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SpaceX set for rocket recovery first after US military satellite launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 is set to become the first commercial rocket to attempt to land after an operational launch for the US military, potentially paving the way for an even more significant milestone somewhere down the road.
Featuring brand new booster B1060 and a new upper stage and payload fairing, Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch the US military’s third upgraded GPS III satellite (PS III SV01) no earlier than (NET) 3:55 pm EDT (19:55 UTC) on June 30th. While it will be the second time a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket has lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) Launch Complex 40 (LC-40) with a GPS III satellite in tow, the mission will mark a critical first for SpaceX and the US military. For the first GPS III mission, the US Air Force somewhat inexplicably required SpaceX to expend the new Falcon 9 booster assigned to the December 2018 launch.
The US military never offered a technical explanation for why Falcon 9 couldn’t land after launching a ~3900 kg (~8600 lb) GPS III SV01 to a medium orbit but could, for example, land after launching a dozen metric tons and two NASA astronauts. Regardless, the US Air Force Space and Missile Systems Command (SMC) has decided that SpaceX can now attempt to land Falcon 9’s first stage during the company’s second GPS III launch. A step further, on the eve of the mission, SMC has revealed that it may even be opening up to the idea of reusing SpaceX boosters on future military launches.

Falcon 9 B1060 has a 15-minute window to launch the GPS III SV03 spacecraft on Tuesday, June 30th. Meanwhile, drone ship Just Read The Instructions (JRTI) – heading out to sea to prepare for B1060’s attempted landing – recently passed just a few miles from drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) – returning to Port Canaveral after SpaceX decided to delay its ninth Starlink v1.0 launch from June 23rd. 25th, and 26th to the first or second week of July.
JRTI arrived at its post ~630 km (~390 mi) East of the Florida Coast on June 29th, around 36 hours before liftoff.
Drone ship JRTI was recently recommissioned after extensive upgrades and a several thousand mile move from Port of Los Angeles, California to Port Canaveral, Florida, ultimately supporting its first East Coast booster landing and recovery barely three weeks ago. If successful, B1060 will become the first orbital-class booster ever to land after an operational US military launch, excluding a number of Space Shuttle missions in the 1980s.

According to reporting by Space News’ Sandra Erwin, it’s unlikely that SpaceX will reserve Falcon 9 booster B1060 – assuming a successful landing – for reuse on a future US military launch. Given that SMC appears to have even stricter requirements than NASA’s Commercial Crew (CCP) and Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) programs, it’s safe to assume that – like NASA – the US military will only initially allow booster reuse if said booster has only flown missions for the agency. Given that Falcon 9’s next known US military launch (GPS III SV04) is NET “late 2020” and that there “are currently no plans to use a previously-flown booster on any future GPS launches”, it’s unlikely that SpaceX will waste a perfectly good booster by saving it for 6-18+ months.
Regardless, as usual, SpaceX will host an uninterrupted webcast of the launch. Tune in around 15 minutes prior to catch SpaceX’s third launch of the month and 11th of the year.
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Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Tesla Diner, the all-in-one Supercharging and dining experience located in Los Angeles, will transition to a full-service restaurant in January, staff said, as Chef Eric Greenspan said he would take on a new project.
A report from the Los Angeles Times says Greenspan confirmed through a text that he would leave the Diner and focus on the opening of his new Jewish deli, Mish.
Greenspan confirmed to the paper:
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Greenspan took on the job at the Tesla Diner and curated the menu back in March, focusing on locally-sourced ingredients and items that would play on various company products, like Cybertruck-shaped boxes that hold burgers.
Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner
The Tesla Diner has operated as somewhat of a self-serve establishment, where Tesla owners can order directly from their vehicles through the center touchscreen. It was not exclusive to Tesla owners. Guests could also enter and order at a counter, and pick up their food, before sitting at a booth or table.
However, the report indicates Tesla is planning to push it toward a sit-down restaurant, full of waiters, waitresses, and servers, all of which will come to a table after you are seated, take your order, and serve your food.
It will be more of a full-featured restaurant experience moving forward, which is an interesting move from the company, but it also sounds as if it could be testing for an expansion.
We know that Tesla is already considering expanding locations, as it will be heading to new areas of the country. CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla will be considering locations in Palo Alto near the company’s Engineering HQ, and in Austin, where its HQ and Gigafactory Texas are located.
Musk said that the Diner has been very successful in its first few months of operation.
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Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
Tesla has added a new and somewhat surprising fee to the Robotaxi program. It’s only surprising because it was never there before.
Tesla shocked everyone when it launched its Robotaxi platform and offered riders the opportunity to tip, only to tell them they do not accept tips. It was one of the company’s attempts at being humorous as it rolled out its driverless platform to people in Austin.
As it has expanded to new cities and been opened to more people, as it was yesterday to iOS users, Tesla has had to tweak some of the minor details of the Robotaxi and ride-hailing platforms it operates.
First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more
With more riders, more vehicles, and more operational jurisdictions, the company has to adjust as things become busier.
Now, it is adjusting the platform by adding “Cleaning Fees” to the Robotaxi platform, but it seems it is only charged if the vehicle requires some additional attention after your ride.
The app will communicate with the rider with the following message (via Not a Tesla App):
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
The cost of the cleaning will likely depend on how severe the mess is. If you spill a soda, it will likely cost less than if you lose your lunch in the back of the car because you had a few too many drinks.
This is an expected change, and it seems to be one that is needed, especially considering Tesla is operating a small-scale ride-hailing service at the current time. As it expands to more states and cities and eventually is available everywhere, there will be more situations that will arise.
The messes in vehicles are not a new situation, especially in a rideshare setting. It will be interesting to see if Tesla will enable other fees, like ones for riders who request a ride and do not show up for it.
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Tesla Model Y sold out in China for 2025
Customers who wish to get their cars by the end of the year would likely need to get an inventory unit.
It appears that the Model Y has been sold out for 2025 in China. This seems to be true for the four variants of the vehicle that are currently offered in the country.
Tesla China’s order page update
A look at Tesla China’s order page for the Model Y 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.
As per industry watchers, these updates on the Model Y’s order page suggest that Tesla China’s sales capacity for the remainder of 2025 has been sold out. The fact that estimated delivery timeframes for the Model Y Long Range RWD and AWD extend up to 13 weeks also bodes well for demand for the vehicle, especially given strong rivals like the Xiaomi YU7, which undercuts the Model Y in price.
Tesla China’s upcoming big updates
What is quite interesting is that Tesla China is still competing in the country with one hand partly tied behind its back. So far, Tesla has only been able to secure partial approval for its flagship self-driving software, FSD, in China. This has resulted in V14 not being rolled out to the country yet. Despite this, Tesla China’s “Autopilot automatic assisted driving on urban roads,” as the system is called locally, has earned positive reviews from users.
As per Elon Musk during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, however, Tesla is expecting to secure full approval for FSD in China in early 2026. “We have partial approval in China, and we hopefully will have full approval in China around February or March or so. That’s what they’ve told us,” Musk said.