has multiplied over the weekend. Seeing a few more test vehicles in the lot 👀 pic.twitter.com/DhJT4P1EkU
— Billy (@billykyle) August 22, 2026
Philadelphia would be an ideal location to test ride-hailing due to its dense tourist population, large, sprawling city layout, and to compete with other ride-hailing companies that operate in the city.
Expansive fleets of Cybercabs will be popping up in and around major cities throughout the rest of the year, if we were betting on it. Tesla has made it obvious that the Cybercab rollout will be aggressive and fast-paced, but within reason. Tesla is still prioritizing safety, so these testing phases will likely go on for some period of time before more members of the public are able to snag a Cybercab for a personal chariot.
Tesla hints its already prepping for Cybercab fleet orders
Tesla Robotaxi riders will face the best dilemma when booking a ride
