Tag: Starbase
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SpaceX eyes tower catch for next Starship after auspicious end to 13th flight
SpaceX was more than lucky Friday, sending its 13th full-scale Starship test flight halfway around the world from South Texas to an on-target, intact splashdown in a remote section of the Indian Ocean. Starship has made precise splashdowns before. This time, however, the ship gently tipped over and came to rest floating in a remote…
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SpaceX Plans Natural Gas Pipeline to Support Starship Operations in Texas
SpaceX is planning to construct a natural gas pipeline in Texas to supply fuel for its Starship launch operations, according to regulatory filings reviewed by Reuters and the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal. SpaceTechnology The proposed pipeline would extend approximately eight miles from the Port of Brownsville to the company’s Starbase launch and manufacturing facility.…
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Ship 40 completes single-engine static fire; Booster 20 and Pad 2 see new work
SpaceX rolled out Ship 40 for engine testing, but after completing only a single engine test and what appeared to be an abort, it was rolled back to Mega Bay 2. The full test of all of Ship 40’s engines has yet to be completed, though time remains as Booster 20 appears to still be…
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Booster 20 Completes Cryo, As Ship 40 Nears Static Fire
With the completion of Flight 12 about three weeks ago, all focus is now on Flight 13 and its vehicles, Booster 20 and Ship 40. To date, both have completed cryogenic proof testing and are now set up to complete static fire testing next. Booster 20 Booster 20 only recently completed cryo proof testing when…
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Booster 20 into Cryogenic Testing ahead of Starship Flight 13
Starship Flight 12 may have only recently concluded, but SpaceX’s Starbase teams are already deep into preparations for the next integrated flight test. The latest milestone involves the rollout of Booster 20 (B20), the Super Heavy booster assigned to Flight 13, as it moved from Megabay 1 to Massey’s test site and has begun cryogenic…
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Following Starship V3 debut, SpaceX prepares for follow up
Starship Version 3 flew for the first time this week in a mission of several firsts, performing notably better than previous version debuts, demonstrating that the upgraded vehicle remains on track to become the workhorse Super Heavy Lift Launch vehicle for SpaceX. However, some issues require resolution before SpaceX returns to booster catches. Flight 12:…
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SpaceX’s Starship V3—still a work in progress—mostly successful on first flight
SpaceX launched the first test flight of its upgraded Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster Friday, with mostly positive results. The powerful rocket, propelled by 33 methane-fueled main engines, climbed away from SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility in South Texas at 5:30 pm CDT (6:30 pm EDT; 22:30 UTC) Friday. Within a few seconds, the 408-foot-tall…
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Launch preview: SpaceX tries again for first launch of its Starship Version 3 rocket
SpaceX scrubbed the planned launch of its Starship-Super Heavy rocket on the Flight 12 mission on May 21, 2026. Image: Spaceflight Now Update May 21, 8:03 p.m. EDT (0003 UTC): SpaceX scrubbed the mission after dipping in and out of multiple holds at T-minus 40 seconds. SpaceX stood down from its first attempt to launch…
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Starship Flight 12: Block 3 Impresses on First Flight
On Friday, May 22, 2026, at 5:30:21 pm CDT, Starship Flight 12 lifted off from Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. This stack, which comprised Ship 39 and Booster 19, was the first Block 3 stack to fly for the Starship Program. As well as launching from the completely redesigned Pad 2 at Starbase. This flight…
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Launch Preview: Falcon 9, Electron, and Vega C launch missions alongside Starship Flight 12
Six launches are scheduled worldwide during the next week, with the 12th flight of SpaceX’s Starship serving as the headline. Outside of Starship, SpaceX is scheduled to launch three Starlink missions on Falcon 9 from the company’s launch facilities in California and Florida. Internationally, Avio launched the joint European and Chinese SMILE mission atop a…