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SpaceX Falcon 9 bids temporary goodbye to West Coast in launch & landing photos

Falcon 9 B1051 safely returned to SpaceX's West Coast LZ-4 pad to complete the booster's second launch and landing in three months. (SpaceX)

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SpaceX has completed its last California Falcon 9 launch of 2019 and the company’s official pictures of the mission are unexpectedly spectacular considering the near-zero visibility incurred by coastal fog.

Lifting off on June 12th, Falcon 9 successfully delivered the Canadian Space Agency’s Radarsat Constellation Mission (RCM) – likely weighing ~5000 kg (11,000 lb) – to a 600 km (370 mi) sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). Made up of three separate Earth observation satellites, RCM has a combined value greater than $1 billion and has thus become the single most expensive payload – perhaps by as much as a factor of two – SpaceX has ever launched. Although disappointing, RCM made for a spectacular temporary finale to SpaceX’s West Coast launch activity, likely the company’s last Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) mission for at least 6-9 months.

Due to an unknown combination of construction delays, regulatory hurdles, and a general lack of pressing need, SpaceX completed its West Coast landing zone (LZ-4) around the middle of 2018, at which point the bulk of the company’s Vandenberg launch manifest had already been completed. 2017 saw six SpaceX Vandenberg launches, while 2018 featured five, combining to represent a respectable ~29% of the company’s launches over the two-year period.

SpaceX’s dedicated West Coast landing zone, known as LZ-4. The pad has now supported two booster recoveries. (Pauline Acalin)
B1048's second launch and landing, captured from the same camera perspective.
LZ-4 is barely a quarter mile (~400m) away from SpaceX’s SLC-4E launch pad. (Pauline Acalin)

Pictured above, LZ-4 was used for the first time in October 2018, shortly after Falcon 9 B1048.2 sent the Argentinian SAOCOM 1A Earth observation satellite on its way to orbit. Curiously, SpaceX’s LZ-4 land use permit specifically stated that the company would need to avoid land-landings during harbor seal pupping season (reportedly March through June) to avoid disturbing the ecosystem.

This contradicts SpaceX’s June 12th use of LZ-4 after B1051’s successful RCM launch, potentially indicating that the company chose to risk fines instead of dusting off its under-utilized West Coast drone ship Just Read The Instructions (JRTI), last used in January. In all fairness, if SpaceX – as appears to be the case – has no more launches planned in 2019, a one-off seal-scare is hopefully harmless.

https://twitter.com/_TomCross_/status/1138830281266229248
The main environmental concern comes from the spectacularly loud sonic booms Falcon 9 produces while transitioning from hypersonic speeds to a standstill.
Falcon 9 B1051.1 became Falcon 9 B1051.2 after safely landing at LZ-4, almost entirely shrouded in thick coastal fog. (SpaceX)

In 2019, SpaceX Vandenberg’s share of launches will drop to 10-15% and may fall even further. Beyond Iridium NEXT-8 (January) and RCM (June), no other SpaceX missions are publicly manifested in 2019 with launches on the West Coast, although tight-lipped US military or Starlink missions could potentially crop up later this year. 2020 is unlikely to be any better with just three launches (all fairly uncertain and liable to slip considerably). As of June 2019, SpaceX’s 2021 manifest looks far more promising and could involve no less than six launches from California.

Further down the road, US military contracts – assuming SpaceX is one of two main providers chosen – should offer a decent IV drip (~1-2 annual launches) for the rest of the decade.

Falcon 9 B1051.1 is ready for its second launch.
Falcon 9 stands as beautiful and sooty as ever during a golden-hour remote camera setup, June 11th. (Pauline Acalin)
Perhaps one of the best photos ever taken of Falcon 9, this image was likely around sunset on June 11th. (SpaceX)

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture

“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Diner, the all-in-one Supercharging and dining experience located in Los Angeles, will transition to a full-service restaurant in January, staff said, as Chef Eric Greenspan said he would take on a new project.

A report from the Los Angeles Times says Greenspan confirmed through a text that he would leave the Diner and focus on the opening of his new Jewish deli, Mish.

Greenspan confirmed to the paper:

“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”

Greenspan took on the job at the Tesla Diner and curated the menu back in March, focusing on locally-sourced ingredients and items that would play on various company products, like Cybertruck-shaped boxes that hold burgers.

Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner

The Tesla Diner has operated as somewhat of a self-serve establishment, where Tesla owners can order directly from their vehicles through the center touchscreen. It was not exclusive to Tesla owners. Guests could also enter and order at a counter, and pick up their food, before sitting at a booth or table.

However, the report indicates Tesla is planning to push it toward a sit-down restaurant, full of waiters, waitresses, and servers, all of which will come to a table after you are seated, take your order, and serve your food.

It will be more of a full-featured restaurant experience moving forward, which is an interesting move from the company, but it also sounds as if it could be testing for an expansion.

We know that Tesla is already considering expanding locations, as it will be heading to new areas of the country. CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla will be considering locations in Palo Alto near the company’s Engineering HQ, and in Austin, where its HQ and Gigafactory Texas are located.

Musk said that the Diner has been very successful in its first few months of operation.

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Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program

“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”

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Credit: Grok

Tesla has added a new and somewhat surprising fee to the Robotaxi program. It’s only surprising because it was never there before.

Tesla shocked everyone when it launched its Robotaxi platform and offered riders the opportunity to tip, only to tell them they do not accept tips. It was one of the company’s attempts at being humorous as it rolled out its driverless platform to people in Austin.

As it has expanded to new cities and been opened to more people, as it was yesterday to iOS users, Tesla has had to tweak some of the minor details of the Robotaxi and ride-hailing platforms it operates.

First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more

With more riders, more vehicles, and more operational jurisdictions, the company has to adjust as things become busier.

Now, it is adjusting the platform by adding “Cleaning Fees” to the Robotaxi platform, but it seems it is only charged if the vehicle requires some additional attention after your ride.

The app will communicate with the rider with the following message (via Not a Tesla App):

“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”

The cost of the cleaning will likely depend on how severe the mess is. If you spill a soda, it will likely cost less than if you lose your lunch in the back of the car because you had a few too many drinks.

This is an expected change, and it seems to be one that is needed, especially considering Tesla is operating a small-scale ride-hailing service at the current time. As it expands to more states and cities and eventually is available everywhere, there will be more situations that will arise.

The messes in vehicles are not a new situation, especially in a rideshare setting. It will be interesting to see if Tesla will enable other fees, like ones for riders who request a ride and do not show up for it.

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Tesla Model Y sold out in China for 2025

Customers who wish to get their cars by the end of the year would likely need to get an inventory unit.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

It appears that the Model Y has been sold out for 2025 in China. This seems to be true for the four variants of the vehicle that are currently offered in the country. 

Tesla China’s order page update

A look at Tesla China’s order page for the Model Y shows a message informing customers that those who wish to guarantee delivery by the end of the year should purchase an inventory unit. This was despite the Model Y RWD and Model Y L showing an estimated delivery timeline of 4-8 weeks, and the Model Y Long Range RWD and Model Y Long Range AWD showing 4-13 weeks. 

As per industry watchers, these updates on the Model Y’s order page suggest that Tesla China’s sales capacity for the remainder of 2025 has been sold out. The fact that estimated delivery timeframes for the Model Y Long Range RWD and AWD extend up to 13 weeks also bodes well for demand for the vehicle, especially given strong rivals like the Xiaomi YU7, which undercuts the Model Y in price. 

Tesla China’s upcoming big updates

What is quite interesting is that Tesla China is still competing in the country with one hand partly tied behind its back. So far, Tesla has only been able to secure partial approval for its flagship self-driving software, FSD, in China. This has resulted in V14 not being rolled out to the country yet. Despite this, Tesla China’s “Autopilot automatic assisted driving on urban roads,” as the system is called locally, has earned positive reviews from users.

As per Elon Musk during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, however, Tesla is expecting to secure full approval for FSD in China in early 2026. “We have partial approval in China, and we hopefully will have full approval in China around February or March or so. That’s what they’ve told us,” Musk said.

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