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SpaceX fires up Falcon 9 rockets hours apart for back to back launches

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SpaceX has fired up two separate Falcon 9 rockets at two separate Florida launch pads in less than 16 hours ahead of back to back launches for Starlink and the US military.

Around 6:30 pm local on June 24th, SpaceX successfully static fired Falcon 9 B1051 as one of the last steps before the booster’s fifth launch, making it the third SpaceX rocket to reach that five-flight milestone in just three months. B1051.4 just narrowly missed SpaceX’s booster turnaround record, falling just a few days short of the current 62-day record after some minor delays. Originally scheduled to launch as early as June 22nd, the ninth batch of Starlink v1.0 satellites (Starlink V1 L9 or Starlink-9) is now scheduled to launch no earlier than (NET) 4:18 pm EDT (20:18 UTC) on Friday, June 26th.

A little over fifteen hours after B1051’s – apparently – successful static fire (there was no SpaceX tweet confirmation for the first time ever) at Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A (Pad 39A), new Falcon 9 booster B1060 performed its own ignition test at SpaceX’s separate Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) LC-40 pad. SpaceX confirmed that that static fire was successful, putting the new Falcon 9 rocket on track to launch the US military’s third upgraded GPS satellite (GPS III SV03) no earlier than (NET) 3:56 pm EDT (19:56 UTC) on Tuesday, June 30th.

If successful, Starlink-9 will be Falcon 9 booster B1051’s third launch in just five months. (Richard Angle)
If successful, B1060’s first launch and landing should set it up for a long and productive life of launches. (SpaceX)

If SpaceX manages to complete both the Starlink-9 and GPS III SV03 missions on schedule, June 2020 will be the company’s first four-launch month ever. Even if the latter US military mission is delayed to July 3rd or 4th, SpaceX will still have technically completed four launches in a month’s worth of days (30-31). Normally, the odds of the second in a pair of back-to-back launches being delayed would be quite high, given that any delay to the first mission would inherently roll over onto the follow-up. For SpaceX, that likelihood is more than doubled because of the need for drone ship availability for booster recovery.

(SpaceX)
SpaceX recently completed two East Coast launches in just four days, launching Crew Dragon’s first astronaut mission and Starlink-8 on May 30th and June 4th. (Richard Angle)

However, SpaceX debuted a second East Coast drone ship – Just Read The Instructions (JRTI) on June 3rd, complimenting drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) to double the company’s sea recovery capacity on the East Coast. Formerly stationed at Port of Los Angeles to support SpaceX launches out of California, the West Coast manifest rapidly dried up and made drone ship JRTI’s move East all but inevitable.

On top of having a second drone ship available for booster recoveries just days or even hours apart, SpaceX also recently began pushing the limits of its East Coast launch capacity by performing launches just days apart from its two separate Florida pads. While the occasional back-to-back launch from LC-40 and Pad 39A isn’t unprecedented, SpaceX appears to be intent on sustaining launches from each pad every 10-20 days, give or take. As such, SpaceX’s Starlink-9 and GPS III SV03 missions will launch from separate pads and land on separate drone ships.

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Starlink-8 was SpaceX’s first internal rideshare mission. (SpaceX)

Cadence ambitions aside, Starlink-9 and GPS III SV03 are also significant missions for their own reasons. Up first, Starlink-9 will hopefully follow on the heels of SpaceX’s successful June 13th Starlink-8 launch to become the second Starlink rideshare mission, sending two BlackSky imaging satellites into orbit along with 57 Starlink v1.0 satellites. The fact that booster B1051 has nearly broken SpaceX’s rocket reuse turnaround record also suggests that the company is already confident in the flightworthiness of Falcon 9 boosters heading into their fifth launches.

Meanwhile, GPS III SV03 is special because – unlike SpaceX’s first GPS III SV01 launch in December 2018 – the US Air (Space) Force will allow Falcon 9 booster B1060 to attempt a drone ship landing. On SpaceX’s first GPS III launch, the USAF more or less arbitrarily limited Falcon 9’s available performance to leave extreme safety margins in the apparent event of one or more booster engines failing during launch. As a result, Falcon 9 B1054 became the first highly-reusable Block 5 booster to intentionally launch just once. For B1060, the booster will thankfully have a shot at recovery and a long and productive life of 5-10+ more launches. A successful landing could also give the US military its first shot at certifying and reusing a Falcon 9 booster on an operational military satellite launch.

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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 opens Supercharging Network to other EVs in new country

Tesla’s Supercharging infrastructure is the most robust in the world, and it has done a wonderful job of keeping things up and running for the millions of owners out there. As it expanded access to non-Tesla EVs a couple years back, it has still managed to keep things pretty steady, although the need for more charging is apparent.

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Kia EV6, EV9 and Niro Owners Gain Access to Over 21,500 Tesla Superchargers

Tesla has started opening its Supercharging Network, which is the most expansive in the world, to other EVs in a new country for the first time.

After expanding its Supercharging offerings to other car companies in the United States a few years ago, Tesla is still making the move in other markets, as it aims to make EV ownership easier for everyone, regardless of what manufacturer a consumer chose to purchase from.

Tesla’s Supercharging infrastructure is the most robust in the world, and it has done a wonderful job of keeping things up and running for the millions of owners out there. As it expanded access to non-Tesla EVs a couple years back, it has still managed to keep things pretty steady, although the need for more charging is apparent.

Now, Tesla is expanding access to the Supercharger Network to non-Tesla EVs in Malaysia. The automaker just opened up a charging stie at the Pavilion KL Mall in Kuala Lumpur to non-Tesla owners, giving them eight additional Superchargers to utilize with a charging speed of up to 250 kW.

Tesla is also opening up the four-Supercharger site in Shah Alam, a four-Supercharger site at the IOI City Mall, and a six-Supercharger site in Gamuda Cove Township.

Electrive first reported the opening of these Superchargers in Malaysia.

The initiative from Tesla helps make EV ownership much simpler for those who only have access to third-party charging solutions or at-home charging. While at-home charging is the most advantageous, it is not an end-all solution as every driver will eventually need to grab some range on the road.

Tesla has been offering its Superchargers to non-Tesla EVs in the United States since 2024, as Ford became the first company to gain access to the massive network early that year when CEO Elon Musk and Ford frontman Jim Farley announced it together. Since then, Tesla has offered its chargers to nearly every EV maker, as companies like Rivian and Lucid, and even legacy car companies like General Motors have gained access.

It’s best for everyone to have the ability to use Tesla Superchargers, but there are of course some growing pains.

Charging cables are built to cater to Tesla owners, so pull-in Superchargers are most advantageous for non-Tesla EVs currently, but the company’s V4 Superchargers, which are not as plentiful in the U.S. quite yet, do enable easier reach for those vehicles.

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Tesla Semi expands pilot program to Texas logistics firm: here’s what they said

Mone said the Tesla Semi it put into its fleet for this test recorded 1.64 kWh per mile efficiency, beating Tesla’s official 1.7 kWh per mile target and delivering a massive leap over conventional diesel trucks.

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Credit: Mone Transport

Tesla has expanded its Semi pilot program to a new region, as it has made it to Texas to be tested by logistics from Mone Transport. With the Semi entering production this year, Tesla is getting even more valuable data regarding the vehicle and its efficiency, which will help companies cut expenditures.

Mone Transport operates in Texas and on the Southern border, and it specializes in cross-border U.S.-Mexico freight operations. After completing some rigorous testing, Mone shared public results, which stand out when compared to efficiency metrics offered by diesel vehicles.

“Mone Transport recently had the opportunity to put the Tesla Semi to the test, and we’re thrilled with the results! Over 4,700 miles of operations at 1.64 kWh/mile in our Texas operation. We’re committed to providing zero-emission transportation to our customers!” the company said in a post on X.

Mone said the Tesla Semi it put into its fleet for this test recorded 1.64 kWh per mile efficiency, beating Tesla’s official 1.7 kWh per mile target and delivering a massive leap over conventional diesel trucks.

Comparable Class 8 diesel semis, typically achieving 6-7 miles per gallon, consume roughly 5.5 kWh per mile in energy-equivalent terms, meaning the Semi uses three to four times less energy while also producing zero tailpipe emissions.

Tesla Semi undergoes major redesign as dedicated factory preps for deliveries

The performance of the Tesla Semi in Mone Transport’s testing aligns with data from other participants in the pilot program. ArcBest’s ABF Freight Division logged 4,494 miles over three weeks in 2025, averaging 1.55 kWh per mile across varied routes, including a grueling 7,200-foot Donner Pass climb. The truck “generally matched the performance of its diesel counterparts,” the carrier said.

PepsiCo, which operates the largest known Semi fleet, recorded 1.7 kWh per mile in North American Council for Freight Efficiency testing. Additional pilots showed similar gains: DHL hit 1.72 kWh per mile, and Saia achieved 1.73 kWh per mile.

These metrics underscore the Semi’s ability to slash operating costs through superior efficiency, lower maintenance, and zero-emission operation. As charging infrastructure scales and production ramps toward 2026 targets, participants like Mone Transport are proving electric semis can seamlessly integrate into freight networks, accelerating the industry’s shift to sustainable, high-performance trucking.

Tesla continues to prep for a more widespread presence of the Semi in the coming months as it recently launched the first public Semi Megacharger site in Los Angeles. It is working on building out infrastructure for regional runs on the West Coast initially, with plans to expand this to the other end of the country in the coming years.

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SpaceX weighs Nasdaq listing as company explores early index entry: report

The company is reportedly seeking early inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 index.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is reportedly leaning toward listing its shares on the Nasdaq for a potential initial public offering (IPO) that could become the largest in history. 

As per a recent report, the company is reportedly seeking early inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 index. The update was reported by Reuters, citing people familiar with the matter.

According to the publication, SpaceX is considering Nasdaq as the venue for its eventual IPO, though the New York Stock Exchange is also competing for the listing. Neither exchange has reportedly been informed of a final decision.

Reuters has previously reported that SpaceX could pursue an IPO as early as June, though the company’s plans could still change.

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One of the publication’s sources also suggested that SpaceX is targeting a valuation of about $1.75 trillion for its IPO. At that level, the company would rank among the largest publicly traded firms in the United States by market capitalization.

Nasdaq has proposed a rule change that could accelerate the inclusion of newly listed megacap companies into the Nasdaq-100 index.

Under the proposed “Fast Entry” rule, a newly listed company could qualify for the index in less than a month if its market capitalization ranks among the top 40 companies already included in the Nasdaq-100.

If SpaceX is successful in achieving its target valuation of $1.75 trillion, it would become the sixth-largest company by market value in the United States, at least based on recent share prices. 

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Newly listed companies typically have to wait up to a year before becoming eligible for major indexes such as the Nasdaq-100 or S&P 500.

Inclusion in a major index can significantly broaden a company’s shareholder base because many institutional investors purchase shares through index-tracking funds.

According to Reuters, Nasdaq’s proposed fast-track rule is partly intended to attract highly valued private companies such as SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic to list on the exchange.

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