

SpaceX
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 recovery robot prepares for imminent rocket landing [photos]
SpaceX’s shadow-bound Falcon 9 recovery robot was spotted out and about aboard drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) in the week leading up to the company’s next rocket launch, targeting liftoff at 8:45 pm EST (01:45 UTC), February 21st.
Dedicated to safely securing Falcon 9 and Heavy boosters after landing aboard drone ship OCISLY, the robot – unofficially nicknamed Octagrabber – uses four hydraulic arms and the sheer mass of its solid steel frame to grab onto the ~25-ton boosters’ built-in launch clamps and hold them steady in sea states that would create a hazard for recovery technicians. Effectively a rocket-grabbing robotic tank, Octagrabber will likely play a role in Falcon 9 B1048’s imminent third launch and landing.
Octagrabber with human for scale. 2/14 #spacex pic.twitter.com/JmUYDJubRm
— Pauline Acalin (@w00ki33) February 15, 2019
While Octagrabber’s work tends to take a backseat to the building-sized rocket landings it precedes, the robot has played an important role in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 recovery efforts since it went into service in mid-2017. Its development was expedited in part because of an iffy 2016 rocket recovery in which the Falcon 9 booster in question – destined to eventually become one of Falcon Heavy’s two side cores – landed hard and wound up precariously sliding around the deck of OCISLY, only saved from falling overboard by the lip of the drone ship’s deck.
- B1023 slid around OCISLY’s deck shortly after launch, nearly falling into the Atlantic. (SpaceX)
- SpaceX’s rocket-securing robot, known as Octagrabber, seen on OCISLY after another successful rocket recovery, August 12th. (Tom Cross)
- Octagrabber hangs on to B1046 as OCISLY arrives in port. (Tom Cross)
With a 25-ton, ~150-foot tall pressurized rocket sliding uncontrollably around their work area, SpaceX’s recovery technicians understandably extricated themselves from the situation and were forced to wait for calmer seas before securing the booster to the deck. Aside from a period of a few months in late 2017 where Octagrabber was effectively incinerated while attempting to secure a Falcon 9 booster with a fuel leak, the robot has been a part of nearly every East Coast Falcon 9 drone ship recovery since. The overall value it adds is unclear but the fact that a similar sibling has yet to be built for West Coast drone ship Just Read The Instructions (JRTI) suggests that Octagrabber is viewed as more of a good option to have with an otherwise non-critical level of utility.
Nevertheless, the lone robot continues to soldier on and is routinely spotted out and about on OCISLY’s deck while the drone ship is docked in Port Canaveral, presumably performing a variety of maintenance checkouts and testing hardware and software between rocket recoveries. While SpaceX’s 2019 launch manifest has had a slow start in January and February, things are expected to get quite a bit more active over the next few months, while a SpaceX executive recently indicated that the company was hoping to conduct 21 or more launches this year.
- (Pauline Acalin)
- (Pauline Acalin)
- Mr. Steven is seen here in Port Canaveral on February 15th, one week before the… accident… (Tom Cross)
Up next on SpaceX’s manifest is a launch just over 12 hours from now, featuring communications satellite PSN-6, an Air Force smallsat, and the first commercial Moon lander. If all goes as planned, the ~5400 kg (11,900 lb) trio will be placed into a high-energy geostationary transfer orbit with an apoapsis around 60,000 km (~38,000 mi) above Earth’s surface. Eight and a half minutes after launch, Falcon 9 B1048 will attempt its third landing in seven months, hopefully setting itself up for a fourth flight (and beyond) later this year. Mr. Steven – having completed a 5000 mile (8000 km) journey just a week and a half prior – will also attempt the first East Coast Falcon fairing catch.
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News
SpaceX is partnering with chipmakers to enable Starlink satellite-to-cell service
President Gwynne Shotwell outlined the effort during a space industry conference in Paris.

SpaceX is working with microchip manufacturers to integrate satellite-connectivity hardware into smartphones, advancing its plan for direct-to-device services through Starlink.
The move follows the company’s $17 billion acquisition of wireless spectrum from EchoStar Corp., a deal that positions SpaceX to operate more independently of traditional telecom carriers.
President Gwynne Shotwell outlined the effort during a space industry conference in Paris this week, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.
Starlink direct-to-device
Starlink currently serves millions of customers in over 100 countries, primarily through ground-based dishes. The company, however, is now expanding into satellite-to-cell service, which should enable unmodified phones to connect directly with orbiting satellites. While SpaceX has a partnership with T-Mobile US, the EchoStar spectrum purchase gives it more control to negotiate with global carriers on its own terms.
“We’re working with chip manufacturers to get the proper chips in phones,” the SpaceX President stated. “We will now be initiating discussions with telcos in a different way now. Now it’s our spectrum, but we want to work with them, almost providing capacity and wholesaling capacity to their customers.”
The company plans to launch satellites capable of supporting its direct-to-device business within two years, with early mobile phone testing expected by late 2026.
Starship program continues test flights
Shotwell also addressed SpaceX’s Starship program, which recently completed its 10th test flight in August. She said the mission met all objectives, providing a critical morale boost to teams after a challenging development year.
“My Starship team needed that win,” Shotwell noted. “Development programs always are kind of a 24/7 operation, and I was really pleased for them.”
SpaceX is planning to fly one more iteration of the current Starship prototype, known as V2, before transitioning to the next-generation V3 vehicle. That version, expected to debut late this year or early 2026, is designed to be more capable and support eventual crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
“The V3, which we want to fly hopefully late this year, but maybe early next year, is really the vehicle that could take humans to the moon and Mars,” Shotwell stated.
News
U.S. Judge dismisses lawsuit against SpaceX Starship Boca Chica launch site
The ruling found that the FAA had met its obligations in reviewing the potential environmental effects of Starship launches.

A U.S. district court judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by conservation groups challenging the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of SpaceX’s expanded rocket launch operations in Boca Chica, Texas.
The ruling, issued Monday, found that the FAA had met its obligations in reviewing the potential environmental effects of Starship launches.
FAA review withstands legal challenge
The lawsuit centered on whether the FAA properly assessed the impact of SpaceX’s operations on endangered wildlife, including ocelots, jaguarundis, and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, as noted in a report from The Guardian. The plaintiffs argued that noise, light pollution, and construction activity degraded the surrounding habitat, which also serves as nesting grounds for threatened shorebirds.
The lawsuit cited SpaceX’s April 2023 Starship test, which destroyed its launchpad and scattered debris across a large area. The blast reportedly ignited a grassfire and damaged wildlife habitats, including a bobwhite quail nest.
Judge Carl Nichols, for his part, ruled that the FAA had satisfied its obligation“to take a hard look at the effects of light on nearby wildlife.” The decision effectively cleared a regulatory hurdle for SpaceX, which has been working to expand Starship launch activity at its Boca Chica facility.
A continued ramp
SpaceX continues to scale its operations nationwide. Beyond Starship, the company is also seeking approval to nearly double Falcon rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, from 50 annually to 95.
Former President Trump has also shared his intention to increase U.S. launch capacity, setting a target for substantial growth by 2030. Considering that SpaceX is by far the world’s dominant launch provider, Trump’s support for more launches will likely benefit the private space company.
For now, at least, the ruling should allow continued expansion at a time when Starship remains central to long-term goals such as Mars missions and NASA’s Artemis program.
Elon Musk
SpaceX to expand Central Texas facility with $8M Bastrop project
Bastrop is already the site of several Elon Musk-led ventures.

SpaceX is set to expand its presence in Central Texas with an $8 million project to enlarge its Bastrop facility, as per state filings.
The 80,000-square-foot addition, which is scheduled to begin construction on September 24 and wrap in early January 2026, was registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and initially reported by My San Antonio.
New investment
Bastrop is already the site of several Elon Musk-led ventures. The upcoming expansion will extend SpaceX’s office at 858 FM 1209, near Starlink’s operations and The Boring Company’s facilities. Just down the road, X is housed in the Hyperloop Plaza at 865 FM 1209.
SpaceX’s expansion reflects a steady buildup of resources in Bastrop since the private space firm established its presence in the area. The addition was praised by Tesla Governor Greg Abbott, who wrote on X that the expansion will “bring more jobs, innovations and will strengthen Starlink’s impact worldwide.”
State support
In March, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $17.3 million state grant to SpaceX for an “expansion of their semiconductor research and development (R&D) and advanced packaging facility in Bastrop.” The project is expected to create more than 400 new jobs and generate over $280 million in capital investment.
Following the grant award, the Texas Governor also noted that SpaceX’s facility would be growing by 1 million square feet across three years to boost its Starlink program. SpaceX’s Starlink division is among the company’s fastest-growing segments, with the satellite internet system connecting over 6 million users and counting worldwide.
Recent reports have also indicated that Starlink has struck a deal with EchoStar to acquire 50 MHz of exclusive S-band spectrum in the United States and global Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) licenses. This should pave the way for Starlink to provide 5G coverage worldwide, even in remote areas.
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