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SpaceX to test last old-gen Falcon 9’s orbital upper stage lifespan tonight
SpaceX Falcon 9 B1045 is just hours away from completing its second and final mission, a launch that will also signify a swan-song for the reusable rocket company’s Block 4 and older boosters. Not one to let an opportunity go to waste, Elon Musk’s space company intends to do a long coast demonstration of the orbital upper stage once the reused Cargo Dragon spacecraft separates.
Jessica Jensen, SpaceX’s Director of Dragon Mission Management, spoke among a panel of CRS-15 stakeholders on the morning of June 28 and spoke evident pride and confidence in the company’s progress up to this point, with respect to both the mission at hand and SpaceX’s achievements more generally. CRS-15, the third flight-proven Dragon and Falcon 9 launch, is a fitting mission for SpaceX to bring to a close their H1 launch manifest (the 12th of 2018), mainly due to the impressive fact that more than two-thirds of the boosters launched this year have been flight-proven.
Falcon 9 B1045 before its first launch, carrying NASA’s TESS exoplanet observatory, in April 2018. (Tom Cross)
As Jensen rightfully noted, SpaceX completed its first-ever reuse of a recovered Falcon 9 booster scarcely 15 months ago in March 2017, a period in which SpaceX has since completed 26 missions, recovered 16 Falcon 9 and Heavy boosters, and successfully launched 12 flight-proven rocket boosters. At the current rate of launch, SpaceX is likely to smash its previous annual cadence record – 18 in 2017 – with anywhere from 24 to 28 launches this year, with CRS-15 marking a dozen missions in the first half of the year, if successful. As such, simply the launch frequency in the first six months would bring SpaceX to 24 completed missions this year. A slight uptick, perhaps as a result of the rapid reusability of new Block 5 boosters, might allow SpaceX to squeeze in several additional missions.
Falcon 9 B1045 and it’s Cargo Dragon C111 prepare for their second flights on June 29. (Tom Cross)
Critically, Jensen also noted that B1045’s final launch will be significant for a reason other than the fact that it nearly halved the previous record for Falcon 9 booster refurbishment, an accomplishment she ceded to the skill and growing experience of SpaceX’s rocket refurbishment teams of engineers and technicians. Aside from that growing expertise, she stated that
“[CRS-15] will also be the final Block 4 configuration of a Falcon 9 booster that SpaceX flies, so all the boosters from here on out will be the Block 5 version.”
Barring unforeseen design flaws, Falcon 9 Block 5 has the potential to be a game-changer, perhaps allowing SpaceX to finally realize a long-term goal of dramatically lowering the cost of access to orbit with new reliable, reusable rockets. Reported by NASASpaceflight.com to be flying aboard a Block 4 booster, something also confirmed to Teslarati through a separate source, it’s not 100% clear if Jensen’s blanket statement included the upcoming in-flight Crew Dragon abort test, scheduled sometime after the upgraded Dragon’s first launch in late 2018. Regardless, she is fully correct in the sense that all future commercial SpaceX launches after CRS-15 will quite definitively fly aboard Falcon 9 and Heavy Block 5 rockets.
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- The first Block 5 Falcon 9 lifts off on May 4, 2018. (Tom Cross)
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- After CRS-15, all orbital launches will be use Block 5 boosters and upper stages. The upgraded rocket’s next launch is NET July 20. (Tom Cross)
Flight-proven Cargo Dragons a new norm for SpaceX
Meanwhile, the specifics of CRS-15 mirror SpaceX’s two most recent International Space Station resupply missions, both of which simultaneously flew flight-proven orbital Cargo Dragon spacecraft and flight-proven Falcon 9 boosters, leaving just the second stage and Cargo Dragon trunk to be expended. As a taste of the future SpaceX fully intends to realize, the spectacle of these CRS missions is not only undeniable but demonstrates a newfound confidence in commercial reusable rockets growing within NASA, an agency that SpaceX would quite simply not be here today without.
https://twitter.com/_TomCross_/status/1012490324646748163
After CRS-15, SpaceX has another five flight-proven Cargo Dragon missions left on their CRS-1 contract, after which the updated CRS-2 contract will take over, replacing the old Cargo Dragon with an upgraded cargo version of SpaceX Crew Dragon, also known as Dragon 2. CRS-2 launches are currently scheduled to begin sometime in 2020.
Finally, reminiscent of Falcon Heavy’s spectacular debut launch, Falcon 9’s upper stage “will be doing a long coast demonstration [after Cargo Dragon separates from the rocket]”. Jensen was unable to go into more detail here, but it can be safely presumed that the S2 coast test is either related testing for upper stage reusability or is being used as an opportunity to further demonstrate on-orbit coast capabilities to the US Air Force and/or NASA, a feature that is necessary for certain national security and interplanetary missions.
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- An overview of Crew Dragon’s main features, all of which can be seen in the real-life photos. The Cargo Dragon version will likely remove seats and windows. (SpaceX)
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- The DM-1 Crew Dragon testing inside SpaceX’s anechoic chamber, May 2018. (SpaceX)
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- SpaceX’s Demo Mission-1 Crew Dragon seen preparing for vacuum tests at a NASA-run facility, June 2018. (SpaceX)
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Tesla will resolve its massive recall of nearly three million vehicles in China with stickers and a software update.
On Friday, Chinese regulators filed recall plans against Tesla, Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng, Chery, Geely, Dongfeng, Arcfox, and FAW to resolve what is essentially a carbon-copy issue throughout each of the companies’ vehicle models: emergency door release latches are simply not visible enough.
Tesla door handle saga gets its latest chapter and a big change is coming
The companies will be required to add things that will make these latches, which will open the door in the event of an emergency, more visible. Of the 7 million vehicles impacted, Tesla accounts for 2,975,910 units. More than 1.9 million of those are Model Y vehicles, with the rest, just over 970,000, being Model 3s.
To resolve the issue, Tesla is going to add warning labels to the emergency latches free of charge, and then utilize an Over-the-Air update to add a post-crash window-lowering strategy, according to CNEVpost.
This massive effort to fix the all-electric Model Y and Model 3’s emergency latch system comes just months after several probes across various markets identified the trouble some had identifying this latch. Those who had gotten involved in car accidents that stripped the vehicle of its power were not aware that every Tesla has emergency door latches.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said that severe crashes that disable a vehicle’s low-voltage system could not only hinder occupants from getting out, but also make it more difficult for emergency response workers to gain entry.
SAMR is starting to tighten the regulations it has on door handles on vehicles. A new mandatory national standard will take effect for all models starting January 1, 2027, and will require all doors to be equipped with mechanical release mechanisms. This will effectively end purely electronic door handles. Models already on sale with type approval have been granted a two-year transition period, which will enable things to change until January 2029.
Tesla has officially confirmed plans to bring its all-electric Semi truck to Europe, with full specifications and market-launch details set for unveiling at the IAA Transportation trade fair in Hannover, Germany.
The event runs September 15–20, with a possible press preview on September 14. The announcement, shared via Tesla’s Semi account, marks a significant expansion beyond North America nearly nine years after the truck’s original 2017 reveal.
🚨 Tesla Semi is coming to Europe!
Sustainable logistics is a huge market internationally, and now Tesla is involved in it outside of the U.S. market! https://t.co/q3hjX6ybMv pic.twitter.com/mxTaVY3UsE
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 20, 2026
In the United States, the Semi’s path has been gradual. Limited pilot production and customer deliveries began in late 2022, primarily to fleets such as PepsiCo. After years of refinement, high-volume manufacturing started on April 29, 2026, at a dedicated facility adjacent to Gigafactory Nevada.
The plant targets an annual capacity of 50,000 units, though the ramp is expected to be gradual, with “many thousands” of trucks projected by the end of 2026.
Demand is building, with recent orders including 500 units for Einride (deliveries starting September 2026, serving Amazon and others) and hundreds more from operators such as WattEV. Pricing stands at approximately $260,000 for the Standard Range and $290,000 for the Long Range before incentives.
Tesla Semi pricing revealed after company uncovers trim levels
Earlier in 2026, Tesla finalized production specifications that incorporated substantial updates. In February, the company detailed two variants designed for a full 82,000-pound gross combination weight.
The Standard Range offers about 325 miles of range with a 548 kWh battery and curb weight under 20,000 pounds. The Long Range delivers roughly 500 miles with an 822 kWh pack and a 23,000-pound curb weight. Both use three independent rear-axle motors producing up to 800 kW (about 1,073 horsepower), achieve energy consumption of around 1.7 kWh per mile, and support megawatt-class charging at up to 1.2 MW—recovering about 60 percent of range in 30 minutes through the MCS standard.
Additional refinements include a roughly 1,000-pound weight reduction versus earlier prototypes, improved aerodynamics, a 48-volt electrical architecture, electric power take-off up to 25 kW for refrigerated trailers, and fleet management software with over-the-air updates.
These advances position the Semi as a competitive option against diesel trucks on operating costs and performance. For Europe, adaptations such as lighting, cab configurations (including potential sleeper options), and regulatory compliance are anticipated.
With series production underway in Nevada and major fleet commitments secured, the upcoming IAA reveal will clarify timelines, European-specific specs, and pricing, potentially accelerating electrification of heavy-duty freight on both continents.
Investor's Corner
Tesla Robotaxi gets a massive upgrade in Nevada
Nevada regulators just approved a massive expansion of Tesla’s robotaxi fleet across the entire county.
Tesla’s robotaxi footprint in Nevada just grew by roughly 500 times in a single regulatory vote.
The Nevada Transportation Authority approved Tesla’s full Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit on Thursday, clearing the way for the company to deploy up to 5,000 driverless vehicles across Clark County over the next 12 months. The decision came during a four hour general session meeting that Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt watched live and reported on X, noting the vote replaces the interim order that had limited Tesla to just 10 robotaxis on a narrow stretch of the Las Vegas Strip.
EXCLUSIVE: Tesla has just officially received approval for its full Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit in Nevada, clearing the way for Tesla to launch a paid public Robotaxi service in Las Vegas.
This officially allows @Tesla to deploy up to 5,000 robotaxis over the next… pic.twitter.com/DPs5UtUlrE
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 20, 2026
That earlier cap, covered here after it surfaced on August 13, came with restrictions that looked stricter than what Tesla runs in Austin: a 45 mph speed ceiling, no airport pickups, and a geofence confined to the Strip corridor. The new approval extends Tesla’s operating authority to all of Clark County, with room to request an even wider geofence across the state.
Tesla representatives at the meeting said they have no intention of putting 5,000 cars on the road right away. Commercial rides are expected to start within 30 days, pending vehicle inspections, insurance filings, and fare approval, the standard steps every robotaxi operator in Nevada has had to clear.
Tesla’s own Robotaxi account replied to the news with a short line, The golden future is upon us.
The timing lines up with Tesla’s broader robotaxi push this month. The company is preparing to open Cybercab rides to the public in Austin as soon as this month, and it opened a sweepstakes for riders to win a seat at the launch event. Tesla filed its original application for a 5,000 vehicle Nevada fleet back in June, a request regulators trimmed to 10 vehicles when they issued the interim order in July. Thursday’s vote effectively grants the number Tesla asked for from the start.
Zoox, the Amazon owned robotaxi operator, has run in Nevada since 2025 and was capped at 100 vehicles before Thursday’s decision. Tesla’s new ceiling puts it well ahead of that comparison on paper, though the company has said its actual fleet size will depend on how quickly FSD v15 rolls out, the software update executives have called the gateway to scaling unsupervised robotaxi operations nationwide.
Tesla will resolve massive China recall with stickers and a software update
Tesla Semi is officially headed to Europe
