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SpaceX's latest reusable rocket booster returns to port to prepare for next launch
The first new Falcon 9 booster SpaceX has debuted in almost half a year safely returned to port after a successful first launch and landing, setting the reusable rocket up to fly again in the near future.
On December 5th, after a brief 24-hour weather-related delay, new Falcon 9 booster B1059 lifted off on its first mission, successfully sending flight-proven Cargo Dragon capsule C106 to orbit for the third time before the rocket slowed itself down and landed on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY).
Over the next three or so days, the SpaceX spacecraft gradually boosted and tweaked its orbit to rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS) and ultimately began its ISS approach and berthing maneuvers on December 8th. A few hours after that, ISS astronauts successfully ‘caught’ Dragon with the station’s massive robotic arm and gently berthed the spacecraft at an open port.
Less than a day before Dragon arrived at the ISS, effectively completing the majority of its CRS-19 resupply mission, the Falcon 9 booster that launched the spacecraft wrapped up a successful launch debut by returning to a different kind of port. Falcon 9 B1059 returned to Port Canaveral aboard drone ship OCISLY on the morning of December 7th and was quickly released from SpaceX’s robotic Octagrabber robot and lifted onto dry land.
SpaceX’s 13th successful Falcon booster recovery of 2019, B1059’s return to port also marked the first flight of a new Falcon booster since June 25th – almost half a year prior. By the numbers, B1059 was subjected to a relatively gentle atmospheric reentry prior to landing aboard OCISLY, meaning that it should be easier for SpaceX technicians and engineers to recertify the rocket and turn it around for its next launch.
Depending on where SpaceX and NASA stand, the booster’s second launch could happen anywhere from 2-4 months from now. Given that NASA currently allows SpaceX to fly reused boosters on NASA missions only if those boosters have exclusively flown NASA missions in the past, B1059 could end up supporting CRS-20, SpaceX’s next and last Cargo Dragon (Dragon 1) mission. CRS-20 is scheduled to launch no earlier than (NET) March 2020 and will be followed by the launch debut of Crew Dragon’s Cargo variant as soon as August 2020, another possibility for B1059’s second flight.
However, if SpaceX follows in the footsteps of CRS-19 and instead prioritizes rapid customer launches over saving a given gently-used booster for another NASA mission, B1059 could be a prime candidate for an extremely rapid turnaround, perhaps supporting an internal SpaceX Starlink launch or any number of other customer satellite launches in early 2020. On the other hand, it’s possible that B1059 suffered an unusually damaging reentry for unknown reasons, although it’s hard to judge from photos and a layperson perspective alone.
From a few angles, it almost appears as if B1059’s white paint was completely burned or scoured off in places, leaving a distinct transition between the edge of remaining paint and the booster’s distinctly metallic-looking skin underneath it. Falcon 9’s main structure is almost entirely built out of a high-performance aluminum-lithium alloy and sealed (and partially shielded) with a multilayer temperature and corrosion-resistant coating. If B1059’s tank coating was indeed partially burned off during reentry, SpaceX will almost certainly have to perform uniquely detailed inspections to verify the structural integrity of its propellant tanks, perhaps preventing a rapid (record-breaking) turnaround.
Either way, Falcon 9 B1059 was quickly lifted off of OCISLY and technicians even managed to retract all four of the new booster’s deployable landing legs, a great sign that SpaceX is confident that the booster is in fine shape. With the addition of B1059, SpaceX’s fleet of flight-proven, flightworthy Falcon 9 boosters is now eight strong – nine if Crew Dragon’s unflown Demo-2 booster is included. That fleet will continue to grow as SpaceX gradually introduces new boosters for increasingly rare military and NASA missions.
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Tesla is pushing back against the unfair reporting of accidents involving its vehicles. Many media outlets were quick to jump to conclusions about a fatal accident involving a Tesla in Katy, Texas, that happened recently.
The driver of the vehicle, which slammed into a brick house and killed a woman inside, stated the car was operating on Autopilot. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Head of AI Ashok Elluswamy both challenged that claim, with Elluswamy revealing last night that the system was overridden by the driver, who pressed the accelerator pedal “all the way to 100%.”
Tesla finally clarifies fatal Texas crash, confirms driver manually overrode acceleration
The car reached a speed of 73 MPH during the crash, Elluswamy detailed, and stated that the accelerator pedal was even pressed after the crash.
The story has been spread throughout the media with either incomplete or incorrect reporting, with some stories still not updated nearly 24 hours after Musk and Elluswamy posted answers about the crash on X.
The reporting has been a thorn in the side of Tesla for several years. Vehicle accidents involving Teslas are usually reported with the manufacturer’s name in the headline, while other companies are free of criticism when their cars are involved in accidents.
Here’s an example of that:
So you don’t report the vehicle’s make when it isn’t a Tesla, but you do report it when it is a Tesla?
The vehicle in your post above is a Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV. pic.twitter.com/4WT3sZ2DHm— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 17, 2026
Many media outlets stated the car was in “self-driving mode” or “Autopilot mode” when the car crashed. The truth is, now that Tesla has chimed in, that the driver had manually overriden the system by pressing the accelerator. Elluswamy commented on the unfair reporting:
“This blatantly irresponsible reporting does more harm to people than they realize.
Using Tesla self-driving is far safer than manual driving, and this was measured over 10B miles.
Planting such FUD in the minds of general public, who might not know the all the facts, might prevent them from using this technology that makes them safer.”
This blatantly irresponsible reporting does more harm to people than they realize.
Using Tesla self-driving is far safer than manual driving, and this was measured over 10B miles.
Planting such FUD in the minds of general public, who might not know the all the facts, might…
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) June 22, 2026
The damage these headlines do to Tesla and the self-driving car movement is unexplainable. Most people do not realize the safeguards that are in place with Tesla’s self-driving functions; many people who have used it know the car would never travel at that speed in a residential area, not even on the most aggressive “Mad Max” setting.
It is important to remember that Tesla Full Self-Driving is not autonomous, and the company never claimed it was. Drivers are still responsible for paying attention and remaining vigilant. They must be able to take over at all times.
Tesla Supercharging is getting yet another layer of gamification, as the company is rolling out a new competition that could win Free Supercharging miles.
Tesla is ramping up its efforts to make vehicle ownership more engaging through gamification. In June 2026, the company announced the 2026 Free Supercharging Competition, building on the Charging Passport feature introduced the previous year. This initiative turns Supercharging into a competitive, collectible adventure while offering substantial real-world incentives.
🚨 Tesla is taking its gamification of Supercharging a step further with the launch of the 2026 Free Supercharging Contest:
“In January 2027, Tesla will celebrate nine outstanding Supercharger users from 2026 by awarding them free Supercharging for their Tesla vehicle for as… pic.twitter.com/CPPYJLJwFD
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 23, 2026
The Charging Passport, rolled out late last year, functions like a digital travel log or a year-in-review for Tesla owners. These types of things are used by many platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, which show listeners what type of taste they had for the year.
Accessed in the Tesla App under the ‘Charging’ section, it displays a map of visited Superchargers, key stats, such as total energy charged (kWh), number of unique sites, total charging sessions, top charging day, and miles added. Owners earn collectible Charging Badges in categories, which include:
- Charging Milestones – for total energy, consecutive weeks of Supercharging, or unique sites visited
- Iconic Chargers – for Flagship Locations or stations near famous landmarks
- Special Events – limited-time badges for specific experiences. These badges appear within 24 hours of qualifying activity and provide a fun, shareable recap of an owner’s Supercharging journeys. Milestone progress resets annually, allowing fresh challenges each year
The 2026 contest elevates this gamification by rewarding top performers with lifetime free Supercharging. All Supercharging sessions from January 1 to December 31, 2026, count toward the competition. To participate, owners must enable “Share Charging Data with Tesla App” in vehicle settings and open the 2026 Charging Passport in the app at least once before January 1, 2027.
Nine winners will be selected — three per region (Americas, Asia-Pacific, and EMEA, with some countries excluded for regulatory reasons) — one in each of three categories:
- Longest Trip: Longest continuous streak of unique Supercharger locations where each new site is visited within 24 hours of the previous session’s start time
- Most Unique Supercharger Sites Visited: Highest number of distinct locations
- Most Energy Supercharged: Highest total in kWh charged at Superchargers
A unique site is defined as shown in the Tesla app or vehicle navigation. Repeat visits during a streak are allowed but do not extend the count. Ties are broken by total energy charged. Ineligible participants include vehicles already receiving free Supercharging, commercial-use vehicles (taxi, rideshare, delivery), Tesla employees and their immediate families, and residents of certain excluded countries.
Winners receive free Supercharging on the winning vehicle for as long as they own or lease it.
This contest is part of Tesla’s broader gamification strategy. The Safety Score has long rewarded safe driving habits with a numerical rating that can influence insurance rates or feature access. The referral program incentivizes owners with credits or free Supercharging months for successful referrals.
In-app statistics, streaks, and community features further encourage engagement. Older third-party apps even awarded “mayor” titles for frequenting specific Superchargers.
By combining digital badges, competitive leaderboards, and high-value rewards, Tesla boosts network utilization, gathers usage data, and fosters deeper owner loyalty. The 2026 Free Supercharging Competition invites enthusiasts to plan epic road trips while turning everyday charging into a rewarding pursuit. With the Passport already proving popular, expect heightened activity across the Supercharger network throughout the year.
Tesla is atop the American-Made Index from Cars.com for the sixth-straight year, as the Model 3 and Model Y took the top two spots, respectively.
Last year, the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X took the top four spots, respectively. The company has routinely performed well in the Index. However, Tesla discontinued its flagship Model S and Model X earlier this year, which took the two cars out of the ranking.
Cybertruck is not considered due to its curb weight being above the 8,500-pound threshold, which eliminates it from being required to have more detailed assembly information.
Cars.com uses five main categories to develop its rankings:
- Location(s) of final assembly
- Percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts
- Countries of origin for all available engines
- Countries of origin for all available transmissions
- U.S. manufacturing workforce
These five major factors are then put into a 100-point scale. The vehicles with the highest scores sit atop the list. The Model 3 edged out the Model Y.
🇺🇸 The Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y have been put atop the American-Made Index from https://t.co/PXZ0g1pPb6, meaning they are the most American vehicles you can possibly buy.
This is the SIXTH-STRAIGHT year a Tesla has been listed as the most American-made vehicle: pic.twitter.com/HyraOmaxSL
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 23, 2026
Tesla uses a strong domestic strategy to build its cars and parts domestically. It relies on intense vertical integration that reduces its dependence on global suppliers, keeping more value and jobs in the United States.
This strategy has helped Tesla gain a strong reputation for domestically produced vehicles and parts. However, it helps it with more than just awards like this one. Keeping a supply chain local has also helped insulate Tesla more than others from tariffs and supply chain disruptions.
This year’s American-Made Index from Cars.com studied nearly 400 vehicles from the 2026 model year. Tesla was the only manufacturer to have an EV inside the Top 10. The Kia EV9 was the next EV to make the list, scoring the 17th position.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 was 21st, and the final EV to make the list was the Cadillac LYRIQ in 77th.
Tesla pushes back against unfair reporting of accidents
Tesla gets another layer of gamification with Free Supercharging on the line
