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SpaceX's first Space Force launch delayed by coronavirus pandemic
Officials say that SpaceX’s first mission for the Space Force – also the company’s second upgraded GPS III satellite launch – has been significantly delayed by the United States’ growing coronavirus outbreak.
Only recently folded into the Space Force, a Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) press release discussed the decision in greater detail, confirming that the center itself has chosen to delay SpaceX’s GPS III SV03 launch. Instead of a technical fault or issues processing the rocket or satellite, SMC is delaying the launch to “minimize the potential of COVID-19 exposure to the launch crew and early-orbit operators,” possibly referring to any combination of Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, or SpaceX employees.
This is now the second SpaceX launch to be delayed by the coronavirus pandemic after the Argentinian government’s strict response force its space agency (CONAE) to postpone its SAOCOM 1B Earth observation satellite launch. Viewed a different way, SpaceX’s next two commercial (non-Starlink) launches have each been delayed a month or two. However, it’s reasonable to assume that those delays are more or less indefinite, given that they both appear to be contingent upon the end of the United States’ coronavirus outbreak.
As a result, it’s looking increasingly likely that SpaceX’s next two or three Falcon 9 launches will all be internal Starlink missions, carrying several more batches of 60 communications satellites into orbit. SpaceX’s next Starlink mission – the seventh overall – is expected to launch no earlier than April, likely in the second half of the month. Thanks to SpaceX’s highly successful Starlink factory, at least another two additional batches of satellites are ready or nearly ready for launch, waiting their turn for a Falcon 9 rocket.
SpaceX’s fleet of flight-proven rockets has rapidly diminished after two boosters failed their landing attempts in February and March 2020, making it substantially harder to support an aggressive Starlink launch cadence. Excluding two Falcon Heavy Block 5 side boosters flown in April and June 2019, SpaceX’s fleet is now down to three booster: B1049, B1051, and B1059.
Thankfully, although production slowed down as SpaceX’s Hawthorne factory focus shifted more towards payload fairings and upper stages, the company has continued to build Falcon 9 boosters. Currently, boosters B1058 and B1060 have passed their McGregor, Texas acceptance tests and are awaiting their first launches in Cape Canaveral, Florida. B1058 should become the first SpaceX rocket ever to launch astronauts as early as late May 2020, while B1060 – assigned to launch the GPS III SV03 navigation satellite will now have to wait until June 30th at the earliest for its debut.
Assuming everything goes as planned, both B1058 and B1060 will land shortly after their respective NET May and NET June launches, potentially freeing the boosters up for refurbishment and reflight on future SpaceX missions – Starlink included.
Unfortunately, future launch delays are extremely likely due to the fact that the United States remains in what appears to be the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. SpaceX itself already has six confirmed COVID-19 cases at its Hawthorne, California factory and headquarters, a number that could easily continue to grow without strict and immediate interventions. For now, though, the company appears set on forging ahead in this time of crisis.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk handed Grok something no other AI company can get their hands on
Elon Musk says SpaceX will feed engineering data into Grok’s next model, avoiding restricted material.
Elon Musk said Tuesday that SpaceX will feed its internal engineering data into the next major training run for Grok, the AI model now folded into SpaceX following February’s merger. In a post on X, Musk wrote that SpaceX’s “massive corpus of world-class engineering data,” excluding anything restricted under U.S. arms export law, will be added during supplemental training of what he called the “2T run,” a reference to a roughly two trillion parameter model that would nearly double the parameters behind the latest Grok 4.5 that’s rolling out.
SpaceX’s massive corpus of world-class engineering data (excluding material blocked by ITAR) will be added during supplemental training of the 2T run.
This will dramatically improve Grok’s engineering capabilities. https://t.co/BbQEViFByn
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2026
The excluded material that Musk is referring to would fall under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which restricts export of technical data tied to defense and space hardware. That likely rules out propulsion specifics for Merlin and Raptor engines along with guidance and control details for SpaceX’s launch vehicles, but leaves manufacturing knowledge, materials science, and Starlink hardware design on the table.
The announcement extends a pattern that has been building since SpaceX’s Nasdaq debut in June, when the company went public with Grok and xAI’s Colossus supercomputer folded into the pitch to investors.
Days after that listing, SpaceX closed its $60 billion all stock acquisition of coding startup Cursor, giving xAI both enterprise software distribution and a stream of real world developer data to train on. Grok 4.5 launched July 8 running partly on that Cursor training data, with Musk describing it as roughly comparable to Anthropic’s Opus 4.7 but faster and cheaper to run.
Feeding SpaceX’s own engineering data into the next AI model follows the same logic Musk has applied across xAI’s sister companies. Tesla supplies real world driving data and manufacturing expertise, X supplies conversational data, and now SpaceX supplies aerospace engineering data built up since 2002.
Musk did not give a release date for the upcoming AI model, referred to elsewhere as Grok 4.6. He has said the two trillion parameter run is in its final training phase and expected to wrap this week.
Tesla has extended its Bay Area ride-hailing service to include pickups and drop-offs at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The update, shared via the company’s official channels on July 21, allows users in the region to request rides directly to and from one of California’s busiest airports.
The expansion builds on Tesla’s secured limousine permit for SFO operations. Public records show the permit became effective March 20, 2026, and remains active through January 31, 2027. Tesla vehicles operating the service now display authorized limousine permits issued by the City and County of San Francisco.
Our Bay Area rideshare service now goes to SFO ✈️
— Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI) July 21, 2026
Tesla’s ride-hailing program in California relies on Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology. Human safety drivers remain present in compliance with state regulations, distinguishing the service from fully driverless operations.
The Bay Area geofence covers a broad area spanning north of San Francisco to south of San Jose, offering extensive connectivity across the region.
UPDATE: Elon Musk reveals why Tesla didn’t say ‘Robotaxi’ upon California launch
This SFO addition follows earlier progress at other Bay Area airports. Tesla previously expanded service to San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in late 2025. The company had engaged with SFO, SJC, and Oakland International Airport officials as early as September 2025 to secure necessary approvals for passenger transport.
The service provides a new option for travelers seeking electric, app-based transportation integrated with Tesla’s ecosystem. Rides are booked through Tesla’s dedicated ride-hailing application, which handles matching, routing, and payments. Pricing follows standard ride-hailing models, with potential adjustments based on distance, time, and demand.
Tesla’s California ride-hailing program launched in July 2025 with an initial invite-only rollout in the Bay Area. It started alongside operations in Austin, Texas, marking the company’s second major U.S. market.
The Bay Area remains a primary focus in California, with service centered on high-demand corridors connecting residential, commercial, and now major transportation hubs. This latest airport integration represents a practical step in Tesla’s broader mobility ambitions within the state.
Tesla has officially revealed its 2026 Summer Update, which comes with a variety of crazy new features, including Navigation fixes that owners have been wanting for months.
Tesla routinely releases a larger update with the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter updates, where it ships a variety of new features, bug fixes, and other additions to customer cars.
The 2026 Spring Update featured things like “Hey Grok” voice assistance, a redesigned self-driving app, Unreal Engine visual upgrades, and more.
🚨 TESLA’S SUMMER UPDATE FOR 2026 IS HERE:
Featuring:
✅ Self-Driving Stats in Mobile App
✅ Caraoke with Scoring
✅ Automatic Navigation
✅ Preferred Routes
✅ Set Arrival Energy from Mobile App
✅ Send Custom Wraps from Mobile App
✅ Rear Display Lock
✅ Other Improvements
🔌… https://t.co/C9IW3egEhH
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 21, 2026
Tesla’s Summer Release has about ten new features; we’ll show you each and detail them below:
New Grok Voice Commands
“Grok can now make phone calls, search and play music, adjust climate, open the glovebox, and answer questions about your Tesla.”
Self-Driving Stats in Mobile App
“View and share self-driving stats from the mobile app.”
Caraoke With Scoring
“Caraoke now scores your singing while in Park. High scores are saved to your Tesla profile.”
Automatic Navigation
“Automatic Navigation now adapts to your routine.
In addition to Home, Work, and upcoming calendar events, your vehicle can now suggest and route to places you visit regularly – like a school drop-off on the way to work, or the gym on the way home.”
Preferred Routes
“For a more personalized experience, navigation now prioritizes routes that you’ve taken before”
Set Arrival Energy from Mobile App
“Set your desired Arrival Energy from your phone.”
Send Custom Wraps from Mobile App
“Skip the USB drive and upload a custom wrap of your car from the mobile app. Instructions for creating a custom wrap here: https://github.com/teslamotors/custom-wraps.”
Rear Display Lock
“Kids can watch content on the rear screen, but only the front row can control it through the rear screen app.”
Other Improvements
- Find Superchargers by name when searching for a destination
- Add Apple Music songs to queue from search and artist page
- Set your preferred zoom level for the Self-Driving visualization
- Intro animations for new Model 3 and Y
Elon Musk handed Grok something no other AI company can get their hands on
Tesla expands ridesharing service in California to new hotspot
