Tag: Starship
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SpaceX Version 3 Starship Static Fire Targets May Orbital Test
What’s New in SpaceX’s Version 3 Starship That Just Completed Static Fire Testing? SpaceX successfully completed a static fire test of its Version 3 Starship prototype on April 15, marking a critical milestone before the vehicle’s planned May orbital test flight. The test fired all six Raptor engines for approximately 8 seconds at the company’s…
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SpaceX continues refinements at Starbase Pad 2 ahead of Booster 19 return
SpaceX’s Pad 2 at Starbase is continuing to refine its preparations for the return of Booster 19, with deluge testing and even load testing the Ship Quick Disconnect (SQD) arm. This time, Flight 12’s booster will be sporting its full complement of 33 engines, with the subsequent Static Fire test the biggest milestone for the…
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Progress on Starbase Pads ahead of Block 3 Starships
In a flurry of ground activity that underscores SpaceX’s relentless drive for launch cadence, engineers at the company’s Starbase facility are overhauling Launch Pad 1 while putting the finishing touches on Pad 2. These parallel efforts—centered on a massive new flame trench, an on-site Air Separation Unit (ASU), expanded propellant storage, and critical tower testing—are…
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Booster 19 concludes initial test campaign on Pad 2
Starship Flight 12 took another step toward launch, with Booster 19 completing an initial test campaign on the newly commissioned Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. Culminating in a short Static Fire test, the series of tests was a first for Pad 2, the Block 3/V3 Super Heavy Booster, and for the upgraded Raptor 3 outside…
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From Steel Rolls to Starship at the Starfactory
As SpaceX accelerates its ambitious goal of sending humans to the Moon and Mars, the company’s Starship production complex at Starbase, Texas, has undergone a dramatic transformation, highlighted by the construction of Starfactory and the GigaBay. Starfactory: In early 2022, SpaceX broke ground on a massive new facility known as the Starfactory at its Starbase…
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NASA inspector general assesses agency’s management of moon lander risk
An artist’s impression of an Apollo-era lunar module (left) and moon landers being built by Blue Origin (center) and SpaceX (right). Graphic: NASA Office of Inspector General NASA is working to reduce the risks of upcoming Artemis moon missions, but there are “gaps” in the agency’s approach, including in planned tests of some critical lander…
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SpaceX’s Enters a new era with Booster 19 Testing on Pad 2
For the first time since Flight 11 on Oct 13, 2025, 147 days ago, SpaceX has a vehicle back at the launch site. However, instead of a Block 2 booster on Pad 1, this is Booster 19, a Block 3 booster, mounted on SpaceX’s newest launch pad, Pad 2. This launch pad has been under…
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Starship Flight 12: Ship 39 moving through preflight test objectives
Progress on the path to Flight 12 continues to be focused on testing at Massey’s test site at Starbase, with Ship 39 passing multiple cryoloading objectives. The testing follows Booster 19’s successful “proofing” at Massey’s, setting the stage for another major milestone, booster rollout and Static Fire testing on Pad 2. Following its rollout from…
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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…