Tag: Starbase
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Musk outlines Starship progress towards self-sustaining Mars city
SpaceX Chief Designer Elon Musk has provided the first overview for the Starship Program since 2019, announcing a roadmap towards building a self-sustaining city on Mars. With Starship, a rapid and completely reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle, as the focal point, Musk hopes to achieve the goal of an orbital test launch this year, followed…
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Booster 4 and Ship 20 pair up for Starship update
Providing a backdrop to Elon Musk’s long-awaited Starship update, Booster 4 and Ship 20 have been fully stacked at the Orbital Launch Site. Booster 4 was lifted onto the Mount on Sunday, ahead of the use of the Mechazilla chopsticks to stack Ship 20 on Wednesday night. Musk is set to present the latest updates…
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Raptor 2 testing at full throttle on the SpaceX McGregor test stands
Numerous Raptor 2 engines are now being put through their paces at SpaceX’s test center in McGregor, involving static fire testing at the five test bays, ahead of the evolved engine being shipped to Starbase to be involved in future launches. While Booster 4 and Ship 20 remain at the launch site, Boosters 7 and…
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Chopsticks tested ahead of first Mechazilla stacking operation
Having conducted the first series of Mechazilla catch and stack systems tests, SpaceX’s Starship program has come one step closer to seeing another fully stacked Starship on the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM). Several tests were conducted with the chopsticks, paving the way for the first lift of a booster and a ship’s potential stacking following…
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Starbase setting the stage for ambitious 2022 launch campaign
SpaceX is lining up a fleet of vehicles for an ambitious 2022 test campaign, opening with the first orbital velocity test in January or February, followed by the potential of around 12 flights during the year. Backing up that ambition is the production cadence at Starbase, with sections for Ship 24 recently spotted while numerous…
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Amid Ship 20 test success, Starbase prepares future Starships
With a significant milestone under its belt, Ship 20 awaits the next steps in preparing for an orbital velocity flight test, likely watching on as Super Heavy Booster 4 undergoes a more ambitious ground test campaign. The continued preparations with Ship 20 and Booster 4 continue amid a traffic jam of vehicles back at the…
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What to expect from the next round of Starship testing
SpaceX is preparing for the third static firing of the Raptors on board Ship 20 later this week. This is underlined by a series of road closures and a Notices to Mariners (NOTMAR) in place. This test series might be the first of the Starship program to involve up to six engines, including three Raptor…
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Major elements of Starship Orbital Launch Pad in place as launch readiness draws nearer
With the maiden orbital flight of Starship approaching, Orbital Launch Pad A in Starbase, Texas, is being built up to launch readiness. Over a year of construction has brought the complex’s various elements to the verge of launching the most powerful rocket in history. Assembly Timeline SpaceX started construction of the orbital launch pad on June…
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Ship 20 completes milestone RVac Static Fire – Musk cites ambitious path to launch
Ship 20 completed another milestone with Static Fire testing on Thursday evening. Following a preburner test earlier in the week, the RVac engine fired up for the first time on a Starship. Then, it fired up again, this time accompanied by a sea-level Raptor ignition, later in the evening. Meanwhile, another milestone was achieved at…
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Ship 20 prepares for Static Fire – New Raptor 2 factory rises
The new Raptor factory is now rising out of the ground at SpaceX’s Rocket Development and Test Facility in McGregor, Texas. Tasked with supplying Raptor 2 engines to the Starship Program, SpaceX is laying the foundations for its rapidly reusable rocket. With the Launch Tower in the process of gaining its “Mechazilla” stacking and catching…