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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 will resolve its massive recall of nearly three million vehicles in China with stickers and a software update.
On Friday, Chinese regulators filed recall plans against Tesla, Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng, Chery, Geely, Dongfeng, Arcfox, and FAW to resolve what is essentially a carbon-copy issue throughout each of the companies’ vehicle models: emergency door release latches are simply not visible enough.
Tesla door handle saga gets its latest chapter and a big change is coming
The companies will be required to add things that will make these latches, which will open the door in the event of an emergency, more visible. Of the 7 million vehicles impacted, Tesla accounts for 2,975,910 units. More than 1.9 million of those are Model Y vehicles, with the rest, just over 970,000, being Model 3s.
To resolve the issue, Tesla is going to add warning labels to the emergency latches free of charge, and then utilize an Over-the-Air update to add a post-crash window-lowering strategy, according to CNEVpost.
This massive effort to fix the all-electric Model Y and Model 3’s emergency latch system comes just months after several probes across various markets identified the trouble some had identifying this latch. Those who had gotten involved in car accidents that stripped the vehicle of its power were not aware that every Tesla has emergency door latches.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said that severe crashes that disable a vehicle’s low-voltage system could not only hinder occupants from getting out, but also make it more difficult for emergency response workers to gain entry.
SAMR is starting to tighten the regulations it has on door handles on vehicles. A new mandatory national standard will take effect for all models starting January 1, 2027, and will require all doors to be equipped with mechanical release mechanisms. This will effectively end purely electronic door handles. Models already on sale with type approval have been granted a two-year transition period, which will enable things to change until January 2029.
Tesla has officially confirmed plans to bring its all-electric Semi truck to Europe, with full specifications and market-launch details set for unveiling at the IAA Transportation trade fair in Hannover, Germany.
The event runs September 15–20, with a possible press preview on September 14. The announcement, shared via Tesla’s Semi account, marks a significant expansion beyond North America nearly nine years after the truck’s original 2017 reveal.
🚨 Tesla Semi is coming to Europe!
Sustainable logistics is a huge market internationally, and now Tesla is involved in it outside of the U.S. market! https://t.co/q3hjX6ybMv pic.twitter.com/mxTaVY3UsE
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 20, 2026
In the United States, the Semi’s path has been gradual. Limited pilot production and customer deliveries began in late 2022, primarily to fleets such as PepsiCo. After years of refinement, high-volume manufacturing started on April 29, 2026, at a dedicated facility adjacent to Gigafactory Nevada.
The plant targets an annual capacity of 50,000 units, though the ramp is expected to be gradual, with “many thousands” of trucks projected by the end of 2026.
Demand is building, with recent orders including 500 units for Einride (deliveries starting September 2026, serving Amazon and others) and hundreds more from operators such as WattEV. Pricing stands at approximately $260,000 for the Standard Range and $290,000 for the Long Range before incentives.
Tesla Semi pricing revealed after company uncovers trim levels
Earlier in 2026, Tesla finalized production specifications that incorporated substantial updates. In February, the company detailed two variants designed for a full 82,000-pound gross combination weight.
The Standard Range offers about 325 miles of range with a 548 kWh battery and curb weight under 20,000 pounds. The Long Range delivers roughly 500 miles with an 822 kWh pack and a 23,000-pound curb weight. Both use three independent rear-axle motors producing up to 800 kW (about 1,073 horsepower), achieve energy consumption of around 1.7 kWh per mile, and support megawatt-class charging at up to 1.2 MW—recovering about 60 percent of range in 30 minutes through the MCS standard.
Additional refinements include a roughly 1,000-pound weight reduction versus earlier prototypes, improved aerodynamics, a 48-volt electrical architecture, electric power take-off up to 25 kW for refrigerated trailers, and fleet management software with over-the-air updates.
These advances position the Semi as a competitive option against diesel trucks on operating costs and performance. For Europe, adaptations such as lighting, cab configurations (including potential sleeper options), and regulatory compliance are anticipated.
With series production underway in Nevada and major fleet commitments secured, the upcoming IAA reveal will clarify timelines, European-specific specs, and pricing, potentially accelerating electrification of heavy-duty freight on both continents.
Investor's Corner
Tesla Robotaxi gets a massive upgrade in Nevada
Nevada regulators just approved a massive expansion of Tesla’s robotaxi fleet across the entire county.
Tesla’s robotaxi footprint in Nevada just grew by roughly 500 times in a single regulatory vote.
The Nevada Transportation Authority approved Tesla’s full Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit on Thursday, clearing the way for the company to deploy up to 5,000 driverless vehicles across Clark County over the next 12 months. The decision came during a four hour general session meeting that Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt watched live and reported on X, noting the vote replaces the interim order that had limited Tesla to just 10 robotaxis on a narrow stretch of the Las Vegas Strip.
EXCLUSIVE: Tesla has just officially received approval for its full Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit in Nevada, clearing the way for Tesla to launch a paid public Robotaxi service in Las Vegas.
This officially allows @Tesla to deploy up to 5,000 robotaxis over the next… pic.twitter.com/DPs5UtUlrE
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 20, 2026
That earlier cap, covered here after it surfaced on August 13, came with restrictions that looked stricter than what Tesla runs in Austin: a 45 mph speed ceiling, no airport pickups, and a geofence confined to the Strip corridor. The new approval extends Tesla’s operating authority to all of Clark County, with room to request an even wider geofence across the state.
Tesla representatives at the meeting said they have no intention of putting 5,000 cars on the road right away. Commercial rides are expected to start within 30 days, pending vehicle inspections, insurance filings, and fare approval, the standard steps every robotaxi operator in Nevada has had to clear.
Tesla’s own Robotaxi account replied to the news with a short line, The golden future is upon us.
The timing lines up with Tesla’s broader robotaxi push this month. The company is preparing to open Cybercab rides to the public in Austin as soon as this month, and it opened a sweepstakes for riders to win a seat at the launch event. Tesla filed its original application for a 5,000 vehicle Nevada fleet back in June, a request regulators trimmed to 10 vehicles when they issued the interim order in July. Thursday’s vote effectively grants the number Tesla asked for from the start.
Zoox, the Amazon owned robotaxi operator, has run in Nevada since 2025 and was capped at 100 vehicles before Thursday’s decision. Tesla’s new ceiling puts it well ahead of that comparison on paper, though the company has said its actual fleet size will depend on how quickly FSD v15 rolls out, the software update executives have called the gateway to scaling unsupervised robotaxi operations nationwide.
Tesla will resolve massive China recall with stickers and a software update
Tesla Semi is officially headed to Europe
