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SpaceX’s next launch could still break rocket reuse record despite more delays

Despite multiple consecutive delays, Falcon 9 B1058 still has a shot at beating a rocket reuse world record. (NASA)

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After multiple delays, SpaceX’s next launch is once again ~24 hours out and the Falcon 9 booster assigned to still has a shot at breaking a world record for rocket reuse.

Originally expected to launch as early as early July, SpaceX’s South Korean ANASIS II military communications satellite slipped to July 11th, followed by several more delays to July 19th. After one (hopefully) final slip, ANASIS II is now scheduled to launch no earlier than (NET) 5 pm EDT (21:00 UTC) on Monday, July 20th.

In a sign that SpaceX’s rocket reuse program continues to make progress, the company assigned Falcon 9 booster B1058 to the launch – initially just 45 days after it debuted in support of Crew Dragon’s own May 30th astronaut launch debut.

Falcon 9 booster B1058 is flipped horizontally before being transported back to Cape Canaveral. (Richard Angle)

As previously discussed on Teslarati, a 45-day turnaround would have crushed a 54-day world record held by NASA’s Space Shuttle that was set more than three decades ago. While the Space Shuttle was an orbital vehicle and likely 10-100 times more complex than SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster, the workforce it needed to set that turnaround record was closer to 500-1000 times larger than the teams needed to reuse Falcon 9.

To “reuse” Space Shuttles and the Main Engines (SSMEs; now RS-25s) that powered them, NASA and its contractors had to extensively disassemble and reassemble the vehicles, removing and refurbishing the engines and several thruster pods before reinstalling them. Up to 4000 parts would have to be replaced each launch, while 7000 of the main engines’ 50,000 parts would also have to be replaced periodically. According to NASA, each Shuttle required at least 750,000 work hours of refurbishment and rework between flights. Per comments recently made by CEO Elon Musk, SpaceX may require just a few dozen employees and 4-6 weeks to turn a Falcon 9 booster around. That could mean that as few as 5000-10,000 work hours are required per Falcon 9 reuse, 75-150 times fewer than the Shuttle’s average.

World record-holder Space Shuttle Atlantis is pictured on its first launch and at its final resting place. (NASA, Eric Ralph)

As of now, Falcon 9 booster B1058 could still beat Space Shuttle Atlantis’ 54-day record if it launches before July 23rd. A July 20th launch would still break the Shuttle’s record by three days despite roughly three weeks of ANASIS II mission delays. Notably, most – if not all – of those delays appear to have been caused by issues found on the second stage, new hardware that is expended after every launch. Falcon 9 B1058 completed a successful static fire test on July 11th, just 42 days after it launched astronauts into orbit and just 38 days after the booster returned to dry land after its first flight.

With a little luck, B1058’s proven potential for smashing reuse records will mean that SpaceX is able to rapidly turn the rocket around for future launches, assuming successful landings. For now, SpaceX’s next launch is on track to lift off NET 5 pm EDT (21:00 UTC) on July 20th. In a rarity, SpaceX has a nearly four-hour window to launch, leaving plenty of flexibility if weather or minor technical bugs require some additional time. The company’s official webcast will begin roughly 15 minutes prior to liftoff.

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Tesla upgrades Model 3 and Model Y in China, hikes price for long-range sedan

Tesla’s long-range Model 3 now comes with a higher CLTC-rated range of 753 km (468 miles).

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla has rolled out a series of quiet upgrades to its Model 3 and Model Y in China, enhancing range and performance for long-range variants. The updates come with a price hike for the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive, which now costs RMB 285,500 (about $39,300), up RMB 10,000 ($1,400) from the previous price.

Model 3 gets acceleration boost, extended range

Tesla’s long-range Model 3 now comes with a higher CLTC-rated range of 753 km (468 miles), up from 713 km (443 miles), and a faster 0–100 km/h acceleration time of 3.8 seconds, down from 4.4 seconds. These changes suggest that Tesla has bundled the previously optional Acceleration Boost for the Model 3, once priced at RMB 14,100 ($1,968), as a standard feature.

Delivery wait times for the long-range Model 3 have also been shortened, from 3–5 weeks to just 1–3 weeks, as per CNEV Post. No changes were made to the entry-level RWD or Performance versions, which retain their RMB 235,500 and RMB 339,500 price points, respectively. Wait times for those trims also remain at 1–3 weeks and 8–10 weeks.

Model Y range increases, pricing holds steady

The Model Y Long Range has also seen its CLTC-rated range increase from 719 km (447 miles) to 750 km (466 miles), though its price remains unchanged at RMB 313,500 ($43,759). The model maintains a 0–100 km/h time of 4.3 seconds.

Tesla also updated delivery times for the Model Y lineup. The Long Range variant now shows a wait time of 1–3 weeks, an improvement from the previous 3–5 weeks. The entry-level RWD version maintained its starting price of RMB 263,500, though its delivery window is now shorter at 2–4 weeks.

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Tesla continues to offer several purchase incentives in China, including an RMB 8,000 discount for select paint options, an RMB 8,000 insurance subsidy, and five years of interest-free financing for eligible variants.

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Tesla China registrations hit 20.7k in final week of June, highest in Q2

The final week of June stands as the second-highest of 2025 and the best-performing week of the quarter.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla China recorded 20,680 domestic insurance registrations during the week of June 23–29, marking its highest weekly total in the second quarter of 2025. 

The figure represents a 49.3% increase from the previous week and a 46.7% improvement year-over-year, suggesting growing domestic momentum for the electric vehicle maker in Q2’s final weeks.

Q2 closes with a boost despite year-on-year dip

The strong week helped lift Tesla’s performance for the quarter, though Q2 totals remain down 4.6% quarter-over-quarter and 10.9% year-over-year, according to industry watchers. Despite these declines, the last week of June stands as the second-highest of 2025 and the best-performing week of the quarter. 

As per industry watchers, Tesla China delivered 15,210 New Model Y units last week, the highest weekly tally since the vehicle’s launch. The Model 3 followed with 5,470 deliveries during the same period. Tesla’s full June and Q2 sales data for China are expected to be released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) in the coming days.

https://twitter.com/piloly/status/1939897310328111556
https://twitter.com/Tslachan/status/1939955521970147756

Tesla China and minor Model 3 and Model Y updates

Tesla manufactures the Model 3 and Model Y at its Shanghai facility, which provides vehicles to both domestic and international markets. In May, the automaker reported 38,588 retail sales in China, down 30.1% year-over-year but up 34.3% from April. Exports from Shanghai totaled 23,074 units in May, a 32.9% improvement from the previous year but down 22.4% month-over-month, as noted in a CNEV Post report.

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Earlier this week, Tesla introduced minor updates to the long-range versions of the Model 3 and Model Y in China. The refreshed Model 3 saw a modest price increase, while pricing for the updated Model Y Long Range variant remained unchanged. These adjustments come as Tesla continues refining its China lineup amid shifting local demand and increased competition from domestic brands.

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Tesla investors will be shocked by Jim Cramer’s latest assessment

Jim Cramer is now speaking positively about Tesla, especially in terms of its Robotaxi performance and its perception as a company.

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Credit: CNBC Television/YouTube

Tesla investors will be shocked by analyst Jim Cramer’s latest assessment of the company.

When it comes to Tesla analysts, many of them are consistent. The bulls usually stay the bulls, and the bears usually stay the bears. The notable analysts on each side are Dan Ives and Adam Jonas for the bulls, and Gordon Johnson for the bears.

Jim Cramer is one analyst who does not necessarily fit this mold. Cramer, who hosts CNBC’s Mad Money, has switched his opinion on Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) many times.

He has been bullish, like he was when he said the stock was a “sleeping giant” two years ago, and he has been bearish, like he was when he said there was “nothing magnificent” about the company just a few months ago.

Now, he is back to being a bull.

Cramer’s comments were related to two key points: how NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang describes Tesla after working closely with the Company through their transactions, and how it is not a car company, as well as the recent launch of the Robotaxi fleet.

Jensen Huang’s Tesla Narrative

Cramer says that the narrative on quarterly and annual deliveries is overblown, and those who continue to worry about Tesla’s performance on that metric are misled.

“It’s not a car company,” he said.

He went on to say that people like Huang speak highly of Tesla, and that should be enough to deter any true skepticism:

“I believe what Musk says cause Musk is working with Jensen and Jensen’s telling me what’s happening on the other side is pretty amazing.”

Tesla self-driving development gets huge compliment from NVIDIA CEO

Robotaxi Launch

Many media outlets are being extremely negative regarding the early rollout of Tesla’s Robotaxi platform in Austin, Texas.

There have been a handful of small issues, but nothing significant. Cramer says that humans make mistakes in vehicles too, yet, when Tesla’s test phase of the Robotaxi does it, it’s front page news and needs to be magnified.

He said:

“Look, I mean, drivers make mistakes all the time. Why should we hold Tesla to a standard where there can be no mistakes?”

It’s refreshing to hear Cramer speak logically about the Robotaxi fleet, as Tesla has taken every measure to ensure there are no mishaps. There are safety monitors in the passenger seat, and the area of travel is limited, confined to a small number of people.

Tesla is still improving and hopes to remove teleoperators and safety monitors slowly, as CEO Elon Musk said more freedom could be granted within one or two months.

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