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This summer's SpaceX manifest, brought to you by Falcon 9 Block 5. The highly reusable Falcon 9 upgrade could enable SpaceX to launch as often as once per week in the near future. This summer's SpaceX manifest, brought to you by Falcon 9 Block 5. The highly reusable Falcon 9 upgrade could enable SpaceX to launch as often as once per week in the near future.

SpaceX

SpaceX expects 100s of Falcon 9 launches with fleet of 30 rockets, says Elon Musk

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In a blissfully detailed prelaunch briefing, SpaceX CEO delved into the details of the audacious future ahead of the company’s new flagship rocket, Falcon 9 Block 5. While he made it clear that reliability, safety, and mission success are the primary focus of the vehicle, Musk did not shy away from emphasizing his immense confidence and optimism for Falcon 9 Block 5 – confidence that was validated

Most prominently, Falcon 9 has a long and productive future ahead of it, barring wildly unforeseen circumstances. Musk expressed SpaceX’s intent to build a fleet of 30 to 50 additional Block 5 boosters intended to support a minimum of three hundred Falcon 9 launches before the family of rockets is retired. The purpose-built reliable and reusable vehicle is further intended to be capable of as many as ten launches with “literally no action taken between flights,” a “ridiculously hard” technological achievement only possible through a decade and a half of “extreme effort.”

The CEO was extremely vocal about his pride in the company and the thousands of engineers, technicians, fabricators, and staff that made it all possible. If the “unequivocal intent” of the upgraded rocket’s design translates into operational reality over the next several months, Musk frankly stated that the vehicle will be the most reliable rocket ever built while simultaneously paving the way to aircraft-like reusability and a price floor as low as $5-6 million per launch.

https://twitter.com/_TomCross_/status/994607052466114561

Although SpaceX fully intends to recoup its considerable investments (likely approaching $2 billion for Falcon 9 and Heavy) and ensure that a reliable stream of income is available for BFR, Starlink, and other R&D projects, the cost of a flight-proven booster is now reportedly down to roughly $50 million per launch, nearly 20% lower than the listed base price of $62 million. Consequently, reusability is already saving customers large sums of money and ensuring that Falcon 9 remains the absolute cheapest vehicle for the performance, a trend Musk indicated would continue for the indefinite future as SpaceX decreases costs, expands and improves reusability, and recoups a satisfactory proportion of their investments.

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Altogether, Musk’s in-depth discussion of Falcon 9 Block 5 paints the rocket as a near-complete redesign – if it flies successfully, Block 5 will essentially become the rocket SpaceX set out to build at the turn of the millennium. A fully-reusable Falcon 9 will realize that dream, and the CEO is “certain” that SpaceX can and will build it – BFR may be the new aspiration, but Falcon 9 will continue to be the company’s proving ground for years to come.

The first Falcon 9 Block 5 was scheduled to launch May 10 from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A but suffered a last-minute automated abort that pushed the mission over the bounds of its launch window. The launch has been tentatively recycled for May 11 and the new window opens at 4:14pm EST.

Follow us for live updates, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and a sea of beautiful photos from our East and West coast photographers.

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Pauline Acalin  Twitter

Eric Ralph Twitter

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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Elon Musk

SpaceX to expand Central Texas facility with $8M Bastrop project

Bastrop is already the site of several Elon Musk-led ventures.

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Credit: SpaceX

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.

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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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Elon Musk

Starlink’s EchoStar spectrum deal could bring 5G coverage anywhere

The agreement strengthens Starlink’s ability to expand its mobile coverage worldwide.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

SpaceX 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, paving the way for its next-generation Starlink Direct to Cell constellation. 

The agreement strengthens Starlink’s ability to expand its mobile coverage worldwide. With the upgraded system, SpaceX aims to deliver full 5G connectivity to unmodified cell phones and eliminate mobile dead zones worldwide.

Expanding mobile coverage

Starlink’s Direct to Cell service was first launched in early 2024 with satellites designed to connect directly to standard LTE mobile devices. Within days of deployment, engineers demonstrated texting from unmodified phones, followed by video calling. Over the past 18 months, SpaceX has grown the system to more than 600 satellites, which now offer service across five continents. Today, Starlink Direct to Cell is considered the largest 4G coverage provider worldwide, connecting over 6 million users and counting, according to SpaceX in a post.

The constellation integrates with Starlink’s broader fleet of 8,000 satellites via a laser mesh network. Operating at 360 kilometers (224 miles) above Earth, the satellites connect directly to devices without hardware or firmware modifications. The system is already supporting messaging, video calls, navigation, social media apps, and IoT connectivity in remote areas.

Next-generation system

Through its new EchoStar spectrum acquisition, SpaceX plans to develop a second-generation constellation with far greater capacity. The upgraded satellites will leverage SpaceX-designed silicon and advanced phased array antennas to increase throughput by 20x per satellite and increase total system capacity by more than 100x. These enhancements are expected to support full 5G cellular connectivity in remote areas, with performance comparable to terrestrial LTE networks.

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Partnerships with major mobile carriers remain central to Starlink’s expansion. Operators including T-Mobile in the United States, Rogers in Canada, KDDI in Japan, and Kyivstar in Ukraine are integrating Direct to Cell services for coverage in rural areas and during emergencies. The service has already provided critical communication during hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, enabling millions of SMS messages and emergency alerts to be delivered when ground networks were unavailable.

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SpaceX Starship launches face pushback in Florida over noise, flights—and nudists

SpaceX is seeking permission to fly its fully reusable Starship system from Launch Complex 39A.

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Credit: SpaceX

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has wrapped up a series of public hearings on SpaceX’s proposal to launch its Super Heavy Starship rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC). 

The sessions, held both in-person and online, form part of the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) review that will determine whether SpaceX would be cleared to conduct Starship launches and landings from Florida’s Space Coast.

FAA review and Starship launch plans

According to the FAA’s draft EIS, SpaceX seeks permission to fly its fully reusable Starship system from Launch Complex 39A, where construction of a dedicated tower and infrastructure has already begun. Proposed operations could involve landings at KSC or droneships positioned across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The FAA emphasized that final approval is not guaranteed with the completion of the EIS, as safety and financial requirements must still be met, as noted in a Space.com report.

Starship’s larger scale compared to Falcon 9 means expanded exclusion zones for air, sea, and beach access. The analysis also projected more than 60 annual closures of Playalinda Beach, alongside potential flight delays across Florida airports lasting 40 minutes to two hours. Port Canaveral would also be affected by maritime restrictions.

Local concerns

Public comments reflected a mix of optimism and unease. Aviation officials, such as Tampa International Airport COO John Tiliacos, warned of significant disruption to commercial flights. “There is the potential that there’s going to be significant impact to commercial aviation and the traveling public. That’s something that certainly the FAA needs to give consideration to and, frankly, come up with a plan to mitigate,” he stated. 

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Others raised health concerns, noting that chronic sleep disruption from launch noise could impact veterans and trauma survivors. Robyn Memphis, a neuroscience and psychology graduate student, stated that sleep disruptions from launch noise and sonic booms could carry lasting effects. “Chronic sleep disruption is not just inconvenient. This is directly linked to depression, anxiety… cardiovascular disease, even suicide risk. And being in Florida, we have many veterans and trauma survivors in the community,” she said.

Nudist protests and responses

Erich Schuttauf, the executive director of the American Association for Nude Recreation, also argued that places like Playalinda Beach, a nudist beach, are crucial for people who travel to places where public nudity is legal. His sentiments were echoed by fellow nudist Sue Stevens, who noted that “It’s probably a quarter million people that travel and think like I do, who look for destinations that are beautiful and surrounded by like-minded people.”

Photographer Max West, who plans to move to Florida to photograph Starship, noted that the spacecraft presents a notable step forward for humanity. And while its impact to communities is not marginal, the progress it offers is well worth it. “I’m not going to say that there is zero environmental impact there,” he said, though he also stated that there has to be some “little sacrifices along the way. “The turtles and the nudists will have to migrate. That’s the cost that you have to pay for this incredible stuff that’s happening.”

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