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Follow a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 booster recovery from start to finish [video]
All major aspects of SpaceX’s most recent Falcon 9 Block 5 booster recovery have been documented from start to finish, offering a solid glimpse into the work that actually goes into getting a rocket booster from the deck of a SpaceX drone ship to one of the company’s many hangars for inspections, repairs, and refurbishment.
Filmed by USLaunchReport, a SpaceX-focused nonprofit staffed by U.S. veterans, the group’s coverage of a variety of SpaceX events may not always offer the highest production quality, but the sheer tenacity and patience of those behind the cameras allow them to capture unique and interesting events that almost nobody else is keen to wait around for.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 booster sails into port aboard droneship OCISLY after successful reusehttps://t.co/zQtidwzvhp
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 21, 2018
Over the course of four videos focused on SpaceX’s recovery of Falcon 9 Block 5 booster B1047, USLaunchReport offered good views of four major events that occur during all rocket recovery operations: the drone ship’s return to port, Falcon 9’s move from ship to shore, the booster’s landing leg removal (or retraction), and the booster’s transfer from a vertical to horizontal orientation and transport by road back to a SpaceX hangar.
Of Course I Still Love You arrives at Port Canaveral
As with all of Falcon 9’s drone ship landings, B1047 came to a rest on a station-keeping OCISLY several hundred miles east of the Florida coast, coincidentally landing directly in front of a giant rainbow cued by rain clouds, both visible in the background. In theory, B1047’s second landing should by no means be the rocket’s last: if Falcon 9 Block 5’s first stage upgrades are as successful as they hoped to be, the rocket could well see a productive life of 100 launches or more between now and BFR’s complete takeover.
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- Falcon 9 B1047 approaches its second successful landing aboard OCISLY. (SpaceX)
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- In a more perfect world, Falcon 9 would have been responsible for the rainbow. (SpaceX)
For at least the next 5-10 years, however, SpaceX followers will continue to be treated to spectacular Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy booster recoveries, particularly the moment when each booster sails through the narrow mouth of Port Canaveral or Port of Los Angeles, offering spectators almost unbeatable views of just-landed SpaceX rockets.
SpaceX – Last Ten Miles To Dock.
Next Men at Work. B1047.2 https://t.co/6C4YDhUpJ6— Mike Wagner (@USLaunchReport) November 21, 2018
Falcon 9’s lift from ship to shore
Soon after the drone ship docks in port, SpaceX recovery technicians install a brace and lifting jig that attaches to Falcon 9’s booster interstage, using the same mechanisms that connect the first stage to the second stage prior to stage separation. The interstage’s mechanical actuators are strong enough to support – at a minimum – the entire weight of an empty Falcon 9 booster, allowing SpaceX to simply attach the jig and lift Falcon 9 off of the drone ship with any number of large but commercially available cranes.
Rather than directly lowering the rocket and allowing it to rest directly on its landing legs again, SpaceX technicians make use of a custom-built stand that acts as a sort of barebones, static replica of the mounts Falcon 9s are attached to at SpaceX launch pads. Structurally optimized to allow Falcon 9 and Heavy to be held down on the launch pad while operating at full thrust, a series of four solid-metal attachment points interface with those hold-down clamps, attach to Falcon 9’s four landing legs, and offer an easily accessible and structurally sound method of sitting a booster upright (sans legs) and maneuvering it during recovery operations.
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- An excellent look at Block 5 booster B1048’s aft, showing off two of four launch clamp attachment points. (Pauline Acalin)
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- A view of Falcon 9 resting on said clamp attach points. (Pauline Acalin)
Once Falcon 9 is sat stably atop its recovery stand, SpaceX technicians remove the rocket’s four landing legs and their associated telescoping deployment assemblies. While SpaceX has recently begun to attempt the in-situ retraction and stowage of Falcon 9 landing legs once returned to land, a number of experimental retraction attempts appear to have produced less than satisfactory results. This time around, the retraction jig was visibly stripped and SpaceX technicians did not attempt any leg retractions. However, those recovery technicians are now so experienced and familiar with the optimized procedures that Falcon 9 booster can go from port arrival to horizontal transport to a SpaceX hangar in just a little over 48 hours, and that trend continued with B1047.2.
Good observations by @USLaunchReport. The lifting cap was stripped of the leg retraction hardware, so SpaceX is presumably changing the design of the retraction system.https://t.co/WRwLNbLKqF
— Michael Baylor (@MichaelBaylor_) November 23, 2018
From | to __
Although Falcon 9 and Heavy rockets come into their prime once vertical, the rockets spend the vast majority of their lives horizontal, either in transport from facility to facility or stationary inside a SpaceX hangar, awaiting launch, undergoing integration, or being refurbished. Translating Falcon 9’s massive ~30-ton, 135-foot-tall (41m) booster from vertical to horizontal is a feat within itself, requiring the coordinated use of two large cranes, multiple technicians with guidelines, and one of several giant booster transport jigs owned by SpaceX.
SpaceX’s seasoned recovery technicians make it look easy, but the reality is in almost polar opposition. The fact that Falcon 9’s structure is built primarily of aluminum-lithium alloy tanks with walls maybe half a centimeter (~5 mm) thick certainly doesn’t make this process any easier, as even the slightest misstep or tank depressurization (Falcon 9 is almost always pressurized with nitrogen when horizontal) could structurally compromise the rocket and result in irreparable damage.
The cherry on top
A reliable crowdpleaser, the last critical step in any Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy recovery is the booster’s careful transport – by road – from its port of call (or landing zone) to a dedicated SpaceX hangar (or factory), where the rocket can be far more thoroughly inspected, repaired, and maintained between launches. With Falcon 9 Block 5’s May 2018 introduction, the latter segment has become more important than ever before, as the upgraded rockets are already routinely conducting launches with as few as three months between them, bringing SpaceX closer than ever before to realizing a long-term aspiration of operating a fleet of rapidly and (relatively) easily reusable orbital-class rockets.
Often slowly driving just a few dozen feet from passing bystanders and traffic, this short few-mile trip from Port Canaveral to either Kennedy Space Center (KSC) or Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) is typically done with Falcon 9 boosters entirely uncovered, aside from nine small booties that cover their nine Merlin 1D engines. Without unique and easily missed moments like this, it might well be just shy of impossible to get fewer than several hundred feet away from an operational SpaceX rocket, certainly a luxury but one that would still be sorely missed.
All things considered, the crew at USLaunchReport ought to be thanked for their relentless patience and commitment to getting the shot. For those of us who mean to resist the tendency for SpaceX’s sheer inertia to rapidly make the extraordinary all but mundane, these long, highly detailed, and often esoteric videos will (hopefully) never get old.
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!
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) stock received a price target update from Pierre Ferragu of Wall Street firm New Street Research, citing the company’s growing lead in self-driving and autonomy.
On Tuesday, Ferragu bumped his price target from $520 to $600, stating that the consensus from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was that Tesla’s lead in autonomy has been sustained, is growing, and sits at a multiple-year lead over its competitors.
CES 2026 validates Tesla’s FSD strategy, but there’s a big lag for rivals: analyst
“The signal from Vegas is loud and clear,” the analyst writes. “The industry isn’t catching up to Tesla; it is actively validating Tesla’s strategy…just with a 12-year lag.”
The note shows that the company’s prowess in vehicle autonomy is being solidified by lagging competitors that claim to have the best method. The only problem is that Tesla’s Vision-based approach, which it adopted back in 2022 with the Model 3 and Model Y initially, has been proven to be more effective than competitors’ approach, which utilizes other technology, such as LiDAR and sensors.
Currently, Tesla shares are sitting at around $433, as the company’s stock price closed at $432.96 on Tuesday afternoon.
Ferragu’s consensus on Tesla shares echoes that of other Wall Street analysts who are bullish on the company’s stock and position within the AI, autonomy, and robotics sector.
Dan Ives of Wedbush wrote in a note in mid-December that he anticipates Tesla having a massive 2026, and could reach a $3 trillion valuation this year, especially with the “AI chapter” taking hold of the narrative at the company.
Ives also said that the big step in the right direction for Tesla will be initiating production of the Cybercab, as well as expanding on the Robotaxi program through the next 12 months:
“…as full-scale volume production begins with the autonomous and robotics roadmap…The company has started to test the all-important Cybercab in Austin over the past few weeks, which is an incremental step towards launching in 2026 with important volume production of Cybercabs starting in April/May, which remains the golden goose in unlocking TSLA’s AI valuation.”
Tesla analyst breaks down delivery report: ‘A step in the right direction’
Tesla has transitioned from an automaker to a full-fledged AI company, and its Robotaxi and Cybercab programs, fueled by the Full Self-Driving suite, are leading the charge moving forward. In 2026, there are major goals the company has outlined. The first is removing Safety Drivers from vehicles in Austin, Texas, one of the areas where it operates a ride-hailing service within the U.S.
Ultimately, Tesla will aim to launch a Level 5 autonomy suite to the public in the coming years.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Biggest Revelations on AI, Robots, and the Future of Work from the Moonshots Podcast
Elon Musk’s appearance on the Moonshots with Peter Diamandis podcast was packed with bold predictions, candid admissions, and surprising tech insights. The nearly three-hour conversation covered everything from artificial intelligence to humanoid robots, geopolitics, and the future of work. Here are the top 10 most intriguing takeaways:
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Aggressive AGI Timeline Predictions
Musk offered a detailed view on when artificial general intelligence (AGI) could emerge, suggesting it may arrive sooner than many expect, emphasizing both transformative potential and risks.
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U.S. vs. China in the AI Race
He discussed the strategic competition between the United States and China over AI development, noting that geopolitical dynamics will shape how and who leads in the next decades.
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Future of Job Markets
Musk touched on how AI and automation could reshape employment, predicting massive boosts in productivity alongside potential disruptions in traditional work structures.
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Clean Energy Transition
A recurring theme was the role of clean energy in future economies, with Musk reiterating the importance of scaling sustainable power generation and storage.
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Humanoid Robots Are Coming
On the podcast, Musk elaborated on Tesla’s work on humanoid robots, hinting at timelines and applications that go beyond factories to general-purpose assistance.
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Tesla Roadster “Last Human-Driven Car”
Outside the core discussion topics, Musk teased features of the upcoming Tesla Roadster — calling it “the best of the last of the human-driven cars” and suggesting safety won’t be its main selling point.
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The Role of AI in Clean Energy and Robotics
Linking AI to both energy optimization and robotics, Musk explained how smarter systems could accelerate decarbonization and task automation across industries.
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U.S. Innovation Leadership
Musk argued that maintaining American leadership in key tech sectors like AI, space, and robotics should be a national priority, with thoughtful policy and investment.
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Job Creation vs. Job Elimination
While acknowledging automation’s disruptive effects, he also outlined scenarios where new industries and opportunities could emerge, particularly in AI, space, and advanced manufacturing.
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Long-Term Vision for Humanity
Throughout the conversation, Musk revisited his long-term philosophical views — including a belief in humanity’s responsibility to become a multi-planetary and technologically empowered species.
Whether you agree with Musk’s optimism or not, the podcast offers a window into the thinking of one of the most influential figures in tech today, in and why his visions continue to spark debate and inspiration.
Elon Musk appeared on the Moonshots podcast with Peter Diamandis today to discuss AGI, U.S. vs. China, Tesla, and some other interesting topics, but there was some discussion about the upcoming unveiling of the Roadster, the company’s electric supercar that will arrive several years after it was initially slated for release.
Musk made some pretty amazing claims about the Roadster; we already know it is supposed to be lightning-fast and could even hover, if Tesla gets everything to happen the way it wants to. However, the car has some pretty crazy capabilities, some of which have not even been revealed.
On the podcast, Musk said:
“This is not a…safety is not the main goal. If you buy a Ferrari, safety is not the number one goal. I say, if safety is your number one goal, do not buy the Roadster…We’ll aspire not to kill anyone in this car. It’ll be the best of the last of the human-driven cars. The best of the last.”
🚨 Elon on the Roadster unveiling, scheduled for April 1:
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 6, 2026
Musk makes a good point: people who buy expensive sports cars with ridiculous top speeds and acceleration rates do not buy them to be safe. They hope they are safe in case of an emergency or crash, but safety is not at the forefront of their thoughts, because nobody buys a car thinking they’ll crash it.
The Roadster is truly going to push the limits and capabilities of passenger vehicles; there’s no doubt about that. Tesla plans to show off the new version car for the first time on April 1, and Musk has only hinted at what is possible with it.
Musk said back in November:
“Whether it’s good or bad, it will be unforgettable. My friend Peter Thiel once reflected that the future was supposed to have flying cars, but we don’t have flying cars. I think if Peter wants a flying car, he should be able to buy one…I think it has a shot at being the most memorable product unveiling ever. [It will be unveiled] hopefully before the end of the year. You know, we need to make sure that it works. This is some crazy technology in this car. Let’s just put it this way: if you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it’s crazier than that.”
Production is set to begin between 12 and 18 months after the unveiling, which would put the car out sometime in 2027. Hopefully, Tesla is able to stay on track with the scheduling of the Roadster; many people have been waiting a long time for it.
Tesla gets price target bump, citing growing lead in self-driving
Elon Musk’s Biggest Revelations on AI, Robots, and the Future of Work from the Moonshots Podcast
