{"id":18177,"date":"2019-01-17T01:53:14","date_gmt":"2019-01-16T17:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacex-says-itll-build-and-test-its-starship-prototypes-in-texas-not-los-angeles\/"},"modified":"2019-01-17T01:53:14","modified_gmt":"2019-01-16T17:53:14","slug":"spacex-says-itll-build-and-test-its-starship-prototypes-in-texas-not-los-angeles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacex-says-itll-build-and-test-its-starship-prototypes-in-texas-not-los-angeles\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX says it\u2019ll build and test its Starship prototypes in Texas, not Los Angeles"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_474395\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-474395\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-474395\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/190116-starshp-630x530.jpg\" alt=\"Starship test vehicle under constructon\" width=\"630\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/190116-starshp-630x530.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/190116-starshp-768x646.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/190116-starshp-1260x1060.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/190116-starshp.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-474395\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted this picture of a Starship prototype under construction in Texas in December. (Elon Musk via Twitter)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>SpaceX says it\u2019ll build and test the prototypes for its next-generation Starship space cruiser and Super Heavy booster in South Texas, despite&nbsp;a deal it struck to build a rocket factory&nbsp;at the Port of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>At least by some accounts, the turnabout is a setback to Los Angeles\u2019 efforts to build a high-tech \u201cSilicon Harbor\u201d at the port, with SpaceX\u2019s planned 18-acre site on Terminal Island as the centerpiece. The Los Angeles City Council&nbsp;approved a 20-year lease agreement with billionaire CEO Elon Musk\u2019s company in May.<\/p>\n<p>City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who touted the deal as \u201cgame-changing for our city\u201d when it was approved, spread the news today (and tried to look at the bright side) in an early-morning pair of tweets:<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1085533761922461696&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2019%2Fspacex-says-itll-build-test-starship-prototypes-texas-rather-los-angeles%2F&amp;sessionId=2cbade811c4b1707aab87eeefdec06d88171113f&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782801854362216357=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">While I feel crushed about #SpaceX pulling the #SuperHeavy out of the @PortofLA, I feel confident that other innovators will see the huge value they get in San Pedro. (1\/2)<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Joe Buscaino (@JoeBuscaino) January 16, 2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1085533883079114752&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2019%2Fspacex-says-itll-build-test-starship-prototypes-texas-rather-los-angeles%2F&amp;sessionId=2cbade811c4b1707aab87eeefdec06d88171113f&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782801854362216357=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We are well on our way toward creating an innovation district and #SiliconHarbor where you can take a water taxi or a @Bird or @Lime scooter to work. @ElonMusk saw the value, others will too. (2-2)<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Joe Buscaino (@JoeBuscaino) January 16, 2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>SpaceX, based in Hawthorne, Calif., confirmed the change of plans in a statement:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cTo streamline operations, SpaceX is developing and will test the Starship test vehicle at our site in South Texas. This decision does not impact our current manufacture, design, and launch operations in Hawthorne and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Additionally, SpaceX will continue recovery operations of our reusable Falcon rockets and Dragon spacecraft at the Port of Los Angeles.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The development isn\u2019t a complete surprise, for a couple of reasons. Over the past few weeks, the first version of the Starship test vehicle, known as the Starship Hopper, has been taking shape at SpaceX\u2019s South Texas facility near Boca Chica Beach&nbsp;\u2014 and Musk has said that short-hop test flights would be launched from Texas as well, potentially in March or April.<\/p>\n<p>Having the hardware built close to where it\u2019s tested is more in line with SpaceX\u2019s drive to make its operations leaner, as the company emphasized in last week\u2019s announcement of workforce reductions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are building the Starship prototypes locally at our launch site in Texas, as their size makes them very difficult to transport,\u201d Musk explained today in a tweet.<\/p>\n<p>However, Musk also said development work for Starship and its methane-fueled Raptor engines would continue to be done at SpaceX\u2019s Hawthorne headquarters. He said any confusion about SpaceX\u2019s plans was due to \u201cour miscommunication.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If SpaceX follows through on Musk\u2019s grand plan, Starship is destined to become the company\u2019s primary transport vehicle for trips to and from the moon, Mars and other solar system destinations.&nbsp;Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has already signed up for a round-the-moon trip&nbsp;on the Starship in the 2023 time frame, and Musk wants to begin sending settlers to Mars in the mid-2020s.<\/p>\n<p>The Super Heavy booster would be used to push the refuelable Starship out of Earth\u2019s gravity well, and then it would fly itself back to its landing pad. Last month, Musk said in a tweet that Super Heavy hardware would \u201cstart getting built in spring.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted this picture of a Starship prototype under construction in Texas in December. (Elon Musk via Twitter) SpaceX says it\u2019ll build and test the prototypes for its next-generation Starship space cruiser and Super Heavy booster in South Texas, despite&nbsp;a deal it struck to build a rocket factory&nbsp;at the Port of Los [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4263,316,4328,1898],"class_list":["post-18177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-spacex","tag-spacex-starship","tag-texas"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18177"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18177\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}