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SpaceX tests Falcon 9 Block 5’s landing leg retraction and preps for first reuse
In the two months since SpaceX first debuted its Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket upgrade with a successful May 2018 launch and landing, the company has forged ahead with final Block 4 or older launch and two additional launches and recoveries of brand new Block 5 boosters, growing the fleet of flight-proven and thus flight-worthy rocket boosters to three.
Given the dramatic changes implemented in Block 5 and the pathfinder nature of these new boosters, SpaceX has spent much of the following time conducting tests and extensive analyses to verify new designs and new technology, ranging from teardowns to tests of specific components like landing legs on a recently-recovered East Coast booster.
Most prominently on that to-do list was a deep-dive teardown of inaugural Block 5 booster B1046, which was apparently completed within the last week or so – as evidenced by the sooty booster’s appearance at SpaceX’s Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40 (LC-40) around July 24th. The purpose of that teardown was to give most of Falcon 9’s many thousands of individual and critical components a thorough examination, particularly those parts most impacted and worn by launch, reentry, and landing. That most likely includes B1046’s black octaweb and interstage thermal protection, its nine upgraded Merlin 1D engines, the “dance floor” heatshield at the rocket’s base, and landing legs, among myriad other smaller aspects.
More recently (July 27 and 28), SpaceX technicians attempted and completed the first retraction of a Block 5 booster landing leg (B1047 in Port Canaveral, Florida), compared with the current practice of removing both the landing legs and booms before rotating the recovered rocket horizontal and transporting it to a nearby refurbishment facility. Briefly discussed by CEO Elon Musk, Block 5 includes a number of landing leg optimizations, intended to improve robustness, increase reliability, and significantly ease reuse.
“So essentially deploying the landing gear and stowing the landing gear is now a very easy thing to do [on Block 5 boosters], whereas previously it required several hours to re-stow the landing gear. Which can now be done with an actuator, pretty easily.”
Given the fact that it took a full day to prepare for the retraction of the first leg and that the task appears to be accomplished with a fairly complex and manual lifting mechanism requiring several workers to function, it’s possible that the retraction and leg hardware described by Musk is still undergoing some form of testing or production optimization before being added to flight hardware. Nevertheless, photographer and journalist Ken Kremer observed the retraction sequence from start to finish (movement-wise) and pegged it at around 40 minutes total to go from fully deployed to fully stowed.
4 shot sequence:1st time ever #Falcon9 landing leg retracted from recovered @SpaceX 1ststage booster-using cables & pulleys pulling left leg from cap apparatus on top, flush to side, techs assist.took 40min 7/27. #Block5 #Telstar19V launch.Cred:@ken_kremer https://t.co/G4fyocB13Q pic.twitter.com/RPbgT8LdKf
— Ken Kremer🇺🇦🇩🇪🇺🇸🚀🧪 (@ken_kremer) July 27, 2018
In all fairness, truly rapid and near-automatic leg retraction would only be of value to SpaceX once the company needs to refly Falcon 9 with less than a week or two between launches, at which point spending a day or two carefully removing or stowing landing legs outweighs the cost of adding highly specific hardware useless during flight (and thus stealing mass that could otherwise be fuel for a gentler booster recovery or a higher payload orbit).
Keeping as much of that leg retraction hardware on the ground as possible thus makes a lot of sense in today’s launch industry, where SpaceX simply has no material need for near-automatic, internally-actuated leg retraction on Falcon 9 (only necessary for extremely rapid turnaround). Still, if the company hopes to achieve Musk’s 24-hour booster turnaround challenge by the end of 2019, SpaceX technicians and engineers will need to have a solution in place to retract Falcon 9’s landing legs as quickly as practically possible – every minute will count for such a rapid reuse.
For prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket recovery fleet (including fairing catcher Mr Steven) check out our brand new LaunchPad and LandingZone newsletters!
Tesla just gave what is perhaps its biggest signal yet that the launch of the Cybercab, its autonomous ride-hailing-geared car, is imminent.
The Cybercab has been spotted outside of Gigafactory Texas in massive numbers over the past few days, with hundreds of units being stored on property just days after the vehicle received a Certificate of Conformity from the EPA.
Today, things were a bit different.
Cybercabs spotted on Giga Texas property today had an addition: a Cybercab decal on the side, reminiscent of the “Robotaxi” ones that were placed on Model Ys just as the company launched its ride-sharing platform about a year ago.
Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer noticed the change today:
Tesla Cybercabs are now getting “Cybercab” logos on the side of them!
Tesla did the same with Model Ys that were given “Robotaxi” logos: https://t.co/DanANtw1m7 pic.twitter.com/FqOhH0S9Ks
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 19, 2026
Tesla could be signaling that the Cybercab is preparing to enter the Robotaxi fleet in the coming weeks or months with this move. It seems more symbolic than anything; Tesla is ready to throw Cybercabs in the ride-hailing platform just as it did with Model Ys last year.
The addition of the Certificate of Conformity awarded to the Cybercab is another major factor working to Tesla’s advantage. The company now has permission from the EPA to allow the vehicle to operate on public roads and enter the chain of commerce. It’s officially street legal.
Tesla Cybercab specs revealed: range, curb weight, range ratings, and more
The big question that remains is whether Tesla will be able to operate the car without a safety monitor, especially considering it plans to put the car out there without a steering wheel or pedals. With the Cybercab only having a seating capacity of two, it is hard to believe Tesla will even consider putting a Safety Monitor in the car.
It did recently self-certify as Level 4 and has the ability to operate driverless vehicles in the State of Texas under a law that took effect on May 28. You can read more about that here:
Tesla’s Robotaxi dreams just took a massive step toward reality
We’d imagine Cybercabs will be on the roads as soon as July, but August will likely be a better estimate of when the car will be entered into the Cybercab fleet. It all depends at where Tesla is, as they’ve truly prioritized safety with the rollout of the Robotaxi platform.
Elon Musk has publicly questioned Moody’s credit assessments following the rating agency’s decision to assign SpaceX a Baa1 investment-grade rating, two notches above Tesla’s Baa3. The comments came amid discussions comparing the two companies’ financial profiles.
SpaceX earned its first-time Baa1 rating with a stable outlook from Moody’s. The agency highlighted the company’s leadership in orbital launches, the growing recurring revenue from its Starlink satellite network, strong vertical integration, U.S. government contracts, and emerging opportunities in AI infrastructure.
These factors were cited as supporting robust cash flows, margin expansion, and financial flexibility.
Musk responded directly: “Tesla’s credit rating is ridiculously low tbh,” and added, “Yeah, makes no sense. Tesla has over $40B in cash, no debt, and is consistently profitable!” His remarks underscored Tesla’s balance sheet strength and profitability at a time when many traditional automakers continue to report losses in the shift to electric vehicles.
Yeah, makes no sense.
Tesla has over $40B in cash, no debt and is consistently profitable!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2026
Tesla maintains a leading position in the global EV market, with diversification into energy and storage, battery technology, and robotics through projects like Optimus. Recent financial updates show the company generated positive free cash flow of $1.4 billion in Q1 2026, supported by operating cash flow of $3.9 billion. Cash and short-term investments stood at approximately $44.7 billion.
Moody’s has affirmed Tesla’s Baa3 issuer rating with a stable outlook in periodic reviews, acknowledging the company’s EV leadership, technology strengths, including AI for autonomous vehicles, solid profitability, and strong liquidity.
Tesla (TSLA) scores Baa3 Moody’s rating for ‘stable’ outlook
However, the agency has also noted challenges in the automotive segment and expectations for margin pressures.
Musk’s critique highlights a common debate about how traditional rating methodologies apply to high-growth, capital-intensive technology companies. SpaceX benefits from long-term government-backed contracts and diversified, recurring revenue streams, while Tesla’s valuation reflects heavy investment in future technologies such as autonomy and robotics.
Both ratings remain investment-grade, yet the one-notch difference has fueled online discussion about potential inconsistencies in evaluating innovative firms.
The exchange comes as SpaceX explores financing options following its recent valuation milestones, while Tesla continues executing on its multi-year roadmap. Musk’s pointed response serves as a reminder that credit ratings, though influential for borrowing costs, represent one lens through which markets assess corporate strength—and that company leaders often view their financial positions through the lens of long-term innovation and cash generation rather than short-term risk metrics alone.
A new report from Reuters claims that a transport authority in Sweden is pushing back against the approval of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite because it will travel over speed limits.
The report says the Swedish Transport Administration (TRV) recommends the European Union votes against FSD’s approval. TRV believes it should not be approved until Tesla disables FSD’s ability to speed.
TRV sent a letter to the European Union’s Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles (TCMV), which is set to meet on June 30 to discuss the potential approval of the Tesla FSD suite in the country. Tesla, which has received various approvals in Europe over the past two months, has not provided a comment.
Teslas operating on FSD do travel over the speed limit, depending on the Speed Profile that is chosen. Drivers have the ability to disengage FSD at any point; Tesla specifically states that those supervising the suite are responsible for its actions.
Let’s cut to the chase: humans operating any vehicle speed almost daily in the United States. Realistically, speed limits in the U.S. are more frequently treated as speed minimums. However, other countries are different, and driving behaviors are less aggressive.
TRV believes that “allowing automated systems to systematically exceed legal speed limits…risks undermining both the legal framework and the expected safety benefits of vehicle automation,” the report stated. It’s surprising that Tesla has not received this claim from other countries previously.
This could be a good argument to bring Max Speed back, the setting that previously allowed the driver to choose the absolute fastest the car would travel.
This would still put the responsibility of supervision in the hands of the driver. It would allow the driver to choose whether the car would travel over the speed limit or not, acknowledging that they set the speed, and if they get pulled over, there would be no ability to argue it.
However, it does not seem as if this is something Tesla will do, especially considering many U.S. drivers have requested the feature in an effort to eliminate speeding or at least tone it down. The company has not shown any interest in bringing it back.
Tesla has approvals for FSD in Europe in Estonia, Lithuania, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Tesla Cybercab launch is imminent after latest sighting at Giga Texas
Elon Musk says this part of Tesla ‘makes no sense’
