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SpaceX set for third Falcon 9 reuse in October, swaps a 2018 launch with Arianespace
Satellite operator and manufacturer SES has decided to juggle launches between SpaceX and Arianespace, a French launch provider.
Made for a number of reasons related to the economics of satellite operation and launch date uncertainty, SES has chosen to have SpaceX launch the heavier SES-12 satellite in Q1 of 2018, and Arianespace will now launch SES-14 “early Q1” of 2018. SES has experienced difficulties with some of its operational satellites that have led to decreased revenue, and the goal with the launch swap is to guarantee that SES will have an operational, revenue-generating satellite in place a few weeks sooner than they might have had if relying on SpaceX’s uncertain launch date.
The relationship between launch providers and launch customers has long been a complex legal process, but the upside with this flip is that thorough contracts anticipated this possibility and allowed SES flexibility in the eventuality that they need to expedite launches or change launch vehicles. It is intriguing that SES would adopt the necessary risks associated with switching launch vehicles months before launch to maybe gain an extra few weeks of additional revenue, but SES has admittedly had a difficult year for satellite reliability.
SES-12, the satellite SpaceX is now contracted to launch, weighs about 1000 kg more than SES-14 and will be pushing the limits of Falcon 9 recovery at ~5300 kg. Both satellites are completely electric, meaning they utilize efficient ion propulsion, which lowers the amount of fuel needed and allows satellite manufacturers to include far more revenue-generating payload on a satellite. The downside of ion propulsion is that it produces far less thrust than the average chemical rocket, meaning that all-electric satellites take months to reach their operational orbits, compared to a handful of weeks with chemical propulsion.
The SES-12 satellite SpaceX is expected to launch early next year. (SES)
While admittedly heavy, SpaceX will almost certainly attempt booster recovery following the launch of SES-12, unless SES requests that the launch be expendable. An expendable launch could potentially benefit SES by expediting the satellite’s trip to geostationary orbit, thus providing the company more revenue. However, this would have likely been acknowledged in SES’ press release. As such, we can look forward to a toasty booster recovery, likely sporting titanium grid fins to cope with the intense heating the core will experience.
Nearer term, SES-11 is pressing ahead for an early-October launch this year, and will mark SpaceX’s third commercial re-flight of a recovered Falcon 9 first stage. SES has long been one of the most avid and committed supporters of SpaceX, and the two companies built a relationship and signed contracts by 2011, before SpaceX’s Falcon 9 had even conducted its inaugural flight. SES has been and likely will continue to be a crucial example of the success of reuse.
-->Meanwhile, SpaceX is looking to conduct its next launch on September 7th, and static fire attempt is expected Thursday, August 31 at their LC-39A launch pad in Florida. This mission will launch the USAF’s secretive X-37B spaceplane into a low Earth orbit, and while there will likely be no views of the payload on the livestream, that likely means that SpaceX will focus heavily on the booster recovery. NROL-76 was the last launch that featured this focus, and it produced some incredible views of the first stage as it returned to Earth.
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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
