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SpaceX outfits drone ship for Panama Canal transit after 45th booster recovery

SpaceX appears to have begun preparing drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) for a long journey to California. (Richard Angle)

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Just a few hours after returning to Port Canaveral, SpaceX lifted Falcon 9 B1067 off of drone ship Of Course I Still Love You’s (OCISLY) deck, completing the vessel’s 45th successful East Coast booster recovery.

Minutes later, SpaceX began loading unusual hardware onto the drone ship and it soon became clear that preparations were underway to transport OCISLY from Florida to California. Just an hour or two after B1067 was craned onto dry land, SpaceX began removing OCISLY’s water ballast and installing bumpers on the corners of the drone ship’s ‘wings,’ potentially indicating that the company’s plans to begin West Coast Starlink launches as early as July may actually be within reach.

B1067 lifted off for the first time on June 3rd and landed on drone ship OCISLY. Three days later, the booster is back on dry land. (Richard Angle)
Drone ship OCISLY safely returned Falcon 9 booster B1067 to Port Canaveral on June 6th – its 45th successful East Coast recovery. (Richard Angle)

As of 5pm EDT, June 7th, most of OCISLY’s ballast has now been drained and three of four bumpers have been installed, suggesting that SpaceX intends to send the drone ship west in a matter of days. OCISLY wont be the first SpaceX drone ship to transit the Panama Canal – Just Read The Instructions (JRTI) had the honor of completing the latest transit in August 2019.

JRTI had both ‘wing’ extensions removed and stored on its deck during that transit, adding several months of work for removal and reinstallation. However, the installation of bumpers on OCISLY’s wings implies that that the drone ship will be transiting the Panama Canal with its wings installed, potentially dramatically reducing the amount of time the process takes. Given that OCISLY is already an operational drone ship with dozens of booster landings under its belt, its entirely possible that SpaceX will be able to kick off West Coast Starlink launches almost as soon as the the vessel arrives at its new home – Port of Long Beach, California.

Using JRTI’s 2019 transit as a rule of thumb, the 8000 km (5000 mi) journey from Cape Canaveral to Los Angeles should take drone ship OCISLY approximately four weeks, give or take a few days. In other words, even if OCISLY somehow ends up taking 50% longer than JRTI, SpaceX could still be able to perform its first dedicated West Coast Starlink launch in late July.

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Once SpaceX has a dedicated drone ship in California, the company’s plan is to launch an average of one mission every month from its Vandenberg Air/Space Force Base (VAFB) SLC-4 pad. The vast majority of those missions will carry around 50 Starlink satellites, slowly chipping away at three polar ‘tranches’ made up of approximately 1200 spacecraft – around two years of launches at an average rate of one per month.

SpaceX has been targeting July for its first Vandenberg Starlink launch for several months and recently shipped a well-worn Falcon 9 booster from Florida to SLC-4 to support those plans. A few weeks prior, news broke that SpaceX had leased new berths at the Port of Long Beach for Falcon booster and fairing recovery operations, while the company also recently submitted applications for FCC permits for six polar Starlink launches in the next ~6 months. Altogether, everything is coming together for a potentially unprecedented surge of West Coast SpaceX launches.

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 Robotaxi gets a small but significant change

In the world of Tesla, where billion-dollar battery breakthroughs and autonomy milestones dominate headlines, a quiet design update can still pack a punch.

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Credit: David Moss | X

In the world of Tesla, where billion-dollar battery breakthroughs and autonomy milestones dominate headlines, a quiet design update can still pack a punch.

Last week in downtown Austin, sharp-eyed observers spotted a subtle but telling evolution on the Cybercab: a new “ROBOTAXI” logo graphic now graces the vehicle’s doors at Tesla’s Autonomy Popup.

What looks at first glance like a minor stylistic choice is, in fact, a deliberate rebranding move that hints at how the company envisions its robotaxi fleet fitting into everyday life.

The updated lettering is bold, graffiti-inspired, and unapologetically street-smart. Rendered in black with dripping white accents and a glowing yellow outline, the font evokes urban energy and playful irreverence.

Gone is the sleek, minimalist typography that defined earlier Cybercab prototypes. In its place is something more human, almost rebellious.

The new logo pops against the Cybercab’s smooth, metallic body, turning the autonomous pod into a rolling piece of public art rather than just another futuristic taxi.

Designers know that fonts are silent brand ambassadors. They shape perception before a single ride is taken. Tesla’s classic sans-serif aesthetic screams precision engineering and Silicon Valley cool.

The new Robotaxi script leans into accessibility and fun, suggesting the vehicle is approachable, not intimidating. For a product meant to ferry strangers through city streets 24/7, that matters. It signals that the robotaxi isn’t reserved for tech elites; it’s for everyone.

Tesla Cybercab spotted next to Model Y shows size comparison

The timing is no accident. With regulatory approvals for unsupervised autonomy advancing and Tesla preparing to scale Cybercab production, the company is shifting from prototype showcase to fleet deployment.

A fresh logo helps differentiate the vehicles visually in dense urban environments—crucial for rider recognition and brand recall. It also aligns with Elon Musk’s long-standing ethos: make the future feel exciting, not sterile.

Small changes like this often foreshadow a larger strategy. Tesla has always obsessed over details—door handles, screen interfaces, even the curvature of a steering wheel.

Updating the Robotaxi font reflects the same meticulous care now applied to consumer-facing autonomy. It’s not just paint on metal; it’s a statement that the ride of the future should feel personal, memorable, and undeniably cool.

In an industry racing toward self-driving fleets, Tesla’s willingness to evolve even the smallest visual cues shows confidence. A font won’t launch the robotaxi network, but it might just help millions climb aboard with a smile.

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Tesla makes latest announcement on Model S and Model X

The announcement follows Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s statement on the Q4 2025 earnings call in late January. Musk described the decision as an “honorable discharge” for the two vehicles, noting that production would wind down in Q2 2026.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially begun winding down production of its flagship Model S and Model X in the United States, notifying owners via email that the long-running models will soon reach the end of the line.

The email, sent to U.S. customers on March 27, opens with gratitude. “Model S and Model X marked the beginning of the world’s transition to electric transportation,” it reads. “These vehicles also made it possible for Tesla to develop the technology that would move our world toward autonomy.”

Tesla officially begins sunset of Model S and Model X

It then delivers the news directly: “As we make way for this autonomous future, Model S and Model X production will be ending. If you’d like to bring home a new Model S or Model X, order yours soon from our limited inventory.”

The message closes with a simple thank-you: “Thank you for being part of our journey.”

The announcement follows Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s statement on the Q4 2025 earnings call in late January. Musk described the decision as an “honorable discharge” for the two vehicles, noting that production would wind down in Q2 2026.

The move frees factory floor space at Fremont, California, for next-generation manufacturing, including Optimus humanoid robots and the upcoming Robotaxi platform.

Introduced in 2012 and 2015, respectively, the Model S and Model X were Tesla’s original halo cars. They proved EVs could outperform gasoline luxury vehicles in acceleration, range, and tech features while pioneering over-the-air updates and early autonomy hardware.

Although they never matched the volume of the Model 3 and Model Y, their engineering breakthroughs laid the foundation for the company’s current lineup and full self-driving development.

Early adopters highlighted how the cars convinced them to invest in Tesla stock and the EV movement. Some U.S. owners who had not yet received the note voiced mild frustration, and international customers confirmed the outreach remains U.S.-only for now.

Tesla has not detailed an exact final production date beyond the Q2 2026 target or confirmed immediate replacements. Speculation continues about a possible Cybertruck-derived SUV, but the company’s public focus has shifted squarely to autonomy and robotics.

For buyers still interested in the S or X, the window is closing. Inventory is described as limited, and Tesla’s Korean division has already set a March 31 cutoff for new orders in that market. The email serves as both a farewell and final sales push, an elegant close to a chapter that helped define modern electric driving.

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Tesla drives drunk owner while he naps, Police still arrest him on DUI

A Vacaville man let his Tesla drive while he napped, but police had other ideas.

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Tesla drives drunk owner, Police arrest on DUI [Credit: Vacaville Police via Facebook]

A Northern California man found a creative solution to drunk driving this week by letting his Tesla drive him around while he took a booze snooze. Police in Vacaville arrested a man on a DUI charge after he was found, what appears to be, completely passed out behind the wheel of a Tesla Model Y, which was safely self-navigating the owner through busy streets. The man’s passenger seat told the rest of the story, with a four-pack of Sutter Home wine bottles and a box of Round Table pizza clearly visible.

According to the Vacaville Police Department, as posted through their Facebook page, a concerned community member spotted the very relaxed driver, stayed on the line with dispatch, and guided officers to the intersection of Elmira Road and Shasta Drive where they stopped the vehicle. Alcohol and marijuana were confirmed. No medical emergency, and what appears to be just an extremely committed drunken nap.

The Vacaville Police noted that California permits drivers to use assistive driving features like Tesla’s FSD, but the law still requires them to be “conscious, alert, and not under the influence while operating them.” The post drew some humorous reactions in the comments section, with one commenter piping in, “That time when his vehicle had more situational awareness than he did.” Another commenter chimed in, “Sutter all the way home….”

Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.1 texting and driving: we tested it

The incident lands in an interesting moment for Tesla. Elon Musk caused his own stir in December 2025 when he responded to a user question about whether FSD v14.2.1 allowed texting behind the wheel with a simple “Depending on context of surrounding traffic, yes.” He had earlier told investors that drivers turning off autopilot to check texts while steering with their knees was “significantly less safe” than simply letting FSD run, which he called “kind of the killer app.” Neither statement included anything about Sutter Home wine being part of the equation.

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