News
SpaceX rocket test-fired for first Starlink launch since in-flight engine failure
Just a month after an automatic launch abort sequence and subsequent in-flight engine failure, the SpaceX Falcon 9 is ready to return to flight. SpaceX’s sixth Starlink V1.0 and seventh overall launch of 60 Starlink satellites – initially expected on April 16th later delayed to April 23rd – will mark the triumphant return of a flight-proven booster.
Early on Thursday, April 16th – a week ahead of the scheduled launch attempt – the flight-proven B1051 Falcon 9 booster fully stacked with the integrated payload of 60 flat-stacked Starlink satellites, rolled out to Launch Complex 39-A at Kennedy Space Center. Just over twenty-four hours later on Friday, April 17th, the rocket and payload were raised into the vertical launching position. At noon on Friday, SpaceX teams conducted a wet dress rehearsal fully fueling the first stage booster with propellant – rocket grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX) – before successfully conducting a full-duration, pre-launch ignition of all nine Merlin 1D engines while holding the rocket in place – called a static fire.
Shortly after the test completion, SpaceX confirmed the targeted Thursday, April 23rd launch attempt scheduled for 3:16 pm EDT from LC-39A via the company’s Twitter account. Along with the launch date, SpaceX confirmed that the upcoming Starlink-6 mission (seventh overall) will be the fourth attempted launch and recovery of booster B1051. This booster previously supported launches from three different launchpads in Florida and California. Perhaps most notably, it supported the successful first uncrewed demonstration mission of the Crew Dragon capsule in March of 2019.
SpaceX also confirmed that the protective nosecone encapsulating the satellite payload, called the payload fairing, is also recovered and reused flight-proven hardware. To date, SpaceX has reused fairing halves twice. Both instances have been conducted on internal Starlink missions, one in November 2019 and the most recent on March 18th’s Starlink-5 mission. Both featured fairing halves that were recovered after landing softly in the water of the Atlantic ocean. Ultimately, only the fairing halves of the most recent March 18th Starlink-5 mission were successfully recovered. The recovery attempt during November’s mission was called off due to rough seas.
According to SpaceX, April 23rd’s upcoming Starlink-6 mission will feature fairing halves recovered from the AMOS-17 mission launched in August of 2019. As previously covered by Teslarati, the mission resulted in a fairing half caught in a large net mounted atop one of the company’s fairing recovery vessels, GO Ms. Tree. The other half was scooped up after a gentle water landing. Starlink-6 will be the first time that a fairing half caught in a net is re-used in conjunction with a half recovered from the water. If the fairing halves perform nominally, as expected, it will help SpaceX to push the envelope of flight-proven hardware reuse even further.
Closely mirroring the Starlink-5 mission, SpaceX will once again launch from LC-39A and utilize a slightly altered mission profile. This will allow the Falcon 9’s second stage to deliver the 60 flat-stack satellites to an elliptical, rather than circular, orbit intended to reduce stress during booster re-entry and landing. Although used with previous missions, this particular mission profile has yet to result in a successful booster recovery.
-->If successful, Starlink-6 will be the first time a booster lands on the autonomous spaceport drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” since this boosters last landing in January 2020 following the successful Starlink-4 mission. As of Sunday morning, April 19th, “Of Course I Still Love You” departed Port Canaveral to travel to the recovery zone some 629km downrange ahead of Thursday’s launch attempt. The crew recovery vessel, GO Quest, followed shortly thereafter. The two fairing recovery vessels GO Ms. Tree and GO Ms. Chief are expected to leave port early in the week as the ships are built for speed and will reach the destination much quicker.
Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes.
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.
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 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
