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[Update] SpaceX rocket launch kicks off a potentially record-smashing year for Falcon 9
Update: After spinning itself around its vertical axis a bit like a propeller, SpaceX’s expendable Falcon 9 upper stage has successfully released a massive stack of 60 Starlink v1.0 satellites for the second time in two months. Designing to tolerate the occasional bump during their bizarre deployment, those 60 satellites will quickly spread out in space and deploy their solar arrays an hour or so after separating from Falcon 9’s upper stage.
Perhaps as early as later this evening or sometime on January 7th, all 60 satellites will fire up their krypton ion thrusters, beginning the process of temporarily raising their orbits to 350 km (220 mi). Once there, SpaceX will more extensively verify the health of each spacecraft and – if all looks well – send all 60 on their way to a final circular 550 km (340 km) orbit where they will join their brethren and begin operating as communications satellites.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 has kicked off what could be a record-smashing year, potentially making SpaceX the world’s most prolific launch company thanks in large part to the game-changing reusability of its Falcon rockets.
At 9:19 pm ET on January 6th (02:19 UTC, Jan 7), Falcon 9 booster B1049’s nine Merlin 1D engines came to lift, lifting the two-stage rocket and its payload of 60 Starlink satellites off the pad and sending them on their way to orbit. Minutes later, the Falcon 9 booster shut off – completing its fourth successful launch in 17 months – and flipped around with small cold-gas thrusters, beginning its trip back down to Earth.
Less than nine minutes after lifting off from SpaceX’s LC-40 pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Falcon 9 B1049 began its landing burn and gently touched down on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY), stationed more than 600 km (375 mi) downrange in the Atlantic Ocean. Seconds later, the mission’s expendable Falcon 9 upper stage shut off its Merlin Vacuum (MVac) engine, completing the first of two burns and placing the rocket and its Starlink payload in a parking orbit.
Known as Starlink V1 L2, referring to the second launch of Starlink v1.0 satellites, this mission crossed off several SpaceX milestones – both internal and external. For Falcon 9, it marked the company’s 48th successful landing of an orbital-class rocket booster, as well as the second time SpaceX has successfully launched and landed the same booster (this time B1049) four times in a row.
Even more significantly, it’s almost certain that – so long as all 60 Starlink V1 L2 satellites successfully deploy and begin orbit-raising – SpaceX will have become the owner and operator of the world’s largest commercial satellite constellation. After tonight’s launch, SpaceX’s Starlink internet constellation will likely measure some 175 operational satellites strong less than eight months after the company began dedicated internal launches.
Assuming drone ship OCISLY safely returns Falcon 9 B1049 to port and including SpaceX’s successful November 2019 Starlink V1 L1 launch, the company now possesses two Falcon 9 boosters – B1048 and B1049 – that have successfully performed four separate orbital-class launches apiece. With two rockets in hand, SpaceX should be able to far more accurately determine just how well they’re standing up to the rigors of the latest reusability milestone, hopefully giving the company the data it needs to rapidly turn around one or both boosters for a fifth launch in the near future.
SpaceX has 20-24 Starlink launches planned for 2020, so the company will have a wealth of opportunities to push its fleet of reusable rockets to their limits, ranging from attempting nth booster reuses to testing and expanding the envelope of SpaceX’s nascent payload fairing reuse program.
In fact, fairing recovery ship GO Ms. Tree is perhaps just a few minutes away from her third successful fairing half catch – set to occur roughly 45 minutes after Falcon 9’s 9:19 pm EST liftoff. At the same time, Falcon 9’s upper stage is coasting in low Earth orbit (LEO) and preparing to ignite one more time to circularize its orbit and send SpaceX’s third batch of 60 Starlink satellites on their way. Stay tuned for updates later tonight!
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Tesla dispels reports of ‘sales suspension’ in California
“This was a “consumer protection” order about the use of the term “Autopilot” in a case where not one single customer came forward to say there’s a problem.
Sales in California will continue uninterrupted.”
Tesla has dispelled reports that it is facing a thirty-day sales suspension in California after the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issued a penalty to the company after a judge ruled it “misled consumers about its driver-assistance technology.”
On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the California DMV was planning to adopt the penalty but decided to put it on ice for ninety days, giving Tesla an opportunity to “come into compliance.”
Tesla enters interesting situation with Full Self-Driving in California
Tesla responded to the report on Tuesday evening, after it came out, stating that this was a “consumer protection” order that was brought up over its use of the term “Autopilot.”
The company said “not one single customer came forward to say there’s a problem,” yet a judge and the DMV determined it was, so they want to apply the penalty if Tesla doesn’t oblige.
However, Tesla said that its sales operations in California “will continue uninterrupted.”
It confirmed this in an X post on Tuesday night:
This was a “consumer protection” order about the use of the term “Autopilot” in a case where not one single customer came forward to say there’s a problem.
Sales in California will continue uninterrupted.
— Tesla North America (@tesla_na) December 17, 2025
The report and the decision by the DMV and Judge involved sparked outrage from the Tesla community, who stated that it should do its best to get out of California.
One X post said California “didn’t deserve” what Tesla had done for it in terms of employment, engineering, and innovation.
Tesla has used Autopilot and Full Self-Driving for years, but it did add the term “(Supervised)” to the end of the FSD suite earlier this year, potentially aiming to protect itself from instances like this one.
This is the first primary dispute over the terminology of Full Self-Driving, but it has undergone some scrutiny at the federal level, as some government officials have claimed the suite has “deceptive” naming. Previous Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was vocally critical of the use of the name “Full Self-Driving,” as well as “Autopilot.”
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New EV tax credit rule could impact many EV buyers
We confirmed with a Tesla Sales Advisor that any current orders that have the $7,500 tax credit applied to them must be completed by December 31, meaning delivery must take place by that date. However, it is unclear at this point whether someone could still claim the credit when filing their tax returns for 2025 as long as the order reflects an order date before September 30.
Tesla owners could be impacted by a new EV tax credit rule, which seems to be a new hoop to jump through for those who benefited from the “extension,” which allowed orderers to take delivery after the loss of the $7,500 discount.
After the Trump Administration initiated the phase-out of the $7,500 EV tax credit, many were happy to see the rules had been changed slightly, as deliveries could occur after the September 30 cutoff as long as orders were placed before the end of that month.
However, there appears to be a new threshold that EV buyers will have to go through, and it will impact their ability to get the credit, at least at the Point of Sale, for now.
Delivery must be completed by the end of the year, and buyers must take possession of the car by December 31, 2025, or they will lose the tax credit. The U.S. government will be closing the tax credit portal, which allows people to claim the credit at the Point of Sale.
🚨UPDATE: $7,500 Tax Credit Portal “Closes By End of Year”.
This is bad news for pending Tesla buyers (MYP) looking to lock in the $7,500 Tax Credit.
“it looks like the portal closes by end of the year so there be no way for us to guarantee the funds however, we will try our… pic.twitter.com/LnWiaXL30k
— DennisCW | wen my L (@DennisCW_) December 15, 2025
We confirmed with a Tesla Sales Advisor that any current orders that have the $7,500 tax credit applied to them must be completed by December 31, meaning delivery must take place by that date.
However, it is unclear at this point whether someone could still claim the credit when filing their tax returns for 2025 as long as the order reflects an order date before September 30.
If not, the order can still go through, but the buyer will not be able to claim the tax credit, meaning they will pay full price for the vehicle.
This puts some buyers in a strange limbo, especially if they placed an order for the Model Y Performance. Some deliveries have already taken place, and some are scheduled before the end of the month, but many others are not expecting deliveries until January.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk takes latest barb at Bill Gates over Tesla short position
Bill Gates placed a massive short bet against Tesla of ~1% of our total shares, which might have cost him over $10B by now
Elon Musk took his latest barb at former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates over his short position against the company, which the two have had some tensions over for a number of years.
Gates admitted to Musk several years ago through a text message that he still held a short position against his sustainable car and energy company. Ironically, Gates had contacted Musk to explore philanthropic opportunities.
Elon Musk explains Bill Gates beef: He ‘placed a massive bet on Tesla dying’
Musk said he could not take the request seriously, especially as Gates was hoping to make money on the downfall of the one company taking EVs seriously.
The Tesla frontman has continued to take shots at Gates over the years from time to time, but the latest comment came as Musk’s net worth swelled to over $600 billion. He became the first person ever to reach that threshold earlier this week, when Tesla shares increased due to Robotaxi testing without any occupants.
Musk refreshed everyone’s memory with the recent post, stating that if Gates still has his short position against Tesla, he would have lost over $10 billion by now:
Bill Gates placed a massive short bet against Tesla of ~1% of our total shares, which might have cost him over $10B by now
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2025
Just a month ago, in mid-November, Musk issued his final warning to Gates over the short position, speculating whether the former Microsoft frontman had still held the bet against Tesla.
“If Gates hasn’t fully closed out the crazy short position he has held against Tesla for ~8 years, he had better do so soon,” Musk said. This came in response to The Gates Foundation dumping 65 percent of its Microsoft position.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sends final warning to Bill Gates over short position
Musk’s involvement in the U.S. government also drew criticism from Gates, as he said that the reductions proposed by DOGE against U.S.A.I.D. were “stunning” and could cause “millions of additional deaths of kids.”
“Gates is a huge liar,” Musk responded.
It is not known whether Gates still holds his Tesla short position.
Tesla dispels reports of ‘sales suspension’ in California
New EV tax credit rule could impact many EV buyers
