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SpaceX gears up for back-to-back Starlink launch, Starship hop [webcast]
Barring delays, SpaceX plans to launch a new batch of Starlink satellites and hop a Starship prototype for the second time ever within the same 12-hour period today.
Originally expected to be paired with yet another Falcon 9 launch on August 30th, SpaceX’s first three-flight day was prevented by bad weather both in Florida and Texas. The company’s SAOCOM 1B mission, however, managed to thread the needle through storm cells, launching on schedule around 7pm – the first United States’ first East Coast polar launch in half a century.
Initially rescheduled for September 1st, SpaceX’s Starlink-11 (12th overall, 11th v1.0) launch was delayed again to September 3rd to allow “additional time for data review.” The mission is now scheduled to launch no earlier than 8:46 am EDT (UTC-4) on Thursday, September 3rd. Simultaneously, on August 30th, SpaceX’s sixth full-scale Starship prototype made it less than a minute away from liftoff before its hop test was called off – the trigger likely being high winds.
While unrelated to Florida’s own bad weather, to avoid mediocre conditions expected over the next few days, SpaceX also pushed Starship SN6’s hop debut to Wednesday, September 3rd soon after the Sunday abort. That hop is expected to be identical to Starship SN5’s spectacular August 4th debut – the first flight of any full-scale prototype.
While neither ship has a nosecone or aerodynamic control surfaces (i.e. flaps) installed, their propellant tanks and engine section – unlike Starhopper – are effectively the same as SpaceX’s orbital Starship design. Refinements and upgrades are all but guaranteed as SpaceX continues an ambitious program of prototype flight tests, but the tanks and engine sections of future operational Starships will likely look quite similar to those flying on SN5 and SN6.
Starship SN6’s hop debut is now scheduled to occur during an 8am to 8pm CDT (UTC-5) test this Thursday. Meanwhile, SpaceX’s Starlink-11 Falcon 9 mission will lift off less than half an hour before Starship’s hop window opens, although Starlink windows are instantaneous and require at least a 24-hour scrub in the event of any weather or technical delays. Based on past hop and static fire tests, SN6 is unlikely to lift off before 11am but could theoretically launch anytime within that 12-hour window.
After launch, Falcon 9 booster B1060 will attempt its second drone ship landing aboard Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY), while Starship SN6 will attempt to land just a few hundred feet east of its Boca Chica pad. SpaceX will broadcast a hosted webcast of the Starlink-11 launch beginning around 15 minutes before liftoff, while Starship SN6’s second hop attempt can be viewed via unofficial webcasts from LabPadre, NASASpaceflight, and others.
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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.
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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 bear Michael Burry got blunt with his beliefs over the company’s valuation, which he called “ridiculously overvalued” in a newsletter to subscribers this past weekend.
“Tesla’s market capitalization is ridiculously overvalued today and has been for a good long time,” Burry, who was the inspiration for the movie The Big Short, and was portrayed by Christian Bale.
Burry went on to say, “As an aside, the Elon cult was all-in on electric cars until competition showed up, then all-in on autonomous driving until competition showed up, and now is all-in on robots — until competition shows up.”
Tesla bear Michael Burry ditches bet against $TSLA, says ‘media inflated’ the situation
For a long time, Burry has been skeptical of Tesla, its stock, and its CEO, Elon Musk, even placing a $530 million bet against shares several years ago. Eventually, Burry’s short position extended to other supporters of the company, including ARK Invest.
Tesla has long drawn skepticism from investors and more traditional analysts, who believe its valuation is overblown. However, the company is not traded as a traditional stock, something that other Wall Street firms have recognized.
While many believe the company has some serious pull as an automaker, an identity that helped it reach the valuation it has, Tesla has more than transformed into a robotics, AI, and self-driving play, pulling itself into the realm of some of the most recognizable stocks in tech.
Burry’s Scion Asset Management has put its money where its mouth is against Tesla stock on several occasions, but the firm has not yielded positive results, as shares have increased in value since 2020 by over 115 percent. The firm closed in May.
In 2020, it launched its short position, but by October 2021, it had ditched that position.
Tesla has had a tumultuous year on Wall Street, dipping significantly to around the $220 mark at one point. However, it rebounded significantly in September, climbing back up to the $400 region, as it currently trades at around $430.
It closed at $430.14 on Monday.
Tesla Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign
Tesla sees sharp November rebound in China as Model Y demand surges
