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SpaceX Falcon 9 booster returns to port on a drone ship for the first time in six months
On November 15th, Falcon 9 booster B1048 returned to port aboard a SpaceX drone ship, the first such return in almost half a year. With that arrival, SpaceX also completed a critical Falcon 9 Block 5 reusability milestone, paving the way for B1048 to continue setting records.
On November 11th, Falcon 9 B1048 made history when it lifted off with 60 Starlink v1.0 satellites, becoming the first rocket booster to launch four separate orbital-class missions. Approximately eight and a half minutes later, B1048 also become the first orbital-class rocket booster to land after its fourth successful launch, setting the vehicle up to be SpaceX’s path leader for future nth-reuse milestones, starting with the first 5th flight in the near future.
Starlink v1.0’s November 11th launch effectively marked the start of SpaceX’s operational satellite constellation deployment, every mission of which will be an opportunity for the company to test new reusability firsts and reduce the risk before certain flight-proven hardware is offered to commercial customers. Company executives have recently indicated that SpaceX hopes to launch as many as 24 Starlink missions – each carrying ~60 satellites – in 2020, giving SpaceX a huge number of opportunities to push the envelope of booster and fairing reusability.
On the ~650 km (340 mi) trip back to Port Canaveral from drone ship Of Course I Still Love You’s (OCISLY) Atlantic Ocean recovery position, the ship – towed by tug Hawk – was forced to briefly divert northwest to escape high seas, but Falcon 9 B1048 was secured by the drone ship’s Octagrabber robot, preventing it from suffering a fate similar to Falcon Heavy booster B1055. By all appearances, the thrice-reused Falcon 9 booster survived the weather and swells unscathed, even as OCISLY itself was visibly banged around, damaging a generator and antenna.
After OCISLY and B1048 arrived in Port Canaveral on the 15th, SpaceX recovery technicians quickly craned the booster off of the drone ship, placing it on the company’s dockside rocket-processing stand. It appears that SpaceX intends to retract B1048’s four carbon fiber landing legs, potentially in a bid to rapidly turn the booster around for a second Starlink v1.0 mission before the end of 2019.
B1048.4’s in-port recovery operations also marked the first time SpaceX has used Port Canaveral’s brand new mobile crane, delivered to the port in January 2019.
While B1048 has become the first Falcon 9 booster to launch four orbital-class missions, SpaceX has another two thrice-flown flightworthy boosters (B1046 and B1049), the former of which is preparing for its own fourth launch as early as December 2019. B1046 is assigned to Crew Dragon’s In-Flight Abort test, a mission that will almost certainly destroy the booster and its inert upper stage when Crew Dragon attempts to escape the rocket while traveling at supersonic speeds. B1049 could support another Starlink mission or the commercial debut of a thrice-flown SpaceX booster and is likely already set for flight after it completed its third launch nearly six months ago.
Coincidentally, B1048’s Nov. 15 port return was SpaceX’s first drone ship recovery since B1049’s third launch and landing, which saw that booster arrive in port in late May 2019. That nearly six-month gap is one of the longest SpaceX has gone without an ocean recovery since Falcon 9’s first successful drone ship landing in April 2016. With any luck, Starlink will ensure that a similar lull is just shy of impossible until Starship takes over and Falcon 9/Heavy is fully retired, likely a solid half a decade away.
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Elon Musk
California snubs Tesla in its newly passed EV incentive that favors Rivian and Lucid
California passed a $135 million EV incentive that rewards Rivian and Lucid while sidelining Tesla
California just drew a line in the EV incentive sand to put Tesla on the wrong side of it. The state recently passed a $135 million program offering first-time electric vehicle buyers a direct incentive with no application required, but the rules were written in a way that leaves Tesla at a structural disadvantage compared to Rivian and Lucid.
The program caps eligible vehicles at $50,000 for new EVs and $25,000 for used ones. That pricing threshold rules out a significant portion of Tesla’s lineup, though some lower-priced Model 3 and Model Y configurations would still qualify. California-based automakers are exempt from the price cap entirely, regardless of what their vehicles cost. Rivian, headquartered in Irvine, and Lucid, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, both benefit from that exemption. Rivian’s R2 starts at roughly $45,000 but has versions above the cap. Lucid’s Air and Gravity start at $70,990 and $79,990 respectively, well above any threshold a non-California company would face.
California hits Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi driverless cars with new law
Tesla built its reputation and a significant portion of its early market share in California, where EV adoption has consistently led the nation. The company operates its original factory in Fremont, California, and the state was home to Tesla’s headquarters for most of its existence. That changed in 2021 when Tesla moved its corporate headquarters to Austin, Texas. Since then, the relationship between the company and California Governor Gavin Newsom has been openly adversarial, with Musk and Newsom trading public criticism on multiple occasions.
California’s EV incentive landscape has shifted repeatedly in recent years, and Tesla has previously lost eligibility for state-level programs as its vehicles exceeded income-adjusted price thresholds. The federal $7,500 EV tax credit, which Tesla models have qualified for and lost depending on policy cycles, is no longer available after it expired without renewal, making state-level programs more meaningful to buyers than they have been in years.
The practical impact for buyers is more nuanced than the headline suggests. California residents purchasing a Tesla under $50,000 for the first time can still access the incentive. But the exemption written for California-based manufacturers is a structural advantage that rewards where a company plants its headquarters flag rather than where it builds its products, and Tesla moved that flag to Texas.
Elon Musk
SpaceX’s newest logo confirms everything about what it’s become
SpaceX officially absorbed xAI under the SpaceXAI brand, completing the largest private merger in history.
SpaceX made its corporate transformation official in May 2026 when Elon Musk posted on X that xAI would cease to exist as a standalone company. “xAI will be dissolved as a separate company, so it will just be SpaceXAI, the AI products from SpaceX,” he wrote.
A new SpaceXAI logo was announced today, visually embedding the xAI letters inside the SpaceX identity, which can be seen as a deliberate design choice that signals the merger is not a partnership but a full absorption and XAi a core function of the same company. The same way Starlink is not a separate brand but a SpaceX product. The announcement closed the loop on a process that began February 2, 2026, when SpaceX acquired xAI in the largest private merger in history, valued at $1.25 trillion. SpaceX at $1 trillion and xAI at $250 billion.
We are now @SpaceXAI. pic.twitter.com/ema66xDWC9
— SpaceXAI (@SpaceXAI) July 6, 2026
The reason SpaceX bought xAI was stated plainly by Musk at the time of the deal: to build orbital data centers. SpaceX had simultaneously filed with the FCC to launch up to one million satellites designed to function as AI compute nodes in low Earth orbit, escaping what Musk described as the energy constraints limiting AI development on Earth.
xAI provided the AI software stack, with Grok, the X platform, and the Colossus supercomputer infrastructure in Memphis with over 220,000 NVIDIA GPUs, while SpaceX provided the rockets, Starlink, and the capital base to fund it. The two companies needed each other. xAI was burning $2.5 billion in losses on $250 million in revenue. SpaceX was generating an estimated $8 billion in profit on $15 billion in revenue and needed an AI narrative to command the valuation it was targeting for its IPO.
What SpaceX has done, regardless of how the orbital AI vision ultimately plays out, is walk into a public market as something no company has been before: a rocket manufacturer, satellite internet provider, AI software company, social media platform, and supercomputer operator under one ticker. Whether that combination is worth $2 trillion depends entirely on which of those businesses you believe in most.
Tesla brought its innovative Cybercab robotaxi to the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Annual Convention in Austin, Texas, on July 3 at the JW Marriott Austin.
The hands-on demonstration highlighted the vehicle’s thoughtful design for blind and visually impaired users, underscoring Tesla’s commitment to inclusive autonomous mobility. Attendees, many using white canes or accompanied by service dogs, experienced the steering-wheel-free Cybercab firsthand.
Cybercab at the National Federation of the Blind’s Annual Convention in Austin for a hands-on experience of its accessibility features for blind or visually impaired customers⁰⁰For example:⁰– Braille lettering on physical controls
– Space for service animals & assistive… pic.twitter.com/8wrJcDHkw7— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) July 6, 2026
The showcase emphasized practical features tailored to the needs of the blind community. Braille lettering appears on physical controls, including door releases and emergency buttons, allowing users to navigate interfaces independently through touch. Generous interior space accommodates service animals and assistive devices such as canes, guide dogs, or mobility aids without compromising comfort.
Wheelchair-height seating facilitates easier transfers for users with additional mobility challenges. Photos from the event captured blind attendees approaching the vehicle confidently, service dogs relaxing inside, and hands exploring Braille-equipped handles.
Tesla Robotaxi’s official account detailed these elements, noting the Cybercab’s focus on accessibility, especially noting the Braille lettering and additional space for service animals.
How Tesla Will Transform Mobility for the Blind
Autonomous vehicles like the Cybercab promise revolutionary independence for the roughly 2.2 million visually impaired Americans. Traditional barriers—reliance on sighted drivers, costly paratransit, or limited public transit—often restrict spontaneous travel. Tesla Full Self-Driving aims to eliminate the need for a human operator, enabling on-demand, door-to-door rides via simple app hailing with voice guidance.
Users gain freedom to work, socialize, shop, or attend events anytime without scheduling hassles or safety concerns. This reduces isolation, boosts employment opportunities, and enhances quality of life, turning mobility from a dependency into true personal autonomy.
The NFB demonstration not only gathered valuable feedback but also generated excitement about a future where technology levels the playing field. By prioritizing inclusive design, Tesla advances a vision of transportation that serves everyone, potentially reshaping daily life for blind individuals and setting a standard for the autonomous industry.
As Cybercab deployment scales, these accessibility innovations could mark a significant step toward equitable mobility.
California snubs Tesla in its newly passed EV incentive that favors Rivian and Lucid
SpaceX’s newest logo confirms everything about what it’s become
