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SpaceX returns five-flight Falcon 9 booster to port as next reuse milestone nears
SpaceX, for the second time ever, has successfully recovered a Falcon 9 booster after five orbital-class launches and landings and could be just a week or so away from its next record-breaking rocket reuse.
On the morning of August 10th, after a night spent awaiting entry, tugboats carefully guided drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) and Falcon 9 booster B1051 to SpaceX’s Port Canaveral berths. Just three days prior, the booster completed its fifth launch and landing, sending 57 Starlink satellites and two commercial spacecraft on their way to orbit and ending an unusual six weeks of delays suffered by the Starlink-9 mission.
With Starlink-9 – SpaceX’s 13th launch of the year – now safely behind the company, work can proceed in earnest on a handful of upcoming launches.
Two days prior to B1051’s arrival in Port Canaveral, recovery ships GO Ms. Tree and GO Ms. Chief completed a safe return to port with both of Falcon 9’s Starlink-9 payload fairing halves, fished out of the Atlantic Ocean after an unsuccessful catch attempt. While disappointing that SpaceX was unable to complete back-to-back catches after the same ships nailed their first simultaneous fairing catch on July 21st, the Starlink-9 fairing should still be reusable. With any luck, SpaceX will be able to replicate some of that unprecedented success with its next several launches.
Of the two additional launches SpaceX has planned later this month, both are noteworthy. Scheduled no earlier than (NET) mid-August, SpaceX’s 10th Starlink v1.0 launch – the 11th overall – is likely up next according to well-sourced launch photographer Ben Cooper. If completed without issue, SpaceX will be ~70% of the way to a 14-launch milestone said by COO and President Gwynne Shotwell to mark the point at which the company can begin rolling out Starlink internet services for a broader public beta test.
Constellation milestones aside, NextSpaceflight.com says that SpaceX has assigned Falcon 9 booster B1049 to Starlink-9. That particular vehicle became the first orbital-class liquid rocket booster in history to launch and land five times after orbital-class missions when it helped placed the Starlink V1 L7 payload in orbit on June 4th.
If B1049 flies again in mid-August, the booster will become the first to cross the six-launch milestone just 70-80 days after it became the first to hit the five-landing mark. While impressive, that turnaround would only be the sixth or seventh fastest in SpaceX’s history of booster reuse. Still, given that the B1049’s sixth launch would be a pathfinder mission for Falcon 9 Block 5 reusability, it would be a major bode of confidence in the design if SpaceX were able to consecutively break two booster reuse records with the same Falcon 9 – and do so less than three months apart.
After Starlink-10 and on the heels of months of largely coronavirus-related delays, SpaceX’s next mission is believed to be SAOCOM 1B – an Earth observation radar satellite built by Argentinian space agency CONAE. Originally scheduled to launch as early as March 30th, things did not go exactly according to plan. While there’s still a significant chance the mission will slip further into 2020, SAOCOM 1B and several unrelated rideshare payloads are currently scheduled to launch NET late August. The mission will be Falcon 9 booster B1059’s fourth launch and could also happen just 70-80 days after its third flight.
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Meanwhile, B1051’s safe return to port and B1049’s imminent sixth launch debut suggests that the former booster could be ready for its own sixth launch as early as October, potentially leaving enough time for one or both of the rockets to squeeze in a seventh-flight milestone before the year is out.
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Tesla China delivery centers packed as Q4 2025 enters its final month
Fresh photos from delivery centers in the country show rows upon rows of Model Ys and Model 3s.
Tesla’s delivery centers in China are filled with vehicles as the company ramps up for its final push in Q4 2025. Fresh photos from delivery centers in the country show rows upon rows of Model Ys and Model 3s, signaling strong end-of-quarter momentum.
A delivery push for Q4 2025
A recent aerial shot from a Tesla delivery center in China captures the company’s efforts to deliver as many vehicles as possible as the year comes to a close. As could be seen in the image, which was posted by on X by Tesla enthusiast Nic Cruz Patane, the facility was filled with numerous Model Y and Model 3 units, each vehicle seemingly ready to be handed over to customers.
Echoing the scene, another post, reportedly from two weeks prior, showed a similar scene in a Shanghai location, which was packed with Model Y units. X user Roberto Nores shared the photo, noting that the image also shows multiple Model Y Ls, a six-seat extended wheelbase version of the popular all-electric crossover.
Towards a strong Q4 finish
China remains Tesla’s volume powerhouse, accounting for a good portion of the company’s global deliveries in recent quarters. That being said, reports did emerge in early November stating that the company only reached 26,006 retail sales during October, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The reasons for this remain to be seen, though a focus on exports could have been a contributing factor.
Tesla China does seem to be hinting at some momentum this November. Just recently, Tesla watchers observed that the order page for the Model Y in China 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.
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SpaceX’s Starship FL launch site will witness scenes once reserved for sci-fi films
A Starship that launches from the Florida site could touch down on the same site years later.
The Department of the Air Force (DAF) has released its Final Environmental Impact Statement for SpaceX’s efforts to launch and land Starship and its Super Heavy booster at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s SLC-37.
According to the Impact Statement, Starship could launch up to 76 times per year on the site, with Super Heavy boosters returning within minutes of liftoff and Starship upper stages landing back on the same pad in a timeframe that was once only possible in sci-fi movies.
Booster in Minutes, Ship in (possibly) years
The EIS explicitly referenced a never-before-seen operational concept: Super Heavy boosters will launch, reach orbit, and be caught by the tower chopsticks roughly seven minutes after liftoff. Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage will complete its mission, whether a short orbital test, lunar landing, or a multi-year Mars cargo run, and return to the exact same SLC-37 pad upon mission completion.
“The Super Heavy booster landings would occur within a few minutes of launch, while the Starship landings would occur upon completion of the Starship missions, which could last hours or years,” the EIS read.
This means a Starship that departs the Florida site in, say, 2027, could touch down on the same site in 2030 or later, right beside a brand-new stack preparing for its own journey, as noted in a Talk Of Titusville report. The 214-page document treats these multi-year round trips as standard procedure, effectively turning the location into one of the world’s first true interplanetary spaceports.
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While the project received a clean bill of health overall, the EIS identified two areas requiring ongoing mitigation. Sonic booms from Super Heavy booster and Starship returns will cause significant community annoyance” particularly during nighttime operations, though structural damage is not expected. Nitrogen oxide emissions during launches will also exceed federal de minimis thresholds, prompting an adaptive management plan with real-time monitoring.
Other impacts, such as traffic, wildlife (including southeastern beach mouse and Florida scrub-jay), wetlands, and historic sites, were deemed manageable under existing permits and mitigation strategies. The Air Force is expected to issue its Record of Decision within weeks, followed by FAA concurrence, setting the stage for rapid redevelopment of the former site into a dual-tower Starship complex.
SpaceX Starship Environmental Impact Statement by Simon Alvarez
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Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) testing gains major ground in Spain
Based on information posted by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), it appears that Tesla is already busy testing FSD in the country.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) program is accelerating across Europe, with Spain emerging as a key testing hub under the country’s new ES-AV framework program.
Based on information posted by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), it appears that Tesla is already busy testing FSD in the country.
Spain’s ES-AV framework
Spain’s DGT launched the ES-AV Program in July 2025 to standardize testing for automated vehicles from prototypes to pre-homologation stages. The DGT described the purpose of the program on its official website.
“The program is designed to complement and enhance oversight, regulation, research, and transparency efforts, as well as to support innovation and advancements in automotive technology and industry. This framework also aims to capitalize on the opportunity to position Spain as a pioneer and leader in automated vehicle technology, seeking to provide solutions that help overcome or alleviate certain shortcomings or negative externalities of the current transportation system,” the DGT wrote.
The program identifies three testing phases based on technological maturity and the scope of a company’s operations. Each phase has a set of minimum eligibility requirements, and applicants must indicate which phase they wish to participate in, at least based on their specific technological development.
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Tesla FSD tests
As noted by Tesla watcher Kees Roelandschap on X, the DGT’s new framework effectively gives the green flight for nationwide FSD testing. So far, Tesla Spain has a total of 19 vehicles authorized to test FSD on the country’s roads, though it would not be surprising if this fleet grows in the coming months.
The start date for the program is listed at November 27, 2025 to November 26, 2027. The DGT also noted that unlimited FSD tests could be done across Spain on any national route. And since Tesla is already in Phase 3 of the ES-AV Program, onboard safety operators are optional. Remote monitoring would also be allowed.
Tesla’s FSD tests in Spain could help the company gain a lot of real-world data on the country’s roads. Considering the scope of tests that are allowed for the electric vehicle maker, it seems like Spain would be one of the European countries that would be friendly to FSD’s operations. So far, Tesla’s FSD push in Europe is notable, with the company holding FSD demonstrations in Germany, France, and Italy. Tesla is also pushing for national approval in the Netherlands in early 2026.
Tesla China delivery centers packed as Q4 2025 enters its final month
SpaceX’s Starship FL launch site will witness scenes once reserved for sci-fi films
