News
SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket launch and landing aligns for mid-September
SpaceX’s next rocket launch, a new Falcon 9 Block 5 vehicle carrying Telesat’s Telstar 18V geostationary communications satellite has slipped from an original launch target of August 22nd to no earlier than (NET) September 9th, pointing towards difficulties somewhere within the space launch apparatus.
While a two and a half week delay may feel immense for a SpaceX mission after an exceptionally productive 15 successful launches in 2018 (and a third of the year still to come), caution is key when dealing with rockets, and the slip should not significantly impact any near-term SpaceX launches thanks to an apparent dearth of available payloads between September and November.
Eastern Range updates with this moving a few weeks to *NET September 9*. We don't have a reason. https://t.co/jUSH1KnPfG
— NSF – NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) August 22, 2018
The cause of the ~ 18-day delay is currently unknown but presumably involves some combination of technical or systematic difficulties with the rocket (Falcon 9 booster B1049, an upper stage, and a payload fairing), the launch pad, the payload (a complex, several ton communications satellite), or the range (weather tracking, radar, guarding keep-out zones).
Thanks to the sheer complexity of large, orbital rockets and the infrastructure needed to support and launch them, as well as the fact that SpaceX debuted the current Block 5 upgrade of Falcon 9 barely three months ago, it’s actually more surprising than anything that SpaceX launches haven’t had even a little bit more drama lately. In fact, the rocket version’s actual inaugural launch in May 2018 happened to feature the only launch scrub/abort of a Block 5 rocket thus far, now with three new booster missions and one booster reuse under its belt.
-
- Falcon 9 B1046 seen landing on OCISLY for the first time, May 2018. (SpaceX)
-
- B1046 returned to Port Canaveral shortly after its May 4 debut, and is now being carefully analyzed as pathfinder hardware. (Tom Cross)
-
- B1046 lands on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You for the second time in three months, August 2018. (SpaceX)
-
A sample size of four may not exactly be a boon for statistical confidence, but Block 5’s thus far routine debut and launch track record suggest that there’s a strong chance Telstar 18V’s launch delay is unrelated to its Falcon 9 booster. Fairing availability could potentially be a problem thanks to manufacturing teething pains for the newest “Fairing 2.0” upgrade, a strong contender given that a month will now separate Telstar 18V from SpaceX’s previous Florida launch (Telkom 4, August 7th), compared to just two weeks before the delay.
After launching Telstar 18V above the vast majority of Earth’s atmosphere, Falcon 9 B1049 will flip around while hypersonic and arc towards a landing aboard SpaceX’s Florida-based autonomous spaceport drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY), stationed roughly 650 km east of its LC-40 launch pad. If the SpaceX-launched Telstar 19V satellite is representative of its 18V sister satellite, Telstar 18V is an extremely heavy satellite heading to a high-energy geostationary transfer orbit, meaning that Falcon 9’s reentry and landing are likely to be relatively hot.
#Telstar18V Launch Hazard Areas. Planned droneship landing position 655km downrange. https://t.co/5vo6yRthAN pic.twitter.com/WHLmqXN8wC
— Raul (@Raul74Cz) August 22, 2018
For prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket recovery fleet check out our brand new LaunchPad and LandingZone newsletters!
On Friday, Tesla launched the Outlet Adapter that enabled Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) energy transfer, meaning owners could essentially utilize their cars as a power source for things like laptops, electric grills, or string lights.
However, even owners of some of the newest builds of the Model Y are finding out that their cars are not compatible with the new $80 accessory, stirring up a new complaint among members of the community.
Tesla launches V2L Outlet Adapter for Premium Model Y in the U.S.
Upon the release of the Outlet Adapter on Friday, I signed into my Tesla account to order the accessory. However, I was met with the dreaded “This product is not compatible with your 2026 Model Y” message at the bottom of the screen.
Some said their accounts also displayed the same message, but they ordered anyway. However, they might be surprised to find that this is no mistake; some of the newest Model Ys do not have the appropriate Power Conversion System (PCS). Mine, which was ordered on this day last year and delivered on August 31, has the old 48A, single-phase PCS.
Vehicles with the new, two-piece PCS are able to utilize V2L features on their cars:
🚨 Looks like you can hit the Parts Catalog and enter your VIN and check to see if your Model Y will be able to use the adapter for V2L.https://t.co/QA9zRk7n2k
h/t to @SawyerMerritt for finding this out.
-I am sad but this isn’t a huge loss. https://t.co/AYpI12QVV9 pic.twitter.com/LRFSrtRywo
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 16, 2026
Obviously, it’s disappointing. Many owners have taken delivery this year and still can not utilize the Outlet Adapter because their cars feature the old PCS:
Took delivery in February of 2026. I have the older one, so not going to work for me pic.twitter.com/RcOVq8gvvT
— Russell (@QuietTesla) August 16, 2026
It looks like if you have one of these older PCS units, you can upgrade, but the parts alone are $1,750, and that’s before Tesla adds labor for installing. It is honestly more logical to get some kind of portable power supply or power station at that point.
-
It is great that Tesla has enabled V2L for Model Y vehicles, but it is also unfortunate that vehicles that are less than one year old are not able to take advantage of this awesome new feature.
With that being said, it truly is a first-world problem; can you really complain when Full Self-Driving is available, maintenance is incredibly inexpensive, and the car has been so good through a year of ownership?
Tesla has launched a new Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) Outlet Adapter for Premium Model Y vehicles in the United States, meaning you can now power devices like laptops or light strings with your vehicle’s battery.
It appears the capability will be available for any Model Y Premium trim, including those that were purchased prior to the Adapter being launched. It will also only impact Juniper Model Y vehicles, so the first-gen owners will unfortunately not have access to this capability.
If your Model Y was purchased before Tesla renamed the trim levels to “Premium” and “Standard,” it does not seem to be compatible. My Model Y is technically a Premium build, as it is the Long Range All-Wheel-Drive. However, Tesla says it is not compatible with my vehicle.
🚨 Tesla has launched the Outlet Adapter for Model Y Premium in the U.S., enabling V2L capability for all Premium trims (that’s what it appears to be as it is available for purchase with all Premium trims)
It’s available for $80. 2.4kW max power and rated for 120v, 20A pic.twitter.com/lDxlVIk5s8
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 14, 2026
For $80, you can now utilize your car as a portable charger for small appliances or devices. This is perfect for things like tailgates, concerts, or camping, as you can now plug in devices that you might use. Those string lights for camping? That laptop for the other games that are on at the tailgate?
-
They’ll both utilize energy from your Tesla’s battery to be powered. This is the first time Tesla has expanded the capability to vehicles outside of the Model Y Performance and Cybertruck. However, this feature has been highly requested by owners for an extended period of time.
Tesla launched the Outlet Adapter in China last year:
Tesla China rolls out Model Y L V2L adapter, and it’s free for early owners
You will need the Mobile Connector to operate the Outlet Adapter: the Outlet Adapter will plug into the main housing of the Mobile Connector, where the appropriate adapter to charge your vehicle will plug in.
It is rated for 120 volts and 20 amps, and has a max power rating of 2.4kW.
You can buy it here from Tesla for $80.
-
Tesla is nearing its long-awaited unveiling of the all-electric Tesla Roadster, a new report from The Information claims, as the company has said several times this year that the event would take place “soon.”
Now, it appears there is movement on Tesla’s end regarding when it will happen.
The report says that Tesla will unveil the Roadster as soon as this month with a SpaceX version that will utilize cold-gas thrusters to help the vehicle float for a short period of time. This is something CEO Elon Musk has talked about with the Roadster for years.
🚨 The Information is reporting this morning that Tesla is ready to unveil the “flying” Roadster as soon as this month
It’s almost here, folks. pic.twitter.com/IdL4atsucQ
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 14, 2026
Additionally, due to the delays, Tesla explored “a variety of designs” for the Roadster, potentially planning to abandon the design it showed off for the first time in 2017 and adopting an entirely new aesthetic.
-
According to The Information, Tesla considered utilizing a repurposed Model S Plaid and even wanted to upgrade the look to something like a Lamborghini Countach.
We’ve heard all of these things before, including teases about the date and how “soon” the Roadster will finally be ready to be shown off to the world (for the second time). Musk said that the event would occur in April, then May, then Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen continued to say it would be coming “soon.”
We do expect to see the Roadster by the end of the year, and now with this new report swirling, it appears it could be sooner rather than later.
The wait has been incredibly long, but there is likely a good reason for it. Tesla’s desire to make the Roadster the craziest vehicle on the road was non-negotiable, and it likely took a lot of time and resources to develop and perfect into something that was safe and suitable for a vehicle like this.
Tesla V2L adapter for Model Y stirs up a new complaint among owners
Tesla launches V2L Outlet Adapter for Premium Model Y in the U.S.
