Tag: Starbase
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Booster 9 conducts pre-flight static fire test
SpaceX’s Super Heavy Booster 9 prototype has completed its pre-launch static fire test. This follows roughly two weeks after its first static fire attempt that ended prematurely at only half the expected duration. Work continues in parallel at Starbase to prepare Ship 25 for flight, which could occur in the next week or two, pending…
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Starship Update: Booster 9 wearing a crown, construction, and HLS test article
Preparations are taking place at Starbase for the upcoming second Starship test flight, with Booster 9 expected to return to the launch site in the coming days following the installation of its hot staging ring. Future vehicles are also being prepared for flight. At the same time, long-term aspirations are being worked on, with an…
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Let the review begin—SpaceX takes another step toward launching Starship again
The Federal Aviation Administration is now reviewing a mishap investigation report submitted by SpaceX regarding the company’s April test flight of its giant Starship rocket, a spokesperson for the regulatory agency said Tuesday. The milestone is noteworthy because it signals SpaceX has completed its investigation into the Starship test launch on April 20, which ended…
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Booster 9 removed from launch site ahead of hot stage ring tests
After the Static Fire of what appears to be 29 Raptor engines below Booster 9, SpaceX rolled back the first stage of the next flight test to the production site. Meanwhile, the hot staging extension is still at the Masseys test site as the company gets ready to test the most significant modification between flights…
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Starship Booster 9 and launch infrastructure moving into critical testing phase
After last week’s testing of Booster 9, the water deluge system, and other important activity at Starbase, the Starship program is now moving into a critical testing phase where Booster 9 conducted a static test firing of the Raptor engines with the water deluge in use. The Spin Prime test requirement – completed on Friday…
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Booster 9 rolls to the upgraded Starbase pad ahead of Static Fire test
Booster 9 has arrived at the Orbital Launch Site ahead of a Static Fire test, which will also be used to validate repairs and upgrades of Starship’s launch pad. That rollout is a key milestone in the campaign ahead of the second flight of the world’s most powerful rocket. SpaceX has also started the test…
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SpaceX focuses on launch site readiness ahead of Starship Flight 2
Progress toward the second flight of the world’s most powerful launch vehicle continues to take place at Starbase. With Ship 25 passing its six-engine Static Fire test, the focus has returned to completing upgrades to the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM), with the installation of a steel plate water deluge system now taking place. That will…
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SpaceX making more than 1,000 changes to next Starship rocket
SpaceX will debut numerous upgrades on the second launch of its full-scale Starship mega-rocket. Those upgrades include a major change in how the rocket’s two stages separate, propulsion system improvements, and a beefed-up launch pad in South Texas that should better withstand the blast from 33 main engines. “There are really a tremendous number of…
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Ship 25 begins engine testing as Starship launch pad work continues
Two months after Starship’s first integrated test flight, engine testing is already underway for Ship 25, the ship that will fly on the second launch of Starship. At the same time, SpaceX is approaching the final stretch of completing the foundation work needed at the orbital launch mount (OLM) from where Super Heavy and Starship…
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OLM mods as vehicles shuffle in preparation for upcoming test flights
Starbase continues to find itself in the midst of preparing for the next test flight of Starship, following the events of Booster 7 and Ship 24’s rise into the South Texas sky. Modifications to the launch site are the main watch item, as it readies for the installation of steel plates and a water deluge…