News
SpaceX and NASA deepen ties, NASA-sponsored reuse of Falcon 9 in discussion
NASA and SpaceX hosted a post-launch conference for the successful CRS-12 mission on Monday, revealing intriguing information about their plans and goals for the final months of 2017.
Dan Hartman of NASA and Hans Koenigsmann of SpaceX answered multiple questions from an audience of journalists regarding the future of SpaceX’s reusability program. Hans confirmed unofficial rumors that SpaceX’s Q4 2017 launch of SES-11 would utilize a flight-proven booster, likely one from a previous CRS mission. While this could mean either CRS-10 or CRS-11’s first stage, the most probable core is from CRS-10, numbered 1031.
-
- CRS-12 is the 39th time Falcon 9 has flown successfully. (NASA)
-
- With 41 attempts total, Falcon 9 has suffered two complete failures and one partial failure, giving a success rate of around 95%. (NASA)
Possibly even more exciting, Hartman acknowledged that NASA and SpaceX were deep into a process of data-gathering and sharing in an effort to certify flight-proven Falcon 9s for CRS missions in the future. While the implication was that this process is ongoing, Hartman suggested that a preliminary decision could be made before the end of September for SpaceX’s December 2017 launch of CRS-13, indicating that CRS-13 is a candidate for being the first NASA-sponsored reuse of a Falcon 9. Hartman repeatedly reiterated that NASA was currently expecting to fly CRS-13 on a new booster, but the undertone of the comments hinted that he was simply playing his and NASA’s cards close. In spite of the near-term uncertainty, Hartman stated that CRS reuse was “a matter of ‘when’”.
Intriguingly, while it was originally assumed that CRS-12 would feature titanium grid fins, it became clear that the vehicle sported traditional aluminum grid fins. This is likely a result of CRS-12’s recovery being low energy, and it is also reasonable to assume that SpaceX possesses an inventory of already-manufactured aluminum grid fins that they are now trying to avoid wasting.
-->
NASA slipped a sly glimpse of Dragon 2 construction into their live coverage SpaceX’s CRS-12 launch. On the left is a Dragon 2 pressure vessel, vehicle’s “trunk” on the right. (NASA)
Asked about a decision for who the first two NASA crew would be on SpaceX’s Demo-2 flight in June of 2018, Hartman suggested that a decision could be made as early as next month, or September. However, several statements regarding the current status of SpaceX’s first Commercial Crew launches added a level of uncertainty to the conversation. Hartman said that he was hopeful SpaceX would be able to operationally begin flying crew to the ISS as soon as FY2019, which begins October 1, 2018. However, he suggested that NASA was interested in SpaceX flying Dragon 2 solely with cargo “to get some more flights under its belt” ahead of “routine” crew transport. While difficult to reconcile those statements with a publicly acknowledged goal of February and June 2018 for SpaceX’s first demonstration flights of Dragon 2, it is clear that both groups are working incredibly hard to solidify those dates and prepare Dragon 2 for its first flight or flights next year.
For the last four and a half months of 2017, Hans confirmed that SpaceX will attempt to continue to pursue a cadence similar to that seen in the first half of the year. Musk’s indication of 12 launches for the rest of the year appear to be plausible, Falcon Heavy included. Publicly available manifest information currently shows that SpaceX has another launch scheduled for the West Coast on August 24th, with two more launches tentatively penciled in for September, one in October, three in November, and four in December. Changes are inevitable given the ever-shifting nature of the launch industry, but 22 launch year does look to be achievable for SpaceX, particularly once the company has two Eastern launch pads up and running.
Catch the post-launch briefing in its entirety below.
News
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.
News
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 bear Michael Burry got blunt with his beliefs over the company’s valuation, which he called “ridiculously overvalued” in a newsletter to subscribers this past weekend.
“Tesla’s market capitalization is ridiculously overvalued today and has been for a good long time,” Burry, who was the inspiration for the movie The Big Short, and was portrayed by Christian Bale.
Burry went on to say, “As an aside, the Elon cult was all-in on electric cars until competition showed up, then all-in on autonomous driving until competition showed up, and now is all-in on robots — until competition shows up.”
Tesla bear Michael Burry ditches bet against $TSLA, says ‘media inflated’ the situation
For a long time, Burry has been skeptical of Tesla, its stock, and its CEO, Elon Musk, even placing a $530 million bet against shares several years ago. Eventually, Burry’s short position extended to other supporters of the company, including ARK Invest.
Tesla has long drawn skepticism from investors and more traditional analysts, who believe its valuation is overblown. However, the company is not traded as a traditional stock, something that other Wall Street firms have recognized.
While many believe the company has some serious pull as an automaker, an identity that helped it reach the valuation it has, Tesla has more than transformed into a robotics, AI, and self-driving play, pulling itself into the realm of some of the most recognizable stocks in tech.
Burry’s Scion Asset Management has put its money where its mouth is against Tesla stock on several occasions, but the firm has not yielded positive results, as shares have increased in value since 2020 by over 115 percent. The firm closed in May.
In 2020, it launched its short position, but by October 2021, it had ditched that position.
Tesla has had a tumultuous year on Wall Street, dipping significantly to around the $220 mark at one point. However, it rebounded significantly in September, climbing back up to the $400 region, as it currently trades at around $430.
It closed at $430.14 on Monday.
Tesla Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign
Tesla sees sharp November rebound in China as Model Y demand surges
