

SpaceX
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket gets its first public launch date on April 24
After an unusually extended period of testing in McGregor, Texas, SpaceX’s next-generation Falcon 9 Block 5 booster (B1046) appears to be scheduled for an inaugural flight as early as April 24, a three-week recalibration from the original April 5 launch date.
New hardware, new bugs
A fairly significant leap from the current Block 3 and 4 iterations of Falcon 9, it should come as no surprise that the first Block 5 booster has taken a bit longer than anticipated to pass through its first integrated static fire testing and inaugural launch preparations. Put simply, new hardware takes time and safety and reliability take near-complete precedence over expediency.
- SpaceX Block 5 Falcon9 at McGregor, Texas [Credit: Chris G – NSF via Twitter, Reprinted with permission from NASASpaceflight.com]
- A matte-silver Block 5 Merlin 1D rocket engine seen preparing to leave SpaceX’s Hawthorne factory for testing in Texas. (SpaceX)
- RIP B1044’s titanium grid fins. May they make a happy little reef at the bottom of the ocean. (Tom Cross)
- A unique perspective of SpaceX’s upgraded grid fin – dwarfing its human onlookers. (NASA)
Arguably, the better part of half of all of SpaceX’s planned 2018 launches will depend heavily on the Block 5 upgrade of Falcon 9 (and Heavy), especially if the company still intends to complete 20-25 launches between now and the end of the year. Per a relatively new strategy of intentional expending recoverable, flight-proven Falcon 9 boosters after their second launches, SpaceX is on track to effectively deplete their stock of non-Block 5 hardware well before the second half of 2018. As such, approaching Block 5’s introduction with extreme caution (as with most things in rocketry) is undoubtedly in SpaceX’s best interest. The gradual march to B1046’s first flight will thus continue forth to NET April 24 – subject to change, of course.
CONFIRMED by @Thales_Alenia_S, Bangabandhu-1 is manifested to launch on the first 'Block-5' Falcon 9 rocket, NET April 24.
From Thales, "This has resulted in some extra delay. However, Bangabandhu-1 will fly on the most advanced and reliable vehicle ever built by #SpaceX"
— AmericaSpace (@AmericaSpace) March 28, 2018
Thales-Alenia’s confirmation lends credence to the argument that the relatively lengthy period B1046 spent in Texas was simply SpaceX giving a complex and new technological system its due diligence – better to test cautiously and fix bugs than to rush complex procedures and damage the rocket, an eventuality likely to push any tentative launch date back to a much greater extent.

SpaceX continues a cautious regiment of tests for the newest Falcon 9 upgrade, Block 5. (Reddit /u/HollywoodSX)
Launches abound
With Bangabandhu-1 now officially scheduled NET April 24, the SpaceX focal point can return to a flurry of upcoming launches – Iridium-5 (NET Mar 30), CRS-14 (NET April 2), and TESS (NET April 16). Teslarati photographers Pauline Acalin (West Coast) and Tom Cross (East Coast) will be on the ground for all upcoming launches to capture some of the final swan songs of SpaceX’s rapidly diminishing stock of flight-proven Falcon 9s.
Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete—targeting April 2 launch from Pad 40 in Florida for Dragon’s fourteenth mission to the @Space_Station.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 28, 2018
Teslarati – Instagram – Twitter
Tom Cross – Twitter
Pauline Acalin – Twitter
Eric Ralph – Twitter
News
SpaceX is partnering with chipmakers to enable Starlink satellite-to-cell service
President Gwynne Shotwell outlined the effort during a space industry conference in Paris.

SpaceX is working with microchip manufacturers to integrate satellite-connectivity hardware into smartphones, advancing its plan for direct-to-device services through Starlink.
The move follows the company’s $17 billion acquisition of wireless spectrum from EchoStar Corp., a deal that positions SpaceX to operate more independently of traditional telecom carriers.
President Gwynne Shotwell outlined the effort during a space industry conference in Paris this week, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.
Starlink direct-to-device
Starlink currently serves millions of customers in over 100 countries, primarily through ground-based dishes. The company, however, is now expanding into satellite-to-cell service, which should enable unmodified phones to connect directly with orbiting satellites. While SpaceX has a partnership with T-Mobile US, the EchoStar spectrum purchase gives it more control to negotiate with global carriers on its own terms.
“We’re working with chip manufacturers to get the proper chips in phones,” the SpaceX President stated. “We will now be initiating discussions with telcos in a different way now. Now it’s our spectrum, but we want to work with them, almost providing capacity and wholesaling capacity to their customers.”
The company plans to launch satellites capable of supporting its direct-to-device business within two years, with early mobile phone testing expected by late 2026.
Starship program continues test flights
Shotwell also addressed SpaceX’s Starship program, which recently completed its 10th test flight in August. She said the mission met all objectives, providing a critical morale boost to teams after a challenging development year.
“My Starship team needed that win,” Shotwell noted. “Development programs always are kind of a 24/7 operation, and I was really pleased for them.”
SpaceX is planning to fly one more iteration of the current Starship prototype, known as V2, before transitioning to the next-generation V3 vehicle. That version, expected to debut late this year or early 2026, is designed to be more capable and support eventual crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
“The V3, which we want to fly hopefully late this year, but maybe early next year, is really the vehicle that could take humans to the moon and Mars,” Shotwell stated.
News
U.S. Judge dismisses lawsuit against SpaceX Starship Boca Chica launch site
The ruling found that the FAA had met its obligations in reviewing the potential environmental effects of Starship launches.

A U.S. district court judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by conservation groups challenging the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of SpaceX’s expanded rocket launch operations in Boca Chica, Texas.
The ruling, issued Monday, found that the FAA had met its obligations in reviewing the potential environmental effects of Starship launches.
FAA review withstands legal challenge
The lawsuit centered on whether the FAA properly assessed the impact of SpaceX’s operations on endangered wildlife, including ocelots, jaguarundis, and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, as noted in a report from The Guardian. The plaintiffs argued that noise, light pollution, and construction activity degraded the surrounding habitat, which also serves as nesting grounds for threatened shorebirds.
The lawsuit cited SpaceX’s April 2023 Starship test, which destroyed its launchpad and scattered debris across a large area. The blast reportedly ignited a grassfire and damaged wildlife habitats, including a bobwhite quail nest.
Judge Carl Nichols, for his part, ruled that the FAA had satisfied its obligation“to take a hard look at the effects of light on nearby wildlife.” The decision effectively cleared a regulatory hurdle for SpaceX, which has been working to expand Starship launch activity at its Boca Chica facility.
A continued ramp
SpaceX continues to scale its operations nationwide. Beyond Starship, the company is also seeking approval to nearly double Falcon rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, from 50 annually to 95.
Former President Trump has also shared his intention to increase U.S. launch capacity, setting a target for substantial growth by 2030. Considering that SpaceX is by far the world’s dominant launch provider, Trump’s support for more launches will likely benefit the private space company.
For now, at least, the ruling should allow continued expansion at a time when Starship remains central to long-term goals such as Mars missions and NASA’s Artemis program.
Elon Musk
SpaceX to expand Central Texas facility with $8M Bastrop project
Bastrop is already the site of several Elon Musk-led ventures.

SpaceX is set to expand its presence in Central Texas with an $8 million project to enlarge its Bastrop facility, as per state filings.
The 80,000-square-foot addition, which is scheduled to begin construction on September 24 and wrap in early January 2026, was registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and initially reported by My San Antonio.
New investment
Bastrop is already the site of several Elon Musk-led ventures. The upcoming expansion will extend SpaceX’s office at 858 FM 1209, near Starlink’s operations and The Boring Company’s facilities. Just down the road, X is housed in the Hyperloop Plaza at 865 FM 1209.
SpaceX’s expansion reflects a steady buildup of resources in Bastrop since the private space firm established its presence in the area. The addition was praised by Tesla Governor Greg Abbott, who wrote on X that the expansion will “bring more jobs, innovations and will strengthen Starlink’s impact worldwide.”
State support
In March, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $17.3 million state grant to SpaceX for an “expansion of their semiconductor research and development (R&D) and advanced packaging facility in Bastrop.” The project is expected to create more than 400 new jobs and generate over $280 million in capital investment.
Following the grant award, the Texas Governor also noted that SpaceX’s facility would be growing by 1 million square feet across three years to boost its Starlink program. SpaceX’s Starlink division is among the company’s fastest-growing segments, with the satellite internet system connecting over 6 million users and counting worldwide.
Recent reports have also indicated that Starlink has struck a deal with EchoStar to acquire 50 MHz of exclusive S-band spectrum in the United States and global Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) licenses. This should pave the way for Starlink to provide 5G coverage worldwide, even in remote areas.
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