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SpaceX on track to launch eight Falcon 9 rockets in six weeks

(Richard Angle)

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After yesterday’s successful Starlink-26 launch, SpaceX is now more than half of the way to completing eight orbital Falcon 9 launches in six weeks.

On April 23rd, after a one-day delay for bad weather, SpaceX launched four astronauts on a flight-proven Falcon 9 booster – and in a flight-proven Dragon capsule – in a historic spaceflight first. Six days later, the company aced its 24th operational Starlink launch, followed by two more 60-satellite Starlink missions on May 4th and May 9th – the latter of which marked the first time a single Falcon 9 booster completed ten orbital-class launches. Finally, Falcon 9 completed yet another Starlink launch on May 15th – this time carrying 52 flat-packed internet satellites and two third-party payloads as part of SpaceX’s fourth Starlink rideshare mission.

However, after launching 234 satellites, four astronauts, and five Falcon 9s – and recovering all five boosters – in 22 days, SpaceX is far from finished.

Some two weeks ago, the bulk of SpaceX’s June launch manifest had already more or less fallen into place with three specific dates in the first half of the month. A few days prior to Starlink-26’s successful launch, what is likely SpaceX’s fourth and final launch of May 2021 also came into focus.

Unsurprisingly another Starlink mission, Starlink-28 is now scheduled to launch no earlier than (NET) 2:59 pm EDT (18:59 UTC) on May 26th – 11 days after Starlink-26. Of note, SpaceX has chosen Falcon 9 booster B1063 to support the mission. That booster debuted in November 2020 at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) and was transported to Florida two months ago. Starlink-28 will be its second launch.

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Up next, SiriusXM’s 7-ton SXM-8 radio satellite arrived at SpaceX’s payload integration facilities in Florida earlier this month and is scheduled to launch as early as 12:25 am EDT (4:25 UTC) on June 1st. The mission could slip a few days but is still likely to launch in early June.

Less than three days later, a rare new Falcon 9 booster could launch SpaceX’s second upgraded Cargo Dragon spacecraft – also new – on NASA’s CRS-22 space station resupply mission. Earlier today, NASA confirmed that the mission is on track to launch on June 3rd – likely around 1pm EDT (15:00 UTC).

If the weather, space station, and SpaceX’s rockets, spacecraft, and pad facilities cooperate, the completion of those three upcoming missions would mark eight successful Falcon 9 launches – carrying two Dragon spacecraft, four astronauts, and almost 300 satellites to orbit – in less than six weeks (41 days). If SpaceX manages that feat and averages one launch every five days, the company will have completed ~45% of its 2021 launches in ~26% of the year to date – a clear pattern of acceleration.

In the same period, a SpaceX Crew Dragon also safely returned four astronauts to Earth after the longest crewed spaceflight in US history (May 2nd) and the company successfully launched and landed a full-size Starship prototype for the first time (May 5th).

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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 Semi just got a huge vote of confidence from 300-truck fleet

The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.

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Credit: Tesla

The Tesla Semi is moving closer to broader fleet adoption, with Keller Logistics Group wrapping up a key pre-production planning session with the electric vehicle maker’s team this week. 

The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.

Keller’s pre-production Tesla Semi sessions

Keller Logistics Group, a family-owned carrier with over 300 tractors and 1,000 trailers operating in the Midwest and Southeast, completed the session to assess the Tesla Semi’s fit for its operations. The company’s routes typically span 500-600 miles per day, positioning it as an ideal tester for the Semi’s day cab configuration in standard logistics scenarios. 

Details remain under mutual NDA, but the meeting reportedly focused on matching the truck to yard, shuttle and regional applications while scrutinizing economics like infrastructure, maintenance and incentives.

What Keller’s executives are saying

CEO Bryan Keller described the approach as methodical. “For us, staying ahead isn’t a headline, it’s a habit. From electrification and yard automation to digital visibility and warehouse technology, our teams are continually pressure-testing what’s next. The Tesla Semi discussion is one more way we evaluate new tools against our standards for safety, uptime, and customer ROI. We don’t chase trends, we pressure-test what works,” Keller said. 

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Benjamin Pierce, Chief Strategy Officer, echoed these sentiments. “Electrification and next-generation powertrains are part of a much broader transformation. Whether it’s proprietary yard systems like YardLink™, solar and renewable logistics solutions, or real-time vehicle intelligence, Keller’s approach stays the same, test it, prove it, and deploy it only when it strengthens service and total cost for our customers,” Pierce said. 

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Tesla extends FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe by three months

Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe. 

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla appears to be doubling down on its European Full Self-Driving (Supervised) push, with the company extending its demo ride-along program by three months until the end of March 2026. The update seems to have been implemented due to overwhelming demand. 

Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe. 

Extended FSD demonstrations

Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager Ivan Komušanac shared on LinkedIn that the company is offering ride-along experiences in Germany, France and Italy while working toward FSD (Supervised) approval in Europe.

He noted that this provides a great feedback opportunity from the general public, encouraging participants to record and share their experiences. For those unable to book in December, Komušanac teased more slots as “Christmas presents.”

Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt highlighted the extension on X, stating that dates now run from December 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, in multiple cities including Stuttgart-Weinstadt, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf in Germany. This suggests that the FSD ride-along program in Europe has officially been extended until the end of the first quarter of 2026. 

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Building momentum for European approval

Replies to Merritt’s posts buzzed with excitement, with users like @AuzyMale noting that Cologne and Düsseldorf are already fully booked. This sentiment was echoed by numerous other Tesla enthusiasts on social media. Calls for the program’s expansion to other European territories have also started gaining steam, with some X users suggesting Switzerland and Finland as the next locations for FSD ride-alongs.

Ultimately, the Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager’s post aligns with the company’s broader FSD efforts in Europe. As per recent reports, Tesla recently demonstrated FSD’s capabilities for Rome officials. Reporters from media outlets in France and Germany have also published positive reviews of FSD’s capabilities on real-world roads. 

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Tesla’s six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y L sold out for January 2026

Estimated delivery dates for new Tesla Model Y L orders now extend all the way into February 2026.

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Credit: Tesla China

The Tesla Model Y L seems to be in high demand in China, with estimated delivery dates for new orders now extending all the way into February 2026. 

This suggests that the Model Y L has been officially sold out from the rest of 2025 to January 2026. 

Model Y L estimated delivery dates

The Model Y L’s updated delivery dates mark an extension from the vehicle’s previous 4-8 week estimated wait time. A detailed chart shared by Tesla data tracker @Tslachan on X shows the progressions of the Model Y L’s estimated delivery dates since its launch earlier this year. 

Following its launch in September, the vehicle was given an initial October 2025 estimated delivery date. The wait times for the vehicle were continually updated over the years, until the middle of November, when the Model Y L had an estimated delivery date of 4-8 weeks. This remained until now, when Tesla China simply listed February 2026 as the estimated delivery date for new Model Y L orders.

Model Y demand in China

Tesla Model Y demand in China seems to be very healthy, even beyond the Model Y L. New delivery dates show the company has already sold out its allocation of the all-electric crossover for 2025. The Model Y has been the most popular vehicle in the world in both of the last two years, outpacing incredibly popular vehicles like the Toyota RAV4. In China, the EV market is substantially more saturated, with more competitors than in any other market.

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Tesla has been particularly kind to the Chinese market, as it has launched trim levels for the Model Y in the country that are not available anywhere else, such as the Model Y L. Demand has been strong for the Model Y in China, with the vehicle ranking among the country’s top 5 New Energy Vehicles. Interestingly enough, vehicles that beat the Model Y in volume like the BYD Seagull are notably more affordable. Compared to vehicles that are comparably priced, the Model Y remains a strong seller in China. 

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