Tag: Starbase
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Flight 12: Ship 39 rolls out to Masseys to begin testing
After spending a few months in Mega Bay 2 fully stacked, Ship 39 – the first V3 Ship – has rolled to Masseys for cryogenic proof testing. This is a key milestone ahead of Flight 12, with its partner, Booster 19, also in preparations, with engine installation currently taking place. Ship 39 Since stacking was…
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Starbase Pad 2 prepares to receive Booster 19 ahead of Block 3 milestones
SpaceX conducted a successful full test of the water-cooled top deck on the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM) at Pad 2 on Monday, marking a significant milestone in preparing the facility to handle the immense thrust of 33 Raptor 3 engines on the next-generation Super Heavy Booster. The test demonstrated the system’s ability to manage extreme…
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FAA Approves Starship Launches From Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A
The Federal Aviation Administration has approved SpaceX’s plans to launch its Starship system from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, potentially enabling the first mission from the site before the end of the year. Until now, all Starship test flights have been conducted from SpaceX’s Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas. The…
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Starbase’s launch site lays groundwork to double in size
While pushing for Flight 12, SpaceX has received approval to nearly double the launch site’s size at Starbase. With this approval, SpaceX will be able to complete the redesign of Pad 1 and add additional capabilities to the Starbase launch site. Pad 1 Redesign Shortly after Flight 11, SpaceX began the long process of converting…
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Booster 19 Rolls out to Masseys for Cryogenic Proof Testing
Following Booster 18’s failure during a pressure test, SpaceX went ahead and set a new record for stacking a booster in the Starship Program, to try and get Block 3 and the program at large back on track. And this weekend, crews rolled Booster 19 out to Masseys for cryogenic proof testing to hopefully kick…
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Florida Starship progress with launch sites at KSC and Cape
Although there has been a pause in launch operations as SpaceX transitions Starship to the Block 3 variant, the company continues to lay the foundations for a rapid launch cadence of its monster rocket out of Starbase and on the East Coast. Florida will see Starship launch out of LC-39A and SLC-37, with the former…
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The future of Starship’s Pad 1 tower and launch mount
With the last Block 2 flight lifting off on Oct. 14th, 2025, SpaceX has no more need for Pad 1’s current infrastructure. However, Pad 1 still has a significant future ahead; it is undergoing major rework and redesign that will enable it to accommodate Block 3 launches, resembling Pad 2, but without starting entirely from…
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TPS evaluations taking place at Starbase on next two Ships to fly
SpaceX continues to accelerate production of its next-generation Starship vehicles at the Starfactory facility in Starbase, Texas. With vehicles up to Ship 48 in various stages of assembly and preparation, attention is now focused on the first two Block 3 vehicles slated to fly in 2026. Both are undergoing detailed inspections of their Thermal Protection…
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SpaceX laying the Starship foundations for 2026 and beyond
The Starship program had an eventful year in 2025, with five full-stack test flights, of which only two resulted in the ship landing. SpaceX also began construction of both Giga Bays, one in Starbase and one at Roberts Road. LC-39A in Florida made significant progress in construction, and environmental approval was given for the start…
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Starship Barge identified ahead of Starbase to KSC transports
SpaceX is gearing up for a new chapter in its ambitious Starship program, with the company confirming the successful trial run of a specialized transport barge for moving massive Starship vehicles from its Starbase facility in Texas to launch sites on Florida’s Space Coast. NSF’s Julia Bergeron identified the Marmac 31 vessel, leading to confirmation…