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SpaceX's original Dragon spacecraft departs space station, splashes down for the last time

Pictured here on March 24th, SpaceX's original Dragon spacecraft has officially departed the International Space Station (ISS) for the last time. (NASA)

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SpaceX’s original Cargo Dragon spacecraft has officially departed the International Space Station for the last time after completing its 20th orbital resupply mission for NASA.

Wrapping up nearly a decade of launches, this will be SpaceX’s last space station resupply mission until its upgraded Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft – based on Crew Dragon – takes over with CRS-21 later this year. SpaceX says it’s already building several new Dragon 2 spacecraft for upcoming NASA CRS2 missions and CRS-21 could launch as early as October 2020, potentially just a matter of weeks before or after Crew Dragon’s first operational astronaut launch (Crew-1) is scheduled.

Pictured here on March 24th, SpaceX’s original Dragon spacecraft has officially departed the International Space Station (ISS) and splashed down for the last time. (NASA)

Beginning with a free-flying orbital test flight in December 2010 and a highly successful space station rendezvous on its second flight in May 2012, SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon (Dragon 1) spacecraft has been performing operational resupply missions for NASA since October 2012. With CRS-20 now truly complete, over those ~7.5 years, SpaceX has successfully delivered almost 45 metric tons (100,000 lb) of supplies to the ISS and returned at least half as much cargo back to Earth.

Pictured here, Cargo Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft in history to rendezvous and berth with a space station in May 2012. (NASA)

When it first reentered in December 2010, Cargo Dragon became the only operational spacecraft in the world capable of returning a significant amount of orbital cargo to Earth. With the spacecraft’s 21st and final splashdown now complete as of April 7th, 2020, it has taken that “world’s only” title into retirement.

Excluding Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, both designed to launch and land a significant human payload, SpaceX’s next-generation Cargo Dragon 2 will hopefully carry Dragon 1’s torch in that regard, once again becoming the only operational spacecraft capable of returning a significant payload from orbit.

NASA says that a minor accident that destroyed a crucial Crew Dragon mockup on March 24th should have minimal impact on the spacecraft's astronaut launch debut. (Richard Angle)
After Orbital ATK’s expendable Cygnus resupply craft became the second, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon became the third commercial vehicle to successfully visit a space station in March 2019. (Richard Angle)
A partially modified version of Crew Dragon will soon take over Cargo Dragon’s role as an uncrewed resupply craft. (NASA)

Now that Cargo Dragon capsule C112 has successfully splashed down for the third time in the Pacific Ocean, crew aboard the ship NRC Quest will lift the spacecraft into an on-board cradle, returning the vehicle to shore later today or early tomorrow. While the bulk of its CRS-20 mission is now complete, a Dragon resupply mission is only truly finished once its precious return cargo – invaluable science experiments, spacesuit and station parts in need of repair, and more – to dry land and into the hands of their respective owners.

Thankfully, the likelihood of anything going wrong now that Dragon has safely splashed down is nearly zero, meaning that SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft has truly completed its final mission, bringing its historic ten-year career to a quiet and humble end. More likely than not, retired Dragons – including capsule C112 – may soon find themselves in museums or displayed at SpaceX’s main US facilities.

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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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Tesla launches solution to end Supercharger fights once and for all

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is launching its solution to end Supercharger fights once and for all, eliminating any confusion on who is to charge next at a congested location.

Last year, a notable incident at a Tesla Supercharger led to a fight, and it all stemmed from a disagreement over who arrived at the location first.

Congestion at Tesla Superchargers is a pretty infrequent occurrence for most of us, but there are more congested and popular areas where wait times can be extensive. An unfortunate growing pain of EV ownership is the plain fact that chargers are not as available as gas pumps, and there are, at times, lines to charge.

This can cause tensions to flare and people to get entitled when visiting Superchargers. Nobody wants to spend hours at a Supercharger, but now, there will be no more confusion when there is a queue, and that’s thanks to Tesla’s new Virtual Queue for Superchargers.

Tesla is finally starting to build out the Virtual Supercharger Queue, according to Not a Tesla App, but it still relies on drivers to make it work.

When a driver is near a Supercharger that is full, a message will pop up on the Tesla App, using the driver’s location to determine their eligibility to join the virtual queue.

The app states:

“While the app is closed, Tesla uses your location to notify you of accurate wait times at Superchargers when you arrive.”

Another message within the app states:

“There is a waitlist to charge. Are you sure you want to start a charging session now?”

This sounds as if it will require drivers to act appropriately and only plug in when the app prompts them to do so, by letting them know it is their turn.

The app will notify the driver of their position in the queue, as well as how many vehicles are ahead of them.

Tesla launches first ‘true’ East Coast V4 Supercharger: here’s what that means

The company announced a while back that it would be working on a solution for this issue. Personally, I’ve only had to wait at a Supercharger for a charge on one occasion, and there was a line of between 3 and 10 cars during this singular occurrence.

There were no conflicts or arguments about who had arrived first, but there was some discussion between several drivers during my time there about who was to charge first. Throw a non-Tesla EV into the mix, one that can only charge at a pull-in spot, and that causes even more of a complication.

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Tesla offers awesome Free Supercharging incentive on an unexpected vehicle

In the past, Tesla has used Free Supercharging to incentivize the purchase of its expensive vehicles, like the Model S and Model X. However, those vehicles are leaving the company lineup, and Tesla saw a benefit from applying the incentive to another car.

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Credit: Tesla Charging | X

Tesla is offering an awesome new Free Supercharging incentive on a vehicle that is sort of unexpected.

In the past, Tesla has used Free Supercharging to incentivize the purchase of its expensive vehicles, like the Model S and Model X. However, those vehicles are leaving the company lineup, and Tesla saw a benefit from applying the incentive to another car.

Tesla North America has introduced a compelling new incentive aimed at boosting Model 3 sales. Starting with orders placed on or after April 24, buyers of the Model 3 Premium (Long Range) and Performance variants in the United States will receive one full year of complimentary Supercharging.

The offer applies exclusively to new vehicle orders and does not extend to existing owners or other trims like the base Rear-Wheel Drive model.

The announcement underscores Tesla’s continued dominance in EV charging infrastructure.

While the incentive provides 12 months of zero-cost access to the Supercharger network, Tesla also reiterated its pricing structure: all Tesla vehicles receive the lowest Supercharging rates.

Non-Tesla EVs, by contrast, pay approximately 40 percent more per kWh or must purchase a subscription to access the network at standard rates. This tiered approach highlights the strategic value of owning a Tesla, where seamless integration with the world’s largest and most reliable fast-charging network remains a key differentiator.

For prospective buyers, the savings can be substantial. Depending on driving habits, a typical Model 3 owner might log 12,000–15,000 miles annually.

With average Supercharging costs around $0.40–$0.50 per kWh, one year of free sessions could translate to $800–$1,200 in avoided expenses.

That effectively lowers the total cost of ownership and makes long-distance travel more affordable from day one. Early delivery customers have already noted similar past incentives, with one Cybertruck owner reporting over $2,400 saved in just six months under similar offers that Tesla has deployed in the past.

The timing of the offer appears strategic. Tesla faces growing competition from other automakers expanding their own charging networks and offering aggressive EV incentives.

By bundling free Supercharging rather than discounting the vehicle’s MSRP, Tesla preserves perceived value while directly addressing one of the biggest barriers for new EV adopters: charging costs and convenience.

The move also encourages higher-mileage use of the network, generating valuable real-world data for Tesla’s autonomous driving development.

Why Tesla would apply this incentive to the Model 3 is pretty interesting. It usually is a pretty good incentive to move units out the door, so there’s some speculation whether Tesla is planning to launch new upgrades to the mass-market sedan in the coming months, and the company wants to move what will be outdated units from its inventory.

However, there is also just the idea that Tesla could be attempting to stimulate some early quarter demand for the Model 3, especially as the Model Y continues to sell very well. Tesla’s loss of the $7,500 EV tax credit last year had an impact on sales, and Tesla might be testing some formidable options to see if it can add some demand once again.

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Tesla Cybercab gets crazy change as mass production begins

Tesla has officially kicked off mass production of its groundbreaking Cybercab robotaxi at Giga Texas, and the first units rolling off the line feature a striking transformation that’s turning heads across the EV community.

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Credit: TechOperator | X

Tesla Cybercab has evidently received a pretty crazy change from an aesthetic standpoint, as the company has made the decision to offer an additional finish on the vehicle as mass production is starting.

Tesla has officially kicked off mass production of its groundbreaking Cybercab robotaxi at Giga Texas, and the first units rolling off the line feature a striking transformation that’s turning heads across the EV community.

VIN Zero—the very first production Cybercab—showcases a vibrant champagne gold exterior with a high-gloss finish, a dramatic departure from the flat, matte-wrapped prototypes that debuted at the 2024 “We, Robot” event.

This glossy sheen is a pretty big pivot from what was initially shown by Tesla. The company has maintained a pretty flat tone in terms of anything related to custom colors or finishes.

A specialized clear coat or process delivers the deep, reflective gloss without conventional painting. The result is a premium, mirror-like shine, and it looks pretty good, and gives the compact two-seater a more luxurious and futuristic presence than the subdued matte prototypes.

Photos shared by Tesla community members reveal VIN Zero in a showroom-like setting at Giga Texas, highlighting refined panel gaps, large aero wheel covers, and the signature no-steering-wheel, no-pedals interior optimized for full autonomy.

The open frunk in some images offers a glimpse of practical storage, while the overall build quality appears more polished than that of test mules.

This glossy evolution aligns with Tesla’s broader production ramp. After the first unit in February 2026, the company has shifted to volume manufacturing, with dozens of units already spotted in outbound lots. CEO Elon Musk and the team aim for hundreds per week, paving the way for unsupervised FSD robotaxi networks that could slash ride costs to pennies per mile.

The Cybercab holds Tesla’s grand ambitions of operating a full-service ride-hailing service without any drivers in its grasp. Tesla has yet to solve autonomy, but is well on its way, and although its timelines are usually a bit off, improvements often come through the Over-the-Air updates to the Full Self-Driving suite.

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