Tag: Starbase
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Flight 12 vehicles readying for 2026 opener
SpaceX is rapidly advancing the assembly of Super Heavy Booster 19 at its Starbase facility, completing stacking before the end of December, minimizing delays to the program’s next orbital flight test following the failure of Booster 18 last month. With Ship 39 also at an advanced stage of preparation, both vehicles will next undergo a…
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SpaceX advances Starbase upgrades at the launch site
SpaceX continues rapid infrastructure improvements at its Starbase facility in South Texas, with demolition work progressing on the original Pad 1 while construction and testing advance on the newer Pad 2, along with a new ASU facility for on-site commodities. These efforts are aimed at supporting future versions of the Starship vehicle and increasing launch…
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SpaceX gets Environmental Approval for Starship at SLC-37
After waiting the requisite time for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), SpaceX now has environmental approval to build a Starship launch complex at SLC-37. Not much has changed between the draft and final EISs, but there is still tons of information about where the launch pads will be built, along with some new statistics on…
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Booster 19 stacking begins as SpaceX pushes forward from B18 anomaly
Following the anomaly with Booster 18, SpaceX is pushing ahead with the construction of Booster 19 and the subsequent testing of the Block 3 test tanks. However, ahead of Flight 12, there are still many milestones to finish, including building a new booster and completing the new launch pad. Booster 18, Booster 19, B18.1, and…
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Booster 18 suffers anomaly during proof testing
SpaceX rolled out the next generation of Starship to Masseys for testing, but during a routine gas system pressure test as SpaceX calls it, the Liquid Oxygen Tank ruptured. This leaves SpaceX with no Block 3 Boosters to test with after just finishing stacking Booster 18, 16 days ago. Booster 18 See Also SpaceX Starship…
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Preparing pads for SpaceX’s future Starship cadence
As SpaceX ramps up production and testing of its Starship vehicles and engines, significant advancements are unfolding across key launch infrastructure, ranging from the readiness of Pad 2 at Starbase and 39A at KSC to the demolition of parts of Pad 1 ahead of its alignment with SpaceX’s standardized launch site for the future. From…
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SpaceX progress on Starship Pad realignment for the future
SpaceX has intensified demolition efforts at Starbase’s Pad 1, in tandem with making significant steps toward constructing an advanced launch infrastructure for its Starship program at Starbase and the Kennedy Space Center. Eventually, all three pads are expected to be near mirrors of each other, hosting the next generation Starship launches. Over at Starbase’s Pad…
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Starship Block 3 and HLS: The path to get back to the Moon
Amid numerous questions about whether SpaceX can have the Human Landing System (HLS) variant of Starship ready in time for Artemis 3, the company released a significant amount of information on its progress with HLS and Starship in relation to the Artemis Program. Starship Human Landing System (HLS) SpaceX recently released an update regarding Starship…
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Starbase Pad 1 demolition begins for Next-Gen upgrades
SpaceX has kicked off a significant demolition and upgrade phase at its Starbase facility, targeting Pad 1 to align it with the advanced capabilities of Pad 2. The work, which began shortly after the successful Flight 11 mission, involves dismantling key components of the launch infrastructure to accommodate Version 3 Starships and Super Heavy boosters.…
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Starbase Pad 1 ends an era, enters preparations for the next phase
After 11 Flights and many tests, the booster test stand turned launch mount has reached the end of its life. Pad 1 propelled the Starship program through the early years and now moves towards the new phase of operations. Start of Construction and First Testing Construction on Pad 1 began around July 2020, when crews…