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SpaceX Falcon 9 returns to port after flawless Starlink mission [photos]
SpaceX has successfully recovered its first Falcon 9 rocket by sea-going drone ship in more than 12 weeks and the company’s next launch and (attempted) landing is already just a week or two away.
Four days after completing a flawless 60-satellite Starlink launch on April 22nd, Falcon 9 booster B1051 sailed into Port Canaveral aboard drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) on April 26th. The SpaceX rocket’s fourth launch since March 2019, it’s the first booster to successfully land at sea after two consecutive ocean recovery failures saw SpaceX lose boosters B1056 and B1048 in February and March 2020.
Although both failures were technically unrelated, explained by a combination of software errors and high landing area winds (B1056) and an improper Merlin 1D engine cleaning procedure, their back-to-back occurrence certainly raised some concerns. Thankfully, B1051’s successful Wednesday launch and landing and Sunday return to port have assuaged at least some of those concerns and several more Starlink launches are planned over the next month or two – all opportunities to verify that technical and organizational issues have been dealt with.
Carrying some 16 metric tons (~35,000 lb) of Starlink internet satellites, Falcon 9 B1051 lifted off on April 22nd and landed some 400 miles (650 km) downrange just eight minutes later. The Starlink-6 mission continued a recent practice where Falcon 9’s upper (second) stage performs a single burn to take Starlink satellites from booster separation to deployment orbit, part of the reason why booster B1051 landed so far downrange for a mission to low Earth orbit (LEO)
Baring a new layer of reentry soot and looking scarcely worse for wear, booster B1051 is now one of six Falcon 9 boosters to successfully launch and land four or more times or more. Unfortunately, B1048 and B1056 were two of those six boosters before they were lost in landing failures, while B1046 and B1047 were intentionally expended on their fourth launches.
Now B1049 and B1051 are the last operational SpaceX boosters to have completed four launches. Due to a slowed booster production rate, SpaceX will likely have to rely heavily on both four-flight boosters and B1059 to achieve its ambitious 2020 Starlink launch manifest. Three new boosters should be available for their second launches by June, September, and December, give or take, and additional new boosters could debut between now and the end of the year. In other words, SpaceX will effectively be forced to push its existing fleet of Falcon 9 Block 5 boosters to their limits (~10 flights each) to end 2020 with Starlink in a strong position.
Given that SpaceX has at least 10-20 more launches nominally planned this year, it would be no surprise at all if – assuming no more landing failures occur – boosters B1049 and B1051 reach 8+ launches each, if not 10. For now, though, it’s just nice to see a SpaceX rocket return to port by drone ship after an unintentional ~12-week hiatus. If all goes according to plan over the next week or two, SpaceX also has yet another Starlink launch – its eighth overall – scheduled as soon as early May and the ninth Starlink mission planned just a week or two later, according to photographer Ben Cooper.
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Tesla China rolls out Model 3 insurance subsidy through February
Eligible customers purchasing a Model 3 by February 28 can receive an insurance subsidy worth RMB 8,000 (about $1,150).
Tesla has rolled out a new insurance subsidy for Model 3 buyers in China, adding another incentive as the automaker steps up promotions in the world’s largest electric vehicle market.
Eligible customers purchasing a Model 3 by February 28 can receive an insurance subsidy worth RMB 8,000 (about $1,150).
A limited-time subsidy
The insurance subsidy, which was announced by Tesla China on Weibo, applies to the Model 3 RWD, Long Range RWD, and Long Range AWD variants. Tesla stated that the offer is available to buyers who complete their purchase on or before February 28, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The starting prices for these variants are RMB 235,500, RMB 259,500, and RMB 285,500, respectively.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance, which starts at RMB 339,500, is excluded from the subsidy. The company has previously used insurance incentives at the beginning of the year to address softer seasonal demand in China’s auto market. The program is typically phased out as sales conditions stabilize over the year.
China’s electric vehicle market
The insurance subsidy followed Tesla’s launch of a 7-year low-interest financing plan in China on January 6, which is aimed at improving vehicle affordability amid changing policy conditions. After Tesla introduced the financing program, several automakers, such as Xiaomi, Li Auto, Xpeng, and Voyah, introduced similar long-term financing options.
China’s electric vehicle market has faced additional headwinds entering 2026. Buyers of new energy vehicles are now subject to a 5% purchase tax, compared with the previous full exemption. At the same time, vehicle trade-in subsidies in several cities are expected to expire in mid-November.
Tesla’s overall sales in China declined in 2025, with deliveries totaling 625,698 vehicles, down 4.78% year-over-year. Model 3 deliveries increased 13.33% to 200,361 units, while Model Y deliveries, which were hampered by the changeover to the new Model Y in the first quarter, fell 11.45% to 425,337 units.
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Tesla hiring Body Fit Technicians for Cybercab’s end of line
As per Tesla’s Careers website, Body Fit Technicians for the Cybercab focus on precision body fitment work, including alignment, gap and flush adjustments.
Tesla has posted job openings for Body Fit Technicians for the Cybercab’s end-of-line assembly, an apparent indication that preparations for the vehicle’s initial production are accelerating at Giga Texas.
Body Fit Technicians for Cybercab line
As per Tesla’s Careers website, Body Fit Technicians for the Cybercab focus on precision body fitment work, including alignment, gap and flush adjustments, and certification of body assemblies to specification standards.
Employees selected for the role will collaborate with engineering and quality teams to diagnose and correct fitment and performance issues and handle detailed inspections, among other tasks.
The listing noted that candidates should be experienced with automotive body fit techniques and comfortable with physically demanding tasks such as lifting, bending, walking, and using both hand and power tools. The position is based in Austin, Texas, where Tesla’s main Cybercab production infrastructure is being built.
Cybercab poised for April production
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently reiterated that the Cybercab is still expected to start initial production this coming April. So far, numerous Cybercab test units have been spotted across the United States, and recent posts from the official Tesla Robotaxi account have revealed that winter tests in Alaska for the autonomous two-seater are underway.
While April has been confirmed as the date for the Cybercab’s initial production, Elon Musk has also set expectations about the vehicle’s volumes in its initial months. As per the CEO, the Cybercab’s production will follow a typical S-curve, which means that early production rates for the vehicle will be very limited.
“Initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve. The speed of production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are. For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
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Swedish unions consider police report over Tesla Megapack Supercharger
The Tesla Megapack Supercharger opened shortly before Christmas in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm.
Swedish labor unions are considering whether to file a police report related to a newly opened Tesla Megapack Supercharger near Stockholm, citing questions about how electricity is supplied to the site. The matter has also been referred to Sweden’s energy regulator.
Tesla Megapack Supercharger
The Tesla Megapack Supercharger opened shortly before Christmas in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm. Unlike traditional charging stations, the site is powered by an on-site Megapack battery rather than a direct grid connection. Typical grid connections for Tesla charging sites in Sweden have seen challenges for nearly two years due to union blockades.
Swedish labor union IF Metall has submitted a report to the Energy Market Inspectorate, asking the authority to assess whether electricity supplied to the battery system meets regulatory requirements, as noted in a report from Dagens Arbete (DA). The Tesla Megapack on the site is charged using electricity supplied by a local company, though the specific provider has not been publicly identified.
Peter Lydell, an ombudsman at IF Metall, issued a comment about the Tesla Megapack Supercharger. “The legislation states that only companies that engage in electricity trading may supply electricity to other parties. You may not supply electricity without a permit, then you are engaging in illegal electricity trading. That is why we have reported this… This is about a company that helps Tesla circumvent the conflict measures that exist. It is clear that it is troublesome and it can also have consequences,” Lydell said.
Police report under consideration
The Swedish Electricians’ Association has also examined the Tesla Megapack Supercharger and documented its power setup. As per materials submitted to the Energy Market Inspectorate, electrical cables were reportedly routed from a property located approximately 500 meters from the charging site.
Tomas Jansson, ombudsman and deputy head of negotiations at the Swedish Electricians’ Association, stated that the union was assessing whether to file a police report related to the Tesla Megapack Supercharger. He also confirmed that the electricians’ union was coordinating with IF Metall about the matter. “We have a close collaboration with IF Metall, and we are currently investigating this. We support IF Metall in their fight for fair conditions at Tesla,” Jansson said.
Tesla China rolls out Model 3 insurance subsidy through February
Tesla hiring Body Fit Technicians for Cybercab’s end of line
