SpaceX has rounded out its busiest July ever with a pair of Falcon 9 Starlink launches, simultaneously breaking its annual launch record less than seven full months into 2022.
The company has now completed six launches – five of which were Starlink missions – this month. The last two missions launched about 44 hours apart from opposite coasts of the United States – Starlink 3-2 from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) on July 22nd and Starlink 4-25 from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on the 24th. Both Falcon 9 fairings and boosters were reused, as is now the norm. Both boosters also landed without issue, extending SpaceX’s record of consecutively successful landings to 59.
From the West Coast, booster B1071 helped launch 46 Starlink V1.5 satellites into a sun-synchronous (semi-polar) orbit. On the East Coast, Falcon B1062 sent 53 more Starlink V1.5 satellites on their way to a more equatorial orbit for its third Starlink mission overall.
All told, SpaceX managed to launch five batches of Starlink satellites and a Cargo Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station between July 7th and July 24th – six Falcon 9 launches in 17 days. It’s the third time SpaceX has completed six launches in the same calendar month, but the first time the company has completed six launches in less than three weeks. The fact that Falcon 9’s launch cadence has come to feel so routine so quickly is nothing less than a testament to SpaceX’s excellence, as only one other rocket in the 65-year history of orbital spaceflight (the Soviet ‘Soyuz-U’) can still claim to have launched more in such a short period.
In fact, as previously reported, SpaceX itself is already making six launches in one calendar month seem ordinary. The company managed eight successful Falcon 9 launches in 30 days between June 17th and July 17th – narrowly falling short of Soyuz-U, which completed eight launches in less than 28 days in 1980.
What SpaceX can lay claim to with certainty, however, is consistently launching more satellites in short periods of time than any other country, agency, or company in history. In July, SpaceX launched 251 Starlink satellites, expanding its immense constellation by ~10%. SpaceX completed five Starlink missions in less than 30 days twice before, in May 2021 and 2022, with the former accounting for a record 292 Starlink satellites. Including non-Starlink payloads, SpaceX has technically launched 323 satellites in 27 days.
According to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, who independently monitors SpaceX’s satellites, 2665 working Starlink satellites are now in orbit, 2155 of which have reached operational orbits. 451 Starlink V1.5 satellites – all launched since April 2022 – are still in the process of raising their orbits and should be ready to join the operational constellation within a few weeks to three months.
Finally, Starlink 3-2 (July 22nd) was SpaceX’s 32nd launch of 2022, breaking its annual record of 31 launches (set in 2021) just 55% of the way into the new year. Every Falcon launch between now and the start of 2023 will set a new SpaceX record, which stands at 33 launches after Starlink 4-25. The company reportedly has up to seven Falcon 9 launches scheduled in August 2022.
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Tesla confirms Robotaxi is heading to five new cities in the U.S.
After launching in Austin, Texas, in late June and the Bay Area of California just a few weeks later, Tesla has been attempting to expand its Robotaxi suite to new states and cities in the U.S., and even outside of the country.
Tesla Robotaxi will hit five new cities in the United States in the coming months, the company confirmed.
After launching in Austin, Texas, in late June and the Bay Area of California just a few weeks later, Tesla has been attempting to expand its Robotaxi suite to new states and cities in the U.S., and even outside of the country.
The Robotaxi suite is a ride-hailing service Tesla offers, but the details of it change with each jurisdiction, as regulations vary. For example, in Austin, Tesla can operate the Robotaxi suite without anyone in the driver’s seat, as long as the vehicle does not enter a freeway.
Credit: Tesla
In the Bay Area, a Safety Monitor rides in the driver’s seat, essentially acting as the vehicle operator with Full Self-Driving controlling the car.
The local regulations and how Tesla handles them will continue to be a relevant part of the discussion, especially as the company aims to expand the Robotaxi program to different areas. This has been a primary focus of the company for several months, especially within the United States.
CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla was aiming to launch Robotaxi in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. However, the company detailed five specific cities where it will launch Robotaxi next during the Annual Shareholder Meeting on Thursday.
Tesla will launch Robotaxi in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, and Miami next, broadening its Service Area for the suite to more major cities across the U.S.
It has said it plans to offer the service to half of the U.S. population by the end of the year, but it does not seem as if it will expand to more than a handful of cities this year, which is still tremendous progress, all things considered.
As far as autonomy is concerned, Tesla has always had lofty expectations and has made some even loftier statements.
At the Shareholder Meeting, Musk said that the company would likely be able to enable vehicle owners to text while the vehicle drives, alleviating them from potentially having some of the responsibility they have behind the wheel.
Tesla says texting and driving capability is coming ‘in a month or two’
It is not confirmed that Tesla will roll this out in the next few months, but Musk said there is a possibility.
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Tesla launches another new Model Y trim at a bargain price with massive range
It is the second most-affordable Model Y trim level in China, trailing the base Rear-Wheel-Drive and coming in under the All-Wheel-Drive.
Tesla has launched yet another new Model Y trim level, but this time it is in China, and it is at a bargain price.
It also has an insane range rating.
On Friday, Tesla launched the new Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel-Drive in China, priced at 288,500 yuan ($40,500), an incredible deal considering it is not a stripped-down version of the vehicle like the Model Y Standard.
🚨🚨 Tesla’s new China-launched Model Y LR RWD offers 821 km (510 miles) CLTC range with 78.4 kWh CATL battery, beating AWD’s 750 km.
At 288,500 yuan ($40,500 USD), it fits between base RWD (593 km, 263,500 yuan) and AWD (313,500 yuan) for affordable long-range EVs.
CLTC… https://t.co/rhKVzvUWlu pic.twitter.com/ZOoelziJ8T
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 8, 2025
It is the second most-affordable Model Y trim level in China, trailing the base Rear-Wheel-Drive and coming in under the All-Wheel-Drive.
The big appeal with this new Model Y trim is obviously its price, but its range rating is also one of the best we’ve seen. Rated at 821 kilometers on the CLTC scale, it converts to 510 miles. It uses a 78.4 kWh CATL battery.
Converted to real-world range, however, that 821-kilometer range rated by the CLTC actually is equivalent to about 357 miles on the EPA scale, which is still a very respectable number and comes in at a higher range than the Long Range All-Wheel-Drive configuration that is available in the U.S.
Tesla has truly brought a wide variety of Model Y trims to the Chinese market, including a new Model Y L configuration that features a slightly longer wheelbase, as well as additional interior features like extended thigh legrests and captain’s chairs with armrests.
It is unclear whether Tesla will bring a Premium Rear-Wheel-Drive option of the Model Y to the U.S., especially as it has already rolled out four configurations of the all-electric crossover in the market. With the new Standard offerings, Tesla will likely keep its lineup as simple as possible.
However, the company has hinted that there is a slim possibility the Model Y L could come to the U.S. sometime late next year, but CEO Elon Musk said that it is not a guarantee.
Tesla is more concerned with self-driving efforts in the U.S., and despite calls from customers for larger vehicles, it does not seem concerned with making them available, at least not for now.
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Tesla Model Y Performance set for new market entrance in Q1
The lightning-fast trim level of the all-electric crossover packs a variety of new improvements, including more range and better acceleration, thanks to aerodynamic improvements and other performance-based changes.
Tesla’s new Model Y Performance is set to arrive in a new market in Q1 2026, a company executive confirmed on Friday.
The lightning-fast trim level of the all-electric crossover packs a variety of new improvements, including more range and better acceleration, thanks to aerodynamic improvements and other performance-based changes.
It was initially launched in Europe, and then it made its way to the United States. However, it will soon be available in a new market: Canada.
Raj Jegannathan, a Tesla executive, confirmed on Friday that the company would be bringing its Performance trim of the Model Y to the Canadian market early next year:
Q1
— Raj Jegannathan (@r_jegaa) November 8, 2025
Interestingly, the Model Y Performances that enter the Canadian market will likely come from Gigafactory Berlin and not Gigafactory Texas, even though it is logistically more advantageous.
There is a 25 percent tariff on U.S.-built vehicles currently, and Tesla has been sending Germany-built Model Y vehicles to Canada to avoid this and keep prices reasonable for customers.
Some Model Y owners in Canada have already confirmed that their units came from the German production facility, not the United States.
Model Y Performance deliveries have not yet started in the United States, but are slated for late November or early December.
Tesla refined the Model Y Performance’s exterior design with new front and rear fascia designs, a new performance carbon spoiler, 21″ Arachnid wheels and tires, and adaptive damping to help with better handling.
There are also new Drive Modes for better control during high-speed driving.
It also packs the same improvements as the new Model Y features over its predecessors, including acoustic glass and premium sound-damping materials for a quieter cabin, and heated and ventilated front sport seats.
In the United States, it is priced at $57,490. It will very likely be higher in Canada due to logistics costs and other factors.
Tesla confirms Robotaxi is heading to five new cities in the U.S.
Tesla launches another new Model Y trim at a bargain price with massive range
Tesla Model Y Performance set for new market entrance in Q1
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