News
SpaceX’s month-long launch blitz adds Korean military satellite mission
Preliminary schedules show that SpaceX – on top of plans for a record-breaking four-launch month – wants to add a Korean military satellite launch to the mix, meaning that the company could attempt five launches in five weeks.
SpaceX partially broke the news on June 9th when it opened media accreditation for the Korean military mission, scheduled to launch no earlier than (NET) July. LaunchPhotography.com was able to get even more specific, stating that South Korea’s ANASIS II communications satellite could lift off on a Falcon 9 rocket sometime in early July, while Teslarati has learned that the mission is tentatively scheduled to launch as soon as the second week of the month.
If SpaceX manages to launch Starlink-8, Starlink-9, and GPS III SV03 on time this month and can turn its Kennedy Space Center (KSC) LC-39A pad around in time for South Korea’s ANASIS II by July 8th, it’ll have sustained a weekly launch cadence for well over a month. The odds are heavily stacked against SpaceX’s favor but with Starlink V1 L8 on track for a June 12th launch and Starlink V1 L9 expedited from June 24th to June 22nd, the company actually has a shot at completing five launches in five weeks.
To achieve that feat, SpaceX will have to rely heavily on its small fleet of flight-proven Falcon 9 boosters and – barring a surprise – will need to smash its record for time between flights of the same rocket. On June 3rd, Falcon 9 booster B1049 successfully launched the 7th Starlink v1.0 mission while also becoming the first SpaceX rocket to complete five orbital-class launches and landings.
Up next, Falcon 9 B1059 is scheduled to launch the 8th batch of 60 upgraded Starlink satellites as early as 5:42 am EDT (09:42 UTC) on June 12th – hopefully the booster’s third successful launch and landing in six months.
Third in line for the month of June, Starlink V1 L9 is scheduled to launch no earlier than (NET) 6:20 pm EDT (22:20 UTC) on June 22nd. Falcon 9 B1051.4 is likely assigned to the mission, meaning that SpaceX could launch a second booster for the fifth time less than three weeks after B1049 became the first to do so.
Rounding out a potentially record-breaking June, new Falcon 9 booster B1060 could launch the US Air/Space Force’s third upgraded GPS III navigation satellite at 3:55 pm EDT (19:55 UTC) on June 30th, the last day of the month. Like all of the missions that preceded it, B1060 needs a drone ship to land on in the Atlantic Ocean, meaning that Just Read The Instructions (JRTI) and Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) will have to remain continually active throughout the month, taking turns on every other launch.
This leaves South Korea’s ANASIS II military communications satellite, currently scheduled to launch in early July – about a week after SpaceX’s GPS III SV03 mission. Excluding a new booster assigned to Crew Dragon’s next astronaut mission and Falcon Heavy side boosters B1052 and B1053, AWOL since their second and most recent launches almost a year ago, the five launches prior to ANASIS II will have technically used SpaceX’s entire booster fleet.
Short of a miraculous few-week turnaround of B1049, B1059, or B1051, the likeliest candidate for the mission is the same booster that launched astronauts for the first time ever on May 30th – B1058. To launch ANASIS II in early July, B1058 would need to crush B1056’s previous record of 62 days by a third or more to perform two orbital-class missions in just 40 days or less. All things considered, if SpaceX can pull off such an ambitious string of launches while pushing several envelopes of rocket reusability, the company will have demonstrated the ability to sustain the near-weekly launch cadence it will need to efficiently complete its Starlink satellite constellation.
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Elon Musk
County vote hands Elon Musk’s Vegas tunnel network a huge new target
Clark County approved 19 more Vegas Loop stations, pushing Boring Company’s entitled total to 123.
The Boring Company just got permission to nearly double how far Vegas Loop can reach. Clark County commissioners approved 19 additional stations for the underground transit system, bringing the total entitled to 123, the company said in a post on X thanking the county for the vote. Elon Musk’s tunneling company also flagged the direction it sees the project heading long term. “Because Loop is point-to-point with no intermediate stops, in the limit, one could have a Loop station in every driveway,” the company wrote.
That framing captures how far the ambitions have moved. The Vegas Loop opened its first stretch of tunnel in 2021 and has grown its footprint through a string of county approvals since. In 2023, commissioners signed off on 18 additional stations, part of a plan that later doubled the system’s target to 69 stations across 65 miles. By the end of that year the company was describing a build out closer to 93 planned stations. Last year the long term design called for 104 stations across 68 miles of tunnel. The new approval pushes that number to 123, another jump in a project that keeps outgrowing its own blueprints.
The Boring Company gets approval for more stations in Las Vegas
Station count on paper is still well ahead of what riders can actually use. As Teslarati reported earlier this month, the network has about 11 open stations and has carried more than 4 million passengers since it began running, with newer stops at Fontainebleau and Sahara among the latest additions to the Strip corridor. A tunnel connection to Harry Reid International Airport remains under construction and has already slipped past its original first quarter target. The company is also racing to finish a Westgate to Paradise Road segment that Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill has said it hopes to have running in time for November’s Formula 1 race.
The gap between entitled stations and operating ones is where the real story sits. Regulatory approval gives Boring Company the legal runway to keep tunneling toward new resorts, residential pockets and eventually the airport, but building each connection still comes down to boring machines, fire safety sign offs and construction timelines that have slipped before. The company’s Prufrock series machines set an internal record in March with a 2.28 mile tunnel near Westgate, evidence that construction has been picking up even as the list of approved destinations grows faster than the tunnels themselves.
Musk’s driveway comment reads as aspirational rather than a near term plan, but it fits how Boring Company has talked about Vegas Loop from the start: treat every approval as a floor, not a ceiling, and keep pushing county officials for room to dig.
SpaceX announced today that it would expand its launch capabilities into a new U.S. state: Louisiana.
Today, SpaceX, in conjunction with the Louisiana Economic Development Office, said that it will establish a new launch facility, which it will call Starbase, Louisiana. It will be located near Vermilion Parish, supporting thousands of launches each year, at least eventually.
CEO Elon Musk commented by stating, “Starbase Louisiana will ultimately have over a dozen launch towers, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day and making it the biggest launch site on Earth!”
Starbase Louisiana will ultimately have over a dozen launch towers, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day and making it the biggest launch site on Earth!
SpaceX makes sci-fi real. https://t.co/C7Ht0U12ba
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2026
The expansion is SpaceX’s latest move to push its launch cadence to be more frequent than ever. SpaceX said that Starbase, Louisiana, will be built to “support thousands of Starship flights a year,” with the first coming in 2029.
SpaceX announced the new facility in partnership with the Louisiana Economic Development Office as it will bring a major influx of jobs and investments into the area. Currently, it will produce more than 3,000 new jobs in Louisiana, and SpaceX plans to invest at least $100 billion into the entire facility, ensuring that many jobs are created as a result.
Environmental Responsibility
SpaceX acknowledges the impact launches could have on marshlands, local wildlife, and water sources. Here’s how the company plans to help with the issues in Vermilion Parish:
- Restoring the Shoreline: “In Vermilion Parish, the shoreline is eroding between 3.3 and 23 feet per year. We’re partnering with state and federal agencies to expand Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan and Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act projects, including Gulf shoreline protection breakwaters designed to reduce wave energy and slow loss along the Gulf edge.”
- Rebuilding the Marshlands: “In working with the state, we’re planning thousands of acres of marsh creation using beneficial-use placement of dredged material and offshore sediment sources. Restoration will also include interior marsh bank stabilization and rebuilding marsh in remnant canals. These projects can reconnect fragmented wetlands, restore natural buffers against storms, and return habitat that has been lost to erosion and historic canalization.”
- Preserving Coastal Wildlife: “Pecan Island and nearby wetlands are high-value habitat for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and other coastal wildlife. SpaceX is not developing the full footprint of the land and will preserve wetlands and wildlife habitat. At existing launch sites, waterfowl and other birds continue to use nearby habitat during operations. Working with wildlife agencies, landowners, and conservation groups, SpaceX will support monitoring and management so this habitat stays productive and hunting, fishing, birding, and other recreational activities that are part of this coast’s culture can continue.”
SpaceX shares rose about 2.5 percent on the news.
Tesla Cybertruck trims saw a big price change, at least on two of the three available to consumers, as demand for the all-electric pickup appears to be increasing.
Tesla bumped up its Base All-Wheel-Drive trim level up to $74,990 from $69,990 and the Premium All-Wheel-Drive configuration from $79,990 to $84,990. The Cyberbeast price remains unchanged at $99,990.
🚨 Cybertruck prices went up as Tesla bumped them 7%
– Tesla Cybertruck AWD is now $74,990
– Tesla Cybertruck Premium AWD now $84,990
– Tesla Cyberbeast now $99,990 https://t.co/MYJbaw56GL— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 25, 2026
Despite questions of demand for the truck, Tesla is bumping its two least expensive trims up $5,000 to signal that there are plenty of buyers. Although SpaceX has been buying Tesla Cybertruck units to utilize as company vehicles, it is no secret that the Cybertruck is among the most sought-after Tesla models out there.
The issue has always been pricing, at least for the most part. When Tesla initially launched the Cybertruck AWD at $59,990 a few months back, the company stated that price would remain intact for just ten days due to the influx of orders it received.
Cybertruck Sales: Is It the Product or Pricing?
Depending on who you ask, you will likely hear one of two explanations for relatively low Cybertruck sales: either the product itself or the pricing.
Yes, this is the best-selling all-electric pickup on the market. However, there are people who simply hate the look of it, which I understand, but do not agree with. Look is totally subjective, and I love the look of the Cybertruck.
Some people will not buy the Cybertruck because of the look, but I am under the impression that sales would be much better if this truck were priced lower; something that might not be possible considering Tesla’s need to make money on its products. When it was unveiled in 2019, its most expensive trim level was $69,990. Now, the cheapest trim level is more expensive than that.
I would be in a Cybertruck if it were more affordable. I LOVE my Model Y, but Cybertruck is the best vehicle Tesla makes, and it’s not particularly close. Even in the base model, the steer-by-wire, the space, storage, and performance make it more desirable than the Model Y to me. I cannot be the only Tesla owner without a Cybertruck who feels this way.
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County vote hands Elon Musk’s Vegas tunnel network a huge new target
SpaceX announces new Starbase for ‘thousands of Starship launches annually’
