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SpaceX Falcon Heavy side booster arrives at Texas test facilities
NASASpaceflight.com reports that the first new booster for SpaceX’s next Falcon Heavy launch has arrived at the company’s McGregor, Texas test facilities.
The canonical sign that SpaceX is rapidly progressing towards its next Falcon Heavy launch, the mission – set to carry the US military’s US Space Force 44 (USSF-44) satellite(s) directly to geostationary orbit (GEO) – requires all new boosters. For SpaceX, barring a major surprise in the next five months, USSF-44 will be the first operational direct-to-GEO launch in the company’s history – a milestone years and multiple test flights in the making.
US military officials have begun to at least vaguely support the idea of flying payloads on flight-proven SpaceX rockets but it looks to be a long uphill battle ahead of the company. It took almost half a decade and four-dozen successful booster landings for the US Air Force to even allow SpaceX to attempt to land a Falcon 9 booster after an operational military launch. As a result, the company will likely be building new rockets for its military launches for the indefinite future – Falcon Heavy and its three boosters included.
The photo at the top of this article shows a largely identical Falcon Heavy Block 5 side booster – either B1052 or B1053 – during a late-2018 static fire acceptance test campaign in McGregor, Texas.
Based on NASASpaceflight.com’s aerial photos of the latest rocket to arrive in McGregor, Texas, one would assume that SpaceX was simply testing a new Falcon 9 first stage. Notably, the booster appears to have a Falcon 9 interstage installed, whereas Falcon Heavy side boosters have historically been tested with nosecones installed. However, by analyzing the layout of decals visible on its exterior, author Thomas Burghardt discovered that the booster – believed to be B1064 – is likely the first of two new Falcon Heavy side boosters needed for USSF-44.
For unknown reasons, SpaceX has outfitted, transported, and prepared B1064 for acceptance testing with a years-old interstage installed, effectively making it a Falcon Heavy side booster in Falcon 9 clothing (sans nosecone).
In its current configuration, the process of manufacturing three new Falcon Heavy boosters at SpaceX’s Hawthorne, CA factory takes at least half a year from the start of tank welding to shipment. After each booster is completed, it must ship to McGregor, Texas for at least 4-6 weeks to undergo acceptance tests, including at least one wet dress rehearsal (WDR) and static fire. In other words, if the first of three new Falcon Heavy Block 5 boosters has just arrived in McGregor, SpaceX likely has two or three months of work to go before the entire USSF-44 rocket is on site at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
Just two weeks ago, a US military official revealed that SpaceX’s USSF-44 Falcon Heavy launch date had slipped from late-2020 (likely November or December) to no earlier than (NET) February 28th, 2021. The cause of the delay is unknown but either way, it should give SpaceX two full months to process Falcon Heavy Flight 4 hardware in Florida (or several weeks of margin wherever needed). After USSF-44, SpaceX’s next Falcon Heavy launch – USSF-52; also expected to fly on all-new boosters – was scheduled to launch NET “early 2021” before the preceding mission’s delay was announced. To achieve that schedule, SpaceX will likely be building and testing new Falcon Heavy boosters – and Falcon Heavy boosters only – from mid-2020 to at least Q1 2021.
On the plus side, as NASASpaceflight.com noted, if SpaceX manages to recover all USSF-44 and USSF-52 boosters, it will quickly find itself with a fleet of six side boosters and two center cores.
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Tesla has officially launched its first branded Supercharger just months after initiating a new program that allows third-party companies to brand their own charging piles.
The site opened in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, and features eight V4 Supercharging stalls offering up to 325 kW of charging speed. It appears it was purchased by a company called Suncoast Credit Union. This particular branch is located Northeast of Tampa, which is on the Gulf of Mexico.
It features graphics of Florida animals, like alligators:
Here’s a video of the graphics being installed on the Tesla Superchargers at this site: https://t.co/oIfEPNZjAH pic.twitter.com/ENWakZ2qT9
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 20, 2025
Tesla launched this program back in September, and it basically was a way to expand its Supercharger presence and also allow companies to pay for the infrastructure. Tesla maintains it. When it announced the “Supercharger for Business,” it said:
“Purchase and install Superchargers at your business. Superchargers are compatible with all electric vehicles, bringing EV drivers to your business by offering convenient, reliable charging.”
The program does a few things. Initially, it expands EV charging infrastructure and makes charging solutions more readily available for drivers. It can also attract people to those businesses specifically.
Tesla launches new Supercharger program that business owners will love
The chargers can also be branded with any logo that the business chooses, which makes them more personalized and also acts as an advertisement.
The best part is that the customers do not have to maintain anything about the Supercharger. Tesla still takes care of it and resolves any issues:
“We treat your site like we treat our sites. By providing you with a full-service package that includes network operations, preventative maintenance, and driver support, we’re able to guarantee 97% uptime–the highest in the industry.”
It appears the Superchargers will also appear within the in-car nav during routing, so they’ll be publicly available to anyone who needs to use them. They are still available to all EVs that have worked with Tesla to utilize its infrastructure, and they are not restricted to people who are only visiting the business.
Tesla has revealed its Cybertruck light bar installation fix after a recall exposed a serious issue with the accessory.
Tesla and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a recall of 6,197 Cybertrucks back in October to resolve an issue with the Cybertruck light bar accessory. It was an issue with the adhesive that was provided by a Romanian company called Hella Romania S.R.L.
Tesla recalls 6,197 Cybertrucks for light bar adhesive issue
The issue was with the primer quality, as the recall report from the NHTSA had stated the light bar had “inadvertently attached to the windshield using the incorrect surface primer.”
Instead of trying to adhere the light bar to the Cybertruck with an adhesive, Tesla is now going to attach it with a bracketing system, which will physically mount it to the vehicle instead of relying on adhesive strips or glue.
Tesla outlines this in its new Service Bulletin, labeled SB-25-90-001, (spotted by Not a Tesla App) where it shows the light bar will be remounted more securely:
The entire process will take a few hours, but it can be completed by the Mobile Service techs, so if you have a Cybertruck that needs a light bar adjustment, it can be done without taking the vehicle to the Service Center for repair.
However, the repair will only happen if there is no delamination or damage present; then Tesla could “retrofit the service-installed optional off-road light bar accessory with a positive mechanical attachment.”
The company said it would repair the light bar at no charge to customers. The light bar issue was one that did not result in any accidents or injuries, according to the NHTSA’s report.
This was the third recall on Cybertruck this year, as one was highlighted in March for exterior trim panels detaching during operation. Another had to do with front parking lights being too bright, which was fixed with an Over-the-Air update last month.
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Tesla is already expanding its Rental program aggressively
The program has already launched in a handful of locations, specifically, it has been confined to California for now. However, it does not seem like Tesla has any interest in keeping it restricted to the Golden State.
Tesla is looking to expand its Rental Program aggressively, just weeks after the program was first spotted on its Careers website.
Earlier this month, we reported on Tesla’s intention to launch a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates, which would give people in various locations the opportunity to borrow a vehicle in the company’s lineup with some outrageous perks.
Along with the cheap rates that start at about $60 per day, Tesla also provides free Full Self-Driving operation and free Supercharging for the duration of the rental. There are also no limits on mileage or charging, but the terms do not allow the renter to leave the state from which they are renting.
🚨🚨 If you look up details on the Tesla Rental program on Google, you’ll see a bunch of sites saying it’s because of decreasing demand 🤣 pic.twitter.com/WlSQrDJhMg
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 10, 2025
The program has already launched in a handful of locations, specifically, it has been confined to California for now. However, it does not seem like Tesla has any interest in keeping it restricted to the Golden State.
Job postings from Tesla now show it is planning to launch the Rental program in at least three new states: Texas, Tennessee, and Massachusetts.
The jobs specifically are listed as a Rental Readiness Specialist, which lists the following job description:
“The Tesla Rental Program is looking for a Rental Readiness Specialist to work on one of the most progressive vehicle brands in the world. The Rental Readiness Specialist is a key contributor to the Tesla experience by coordinating the receipt of incoming new and used vehicle inventory. This position is responsible for fleet/lot management, movement of vehicles, vehicle readiness, rental invoicing, and customer hand-off. Candidates must have a high level of accountability, and personal satisfaction in doing a great job.”
It also says that those who take the position will have to charge and clean the cars, work with clients on scheduling pickups and drop-offs, and prepare the paperwork necessary to initiate the rental.
The establishment of a Rental program is big for Tesla because it not only gives people the opportunity to experience the vehicles, but it is also a new way to rent a car.
Just as the Tesla purchasing process is more streamlined and more efficient than the traditional car-buying experience, it seems this could be less painful and a new way to borrow a car for a trip instead of using your own.
Tesla launches its new branded Supercharger for Business with first active station
Tesla reveals its Cybertruck light bar installation fix
