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SpaceX, NASA make history ahead of schedule as astronauts reach space station
Less than 19 hours after liftoff and almost 10 minutes ahead of schedule, SpaceX has successfully docked NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time in history, officially returning that capability to the space agency after nearly nine years without it.
Demo-2’s docking marks the first time a privately-developed orbital-class spacecraft has launched, reached orbit, and docked with the space station with astronauts onboard, completing a major foundation and taking the biggest step yet towards SpaceX’s founding goal of sustainably expanding humanity into space. Perhaps even more importantly, the milestone marks the first time US astronauts have traveled to or from the ISS on a domestic vehicle since the Space Shuttle’s last launch and landing in July 2011.
Due to a combination of Congressional ineptitude, systematic underfunding, NASA mismanagement, and delays to Commercial Crew partners Boeing and SpaceX, that domestic access gap has lasted the better part of a decade. Now, if Crew Dragon continues to perform nominally in orbit and SpaceX’s Dragon and Falcon production and qualification continues apace, the company could proceed to its second astronaut launch and first operational NASA crew transport mission just a few months from now.
Impressively, Crew Dragon’s inaugural astronaut launch has gone off with no notable issues with the spacecraft or rocket. Aside from a lone Draco maneuvering thruster showing an out-of-family temperature sensor reading shortly after reaching orbit, no other glitches have been noted on NASA and SpaceX’s uninterrupted webcast.
In the last hour or two, however, SpaceX did call up to astronaut Bob Behnken to determine the cause of a spacesuit pressure reading slightly below nominal, although the ground controller made sure to clarify that the suit would have still done its job in the event of Crew Dragon cabin depressurization. By the sound of it, Bob observed a zipper tooth out of place on several seams, pointing to a fairly mundane source of the issue. More recently, NASA has been working to establish wired (“hard-line”) communications between the docked Crew Dragon spacecraft and the ISS without much luck, while “interference issues” were raised as a possible explanation. It’s unclear if the problem is deriving from Dragon or the ISS.
On the scale of human spaceflight, wired communications issues – while radio communications links remain strong and functional – are about as mild as they come. Bob and Doug remained in regular contact with NASA and SpaceX ground controllers and did their best to help troubleshoot the wired communication bugs while eating dinner and waiting patiently for NASA’s lone ISS crew member to complete the final steps before hatch opening.
During the webcast, SpaceX predicted that Crew Dragon’s hatch would be opened around 12:15 pm EDT (16:15 UTC), allowing Bob and Doug to board the International Space Station (ISS) and marking the full completion of the arrival half of the historic spacecraft’s astronaut launch debut. Tune in below to watch as NASA’s first Commercial Crew Program (CCP) astronauts prepare to open Crew Dragon’s hatch and complete their ISS arrival.
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Tesla Model Y demand in China is through the roof, and new delivery dates show the company has already sold out its allocation of the all-electric crossover for 2025.
The Model Y has been the most popular vehicle in the world in both of the last two years, outpacing incredibly popular vehicles like the Toyota RAV 4. In China, the EV market is substantially more saturated, with more competitors than in any other market.
However, Tesla has been kind to the Chinese market, as it has launched trim levels for the Model Y in the country that are not available anywhere else. Demand has been strong for the Model Y in China; it ranks in the top 5 of all EVs in the country, trailing the BYD Seagull, Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, and the Geely Galaxy Xingyuan.
The other three models ahead of the Model Y are priced substantially lower.
Tesla is still dealing with strong demand for the Model Y, and the company is now pushing delivery dates to early 2026, meaning the vehicle is sold out for the year:
NEWS: New orders for all four Tesla Model Y trims in China are now officially sold out for 2025, as the factory’s remaining production capacity for the year has been fully allocated.
Estimated delivery dates for new orders now show January-February 2026. pic.twitter.com/Dfnu7yY58N
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) December 1, 2025
Tesla experienced a 9.9 percent year-over-year rise in its China-made EV sales for November, meaning there is some serious potential for the automaker moving into next year despite increased competition.
There have been a lot of questions surrounding how Tesla would perform globally with more competition, but it seems to have a good grasp of various markets because of its vehicles, its charging infrastructure, and its Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite, which has been expanding to more countries as of late.
Tesla Model Y is still China’s best-selling premium EV through October
Tesla holds a dominating lead in the United States with EV registrations, and performs incredibly well in several European countries.
With demand in China looking strong, it will be interesting to see how the company ends the year in terms of global deliveries.
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Tesla Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign
The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.
Tesla Europe has announced that its “Future Holidays” campaign will feature Full Self-Driving (Supervised) ride-along experiences in the Netherlands.
The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.
The Holiday program was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on X. “Come get in the spirit with us. Featuring Caraoke, FSD Supervised ride-along experiences, holiday light shows with our S3XY lineup & more,” the company wrote in its post on X.
Per the program’s official website, fun activities will include Caraoke sessions and light shows with the S3XY vehicle lineup. It appears that Optimus will also be making an appearance at the events. Tesla even noted that the humanoid robot will be in “full party spirit,” so things might indeed be quite fun.
“This season, we’re introducing you to the fun of the future. Register for our holiday events to meet our robots, see if you can spot the Bot to win prizes, and check out our selection of exclusive merchandise and limited-edition gifts. Discover Tesla activities near you and discover what makes the future so festive,” Tesla wrote on its official website.
-->This announcement aligns with Tesla’s accelerating FSD efforts in Europe, where supervised ride-alongs could help demonstrate the tech to regulators and customers. The Netherlands, with its urban traffic and progressive EV policies, could serve as an ideal and valuable testing ground for FSD.
Tesla is currently hard at work pushing for the rollout of FSD to several European countries. Tesla has received approval to operate 19 FSD test vehicles on Spain’s roads, though this number could increase as the program develops. As per the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), Tesla would be able to operate its FSD fleet on any national route across Spain. Recent job openings also hint at Tesla starting FSD tests in Austria. Apart from this, the company is also holding FSD demonstrations in Germany, France, and Italy.
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Tesla sees sharp November rebound in China as Model Y demand surges
New data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows a 9.95% year-on-year increase and a 40.98% jump month-over-month.
Tesla’s sales momentum in China strengthened in November, with wholesale volumes rising to 86,700 units, reversing a slowdown seen in October.
New data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows a 9.95% year-on-year increase and a 40.98% jump month-over-month. This was partly driven by tightened delivery windows, targeted marketing, and buyers moving to secure vehicles before changes to national purchase tax incentives take effect.
Tesla’s November rebound coincided with a noticeable spike in Model Y interest across China. Delivery wait times extended multiple times over the month, jumping from an initial 2–5 weeks to estimated handovers in January and February 2026 for most five-seat variants. Only the six-seat Model Y L kept its 4–8 week estimated delivery timeframe.
The company amplified these delivery updates across its Chinese social media channels, urging buyers to lock in orders early to secure 2025 delivery slots and preserve eligibility for current purchase tax incentives, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Tesla also highlighted that new inventory-built Model Y units were available for customers seeking guaranteed handovers before December 31.
This combination of urgency marketing and genuine supply-demand pressure seemed to have helped boost November’s volumes, stabilizing what had been a year marked by several months of year-over-year declines.
-->For the January–November period, Tesla China recorded 754,561 wholesale units, an 8.30% decline compared to the same period last year. The company’s Shanghai Gigafactory continues to operate as both a domestic production base and a major global export hub, building the Model 3 and Model Y for markets across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, among other territories.
Tesla Model Y demand in China is through the roof, new delivery dates show
Tesla Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign
