News
SpaceX proves viability of Falcon 9 reuse, SES agrees to 2nd launch on used booster
SES will launch its SES-11 satellite aboard a previously recovered Falcon 9 first stage, according to new information provided to Spaceflight Now.
The company, Luxembourg-based telecommunications provider, made history earlier this year by enabling the first commercial reuse of an orbital-class rocket with the launch of its SES-10 satellite. Weighing in at just under 5,300kg, SES-10 marked the heaviest geostationary launch SpaceX has yet to conduct while still recovering the first stage. SES-11 will be approximately 100kg heavier at launch, and will make for a thorough test of Falcon 9’s recovery limits if SpaceX chooses to attempt it.
While not guaranteed, it is expected that SES-11 will launch aboard the same first stage that lifted CRS-10 into orbit earlier this year. Launching Dragons to low Earth orbit (LEO) makes for a considerably cooler and less damaging recovery for Falcon 9 first stages, likely leading to an easier refurbishment process. SES-10 utilized the same first stage that launched SpaceX’s CRS-8 mission.
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- CRS-8 also happened to mark the first successful ASDS recovery of a Falcon 9 booster. (SpaceX)
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- While not fully accurate, given that Ariane 5 carries two satellites per launch, this chart is still a profound demonstration of the rapid progress SpaceX has made in ensuring a more competitive commercial launch industry. (SpaceX)
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- SpaceX recovered core 1031, which launched CRS-10, in February 2017. (SpaceX)
Barely 16 months ago, CRS-8’s recovery marked the first ever sea-based recovery of a Falcon 9. Since that major accomplishment, SpaceX has recovered seven stages aboard their fleet of drone ships, landed four stages at their Florida-based landing pad, and successfully conducted the first two commercial reuses of recovered first stages. SES-11, currently scheduled for no earlier than September 27th, would mark the company’s third successful reuse. SES continues to demonstrate growing trust in SpaceX’s cutting-edge approach to shrinking launch costs, as the reused launch of SES-11 would mean that the telecom company has chosen to launch twice in a row on recovered Falcon 9s.
A first stage was captured near Hawthorne, CA, courtesy of an Instagram user. (Instagram /u/pooyagoudarzi)
After the successful launch of SES-10 in March of this year, SES was not yet willing to commit to a specific launch, although the company did state that they would be open to using reused stages again in the future. Three months later, SpaceX launched BulgariaSat-1, once again demonstrating successful reuse. It is clearer than ever that SpaceX’s relentless dedication to iterative technological improvement is making waves in both the company’s customer base and the launch industry worldwide. As SpaceX further lowers the cost of booster refurbishment, this disruption will only continue to grow.
Meanwhile, over on the West Coast, there are unconfirmed reports that the first stage that launched the Iridium-2 mission in late June – core 1036 – has recently arrive at SpaceX’s Hawthorne facilities to be refurbished for reuse at some later date. A photo was taken a handful of days ago and comments suggest that it is indeed 1036. Shotwell’s recent interview on The Space Show indicated 6 potential reuses in 2017, including the first launch of Falcon Heavy. FH, SES-10, BulgariaSat-1, and SES-11 account for 5 of those 6 reuses, making it likely that 1036 is aiming for another flight before the end of the year.
Source: Spaceflight Now
Elon Musk
Brazil Supreme Court orders Elon Musk and X investigation closed
The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has ordered the closure of an investigation involving Elon Musk and social media platform X. The inquiry had been pending for about two years and examined whether the platform was used to coordinate attacks against members of the judiciary.
The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.
According to a report from Agencia Brasil, the investigation conducted by the Federal Police did not find evidence that X deliberately attempted to attack the judiciary or circumvent court orders.
Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet concluded that the irregularities identified during the probe did not indicate fraudulent intent.
Justice Moraes accepted the prosecutor’s recommendation and ruled that the investigation should be closed. Under the ruling, the case will remain closed unless new evidence emerges.
The inquiry stemmed from concerns that content on X may have enabled online attacks against Supreme Court justices or violated rulings requiring the suspension of certain accounts under investigation.
Justice Moraes had previously taken several enforcement actions related to the platform during the broader dispute involving social media regulation in Brazil.
These included ordering a nationwide block of the platform, freezing Starlink accounts, and imposing fines on X totaling about $5.2 million. Authorities also froze financial assets linked to X and SpaceX through Starlink to collect unpaid penalties and seized roughly $3.3 million from the companies’ accounts.
Moraes also imposed daily fines of up to R$5 million, about $920,000, for alleged evasion of the X ban and established penalties of R$50,000 per day for VPN users who attempted to bypass the restriction.
Brazil remains an important market for X, with roughly 17 million users, making it one of the platform’s larger user bases globally.
The country is also a major market for Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, which has surpassed one million subscribers in Brazil.
Elon Musk
FCC chair criticizes Amazon over opposition to SpaceX satellite plan
Carr made the remarks in a post on social media platform X.
U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Amazon after the company opposed SpaceX’s proposal to launch a large satellite constellation that could function as an orbital data center network.
Carr made the remarks in a post on social media platform X.
Amazon recently urged the FCC to reject SpaceX’s application to deploy a constellation of up to 1 million low Earth orbit satellites that could serve as artificial intelligence data centers in space.
The company described the proposal as a “lofty ambition rather than a real plan,” arguing that SpaceX had not provided sufficient details about how the system would operate.
Carr responded by pointing to Amazon’s own satellite deployment progress.
“Amazon should focus on the fact that it will fall roughly 1,000 satellites short of meeting its upcoming deployment milestone, rather than spending their time and resources filing petitions against companies that are putting thousands of satellites in orbit,” Carr wrote on X.
Amazon has declined to comment on the statement.
Amazon has been working to deploy its Project Kuiper satellite network, which is intended to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink service. The company has invested more than $10 billion in the program and has launched more than 200 satellites since April of last year.
Amazon has also asked the FCC for a 24-month extension, until July 2028, to meet a requirement to deploy roughly 1,600 satellites by July 2026, as noted in a CNBC report.
SpaceX’s Starlink network currently has nearly 10,000 satellites in orbit and serves roughly 10 million customers. The FCC has also authorized SpaceX to deploy 7,500 additional satellites as the company continues expanding its global satellite internet network.
Energy
Tesla Energy gains UK license to sell electricity to homes and businesses
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
Tesla Energy has received a license to supply electricity in the United Kingdom, opening the door for the company to serve homes and businesses in the country.
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
According to Ofgem, the license took effect at 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday and applies to Great Britain.
The approval allows Tesla’s energy business to sell electricity directly to customers in the region, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.
Tesla has already expanded similar services in the United States. In Texas, the company offers electricity plans that allow Tesla owners to charge their vehicles at a lower cost while also feeding excess electricity back into the grid.
Tesla already has a sizable presence in the UK market. According to price comparison website U-switch, there are more than 250,000 Tesla electric vehicles in the country and thousands of Tesla home energy storage systems.
Ofgem also noted that Tesla Motors Ltd., a separate entity incorporated in England and Wales, received an electricity generation license in June 2020.
The new UK license arrives as Tesla continues expanding its global energy business.
Last year, Tesla Energy retained the top position in the global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator market for the second consecutive year. According to Wood Mackenzie’s latest rankings, Tesla held about 15% of global market share in 2024.
The company also maintained a dominant position in North America, where it captured roughly 39% market share in the region.
At the same time, competition in the energy storage sector is increasing. Chinese companies such as Sungrow have been expanding their presence globally, particularly in Europe.
Brazil Supreme Court orders Elon Musk and X investigation closed
FCC chair criticizes Amazon over opposition to SpaceX satellite plan
