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SpaceX reuses Falcon 9 booster for second spy satellite launch in two months

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3 years ago

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Using the same Falcon 9 booster, SpaceX has successfully completed its second National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) spy satellite launch in a little over two months.

Falcon 9 booster B1071 debuted on February 2nd, 2022, carrying the NROL-87 payload and a Falcon second stage (S2) most of the way into space before landing just ~400 meters (~1400 ft) away from where it lifted off. Falcon S2 later inserted the payload – one or several spy satellites – into a circular 513-kilometer (~320 mi) polar orbit. In theory, Falcon 9 can launch up to nine metric tons (~20,000 lb) to NROL-87’s orbit, while past missions imply a payload mass somewhere between two and four tons. The NRO’s infamous secrecy means that it could be decades before the purpose of the mission is so much as hinted at.

During the webcast, SpaceX confirmed that it would reuse Falcon 9 booster B1071 on a future NRO launch. A month and a half later, the NRO confirmed that that future launch – scheduled as early as April 15th – was NROL-85.

The NRO also stated that NROL-85 would be “a lot like NROL-87.” While true at a surface level, mission reference documents released before launch contracts were rewarded showed NROL-85 heading to an orbit of 1221 x 1024 kilometers (759 x 636 mi) at an inclination of 63 degrees – significantly different than NROL-87’s relatively normal sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). That unique and specific orbit led unofficial outside observers to immediately class NROL-85 as a new pair of “NOSS-3/INTRUDER” naval espionage satellites – an identity that SpaceX’s official mission patch may or may not have subtly confirmed.

Regardless, flying for the second time, Falcon 9 booster B1071 again performed nominally after lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base’s (VSFB) SLC-4 facilities just before sunrise on April 17th – pushed back from April 15th by small technical and weather issues. As usual, at the request of the NRO, SpaceX showed no footage of the upper stage and ended the launch webcast immediately after Falcon 9’s landing. An hour later, the NRO confirmed that the launch was a success.

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While more contracts will assuredly be awarded in the near future, SpaceX only has one more NRO contract on record and that launch – NROL-69 – is scheduled no earlier than Q3 2023. Having successfully completed two back-to-back NRO launches, Falcon 9 B1071 will almost certainly enter SpaceX’s general-purpose fleet and begin supporting a range of other mission types.

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Tesla launches new Model S and Model X, and the changes are slim

Tesla’s newest versions of its flagship vehicles have arrived with some slim changes.

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12 minutes ago

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June 12, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially launched the newest versions of its flagship Model S and Model X vehicles, but the changes are pretty slim, which is something we expected when a couple cars were spotted during public testing recently.

The new “refreshed” Model S and Model X were spotted recently by The Kilowatts, and the changes appeared to be a new front camera, a new color, and only a handful of other changes.

Tesla officially announced the launch of the Model S and Model X on Thursday night, and here’s what it listed as the changes to the two vehicles:

  • Frost Blue paint color
  • Up to 410 miles of range (Model S Long Range – our longest range Tesla yet)
  • Even quieter inside: less wind + road noise & more effective Active Noise Cancellation
  • New wheel designs & improved aerodynamics = more range
  • Front fascia camera for better visibility
  • Dynamic ambient lighting that brings unique animations along the dash & doors upon entry
  • An even smoother ride thanks to new bushings & suspension design
  • Adaptive driving beams
  • New exterior styling for Model S Plaid, optimized for high-speed stability
  • More space for 3rd row occupants & cargo (Model X)

We expected most of these changes, especially the new Frost Blue paint color, as it was spotted by The Kilowatts in its initial coverage of the cars being spotted a few weeks back. Here’s what it looks like officially:

Some of the changes are familiar from the Model Y Refresh, which featured the quieter interior through acoustic-lined glass, a front fascia camera, new bushings, and suspension improvements for a smoother ride.

However, Tesla did refine the Model S Plaid’s exterior for “optimized high-speed stability.” You can see the difference between the two below:

The front-end air diffusers are much deeper, and the front end is more boxy than the previous iteration of the Plaid Model S.

Here are some more images of the Model S that Tesla released in a teaser video:

Tesla sells such a low volume of the Model S and Model X that it was probably less than likely that the company would put endless manpower and effort into completely redesigning it. CEO Elon Musk said a few years ago that the two cars would only stay in production for “sentimental reasons.” 

While they are very special to the Tesla family, they are not incredibly important to the mission of the company.

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Tesla owners across the globe prepare for Robotaxi launch with this neat customization

Tesla will eventually have Robotaxis worldwide. Some owners are already preparing.

Published

47 minutes ago

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June 12, 2025

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Credit: @HanChulYong | X

Tesla owners are already preparing for the company’s launch of the Robotaxi platform with a new, neat customization that is appearing around the world.

On Tuesday, the first Tesla Robotaxi test mule was spotted in Austin, where the company will launch the first driverless rides of this ride-hailing service. At first, it will be a limited rollout, reserved for a select few. CEO Elon Musk said public rides could occur as soon as June 22.

First Tesla driverless robotaxi spotted in the wild in Austin, TX

However, the Tesla Robotaxi platform is not one that will be confined to cities and geofenced to certain areas.

Eventually, Tesla will gain enough confidence to roll the Full Self-Driving software straight to every car in the customer fleet that paid for it. Owners will be able to generate income for themselves while they sleep, as the cars will operate as ride-hailing vehicles for people to use for transportation.

In an effort to prepare for the launch of Robotaxi, Tesla owners across the globe are installing Tesla’s ‘Robotaxi’ word art on their cars.

Here’s one in South Korea:

Here’s another in the U.S.:

Obviously, this is more of a symbol of support for the Robotaxi launch, but many owners are recognizing that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software will extend to them the ability to use their personal cars as ride-hailing vehicles, becoming a part of the global fleet of self-driving chauffeurs.

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Tesla sues former Optimus engineer for stealing trade secrets

Tesla is suing a former engineer who worked on Optimus after he left and immediately started a robotics company that achieved quick development of a hand.

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8 hours ago

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June 12, 2025

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Credit: Elon Musk | X

Tesla is suing former Optimus engineer Jay Li in federal court after accusing him of stealing trade secrets and using them to enable a startup he founded after he left.

Li is accused of stealing confidential files and using them to help get his company, “Proception,” off to a rocking start. Tesla says the files Li took helped his new startup “shortcut the typical development process” for robot hands, something that took Tesla years to develop and evolve.

The company said in the complaint (via Reuters):

“Through Li’s pilfering, Defendant Proception purportedly achieved in a matter of months what it has taken Tesla over four years, hundreds of employees, and billions of dollars to achieve.”

Li was an employee at Tesla for several years, working on the Optimus sensor team from 2022 to 2024. The company says it utilized and devoted “extraordinary resources” to the development of Optimus, which has come a long way since its unveiling several years ago.

Tesla Optimus to receive hands with 22 degrees of freedom later this year

Li allegedly downloaded confidential files related to Optimus’ robotic hand movement research before departing the company. He did not work on the hands at the time. However, he left and swiftly started Proception, as the suit states the company was founded just six days after he left Tesla.

Proception was gloating about its ability to build robotic hands just five months after the company was founded. Tesla says the hands have “striking similarities” to its own design for Optimus.

The company is looking for monetary damages and a court order that would block Proception from misusing the secrets it accuses Li of taking.

This is not the first suit Tesla has filed over trade secrets and confidential information theft. Recently, it accused German-Canadian dual citizen Klaus Pflugbeil of stealing battery-related secrets. He was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison.

Men accused of selling Tesla battery secrets arrested in undercover sting

The U.S. Department of Justice used an undercover sting to arrest Pflugbeil.

Tesla is being represented by Josh Krevitt, Orin Snyder, and Angelique Kaounis of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher.

The case is Tesla Inc. v. Perception Inc., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 5:25-cv-04963.

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