{"id":23586,"date":"2026-02-17T23:58:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:58:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/starbase-pad-2-prepares-to-receive-booster-19-ahead-of-block-3-milestones\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T23:58:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:58:20","slug":"starbase-pad-2-prepares-to-receive-booster-19-ahead-of-block-3-milestones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/starbase-pad-2-prepares-to-receive-booster-19-ahead-of-block-3-milestones\/","title":{"rendered":"Starbase Pad 2 prepares to receive Booster 19 ahead of Block 3 milestones"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The test demonstrated the system\u2019s ability to manage extreme heat and acoustic forces during launch, a critical upgrade for the Block 3 version of Starship, which will debut during Flight 12.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"&quot;Will this be enough water for Starship?&quot; | SpaceX Starbase\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lraIzk1uGz8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This water deluge system is designed to protect infrastructure from the booster\u2019s 33 Raptor 3 engines at liftoff, and is a major upgrade to the deluge system that was installed on Pad 1 to mitigate the issues experienced during the concrete tornado of Flight 1.<\/p>\n<p>Signs that the main testing was set to occur started with workers removing the scaffolding from the top deck of Pad 2\u2019s Orbital Launch Mount (OLM).<\/p>\n<p>Following five DSS (Detonation Suppression System) tests, the deluge was initiated late on Monday, with the top deck spewing water high into the air in an impressive display of how much pressure SpaceX has installed into the system.<\/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; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2023540057316237631&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fstarbase-pad-2-booster-19%2F&amp;sessionId=48b67aeb00eea019b910e429042e8df9db306e05&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"2023540057316237631\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1783492510420439257=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">WOW! Starbase Pad 2 water deluge is something else! <\/p>\n<p>33 Raptor 3 engines, no problem, I&#8217;m saying! https:\/\/t.co\/e3xbqPo4OD pic.twitter.com\/sE7BeoPNRF<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NSF \u2013 NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) February 16, 2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The upgraded Pad 2 will face its first major vehicle-integrated challenge later this month when Booster 19 rolls to the pad for a static fire test. Booster 19, the Block 3 Super Heavy designated for Starship Flight 12, recently completed rigorous cryogenic proof testing at the Massey\u2019s test site.<\/p>\n<p>Aerospace &amp; Defense<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Spaceflight history books<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Rocket building kits<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>\n<p>     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n<p>After multiple full cryo cycles without incident\u2014addressing issues that led to the scrapping of its predecessor, Booster 18\u2014the booster returned to Mega Bay 1 for installation of its 33 Raptor 3 engines.<\/p>\n<p>Final preparations at Pad 2 continue, including refinements to the ship quick disconnect arm. Additionally, a Buckner-owned LR11000 crawler crane is scheduled to install a new protective roof on the launch tower, likely to shield equipment during future ship catch attempts.<br \/>\n<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-112102\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-09-37-061.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1752\" height=\"977\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-09-37-061.jpg 1752w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-09-37-061-350x195.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-09-37-061-628x350.jpg 628w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-09-37-061-768x428.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-09-37-061-1170x652.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1752px) 100vw, 1752px\">Federal Aviation Administration Obstruction Evaluation\/Airport Airspace Analysis (OE\/AAA) filings indicate this roof work will occur between February 13 and March 16.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"widget-title penci-border-arrow\">See Also<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>SpaceX Starship Program<\/li>\n<li>L2 SpaceX Section<\/li>\n<li>NSF Store<\/li>\n<li>Click here to Join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Pad 2 has yet to flow cryogenic propellants into a vehicle, a key step remaining before full operations. This has sparked discussion within the space community about whether SpaceX will conduct a full-stack wet dress rehearsal (WDR)\u2014a comprehensive propellant loading test with both the booster and ship stacked on the pad.<\/p>\n<p>A WDR would provide invaluable data on how the new V3 vehicles interact with Pad 2\u2019s ground systems, potentially uncovering issues before an actual launch. Skipping it could lead to discoveries during high-stakes testing or flight.<\/p>\n<p>Given the introduction of two brand-new vehicle variants on a brand-new pad, a WDR makes strong operational sense, departing from SpaceX\u2019s more streamlined approach in recent campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond Pad 2, SpaceX is pushing to reactivate Pad 1 as a second operational launch site. With Pad 2 assuming primary responsibility for upcoming flights, crews have advanced the redesign of Pad 1 to match the latest standards, including a new water-cooled launch mount, flame trench, and chopstick catch system.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-112103\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-15-415.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1752\" height=\"977\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-15-415.jpg 1752w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-15-415-350x195.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-15-415-628x350.jpg 628w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-15-415-768x428.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-15-415-1170x652.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1752px) 100vw, 1752px\">Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) piling for the flame trench appears complete, with teams now driving sheet piles to contain soil and groundwater\u2014challenging work given the site\u2019s proximity to the water table, reminiscent of historical issues NASA faced at Florida\u2019s Kennedy Space Center pads.<\/p>\n<p>At the tank farm, venting from both oxygen and methane sides this week signals ongoing pre-vehicle shakedowns of valves and connections. These activities are expected to intensify as SpaceX refines the setup for higher launch cadence.<\/p>\n<p>Site expansion efforts to the south show steady progress, with groundwork focusing near Pad 1 to support new commodities trenches and service structures.<\/p>\n<p>The Air Separation Unit (ASU), vital for on-site propellant production, saw slower progress this week. Scaffolding remains around modules, and work continues on air compressors and motors, though plumbing and wiring connections have not yet begun.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-112104\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-59-356.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1752\" height=\"977\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-59-356.jpg 1752w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-59-356-350x195.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-59-356-628x350.jpg 628w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-59-356-768x428.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NSF-2026-02-17-23-11-59-356-1170x652.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1752px) 100vw, 1752px\">Notably, the SpaceX-owned LR11000 crane\u2014previously used for heavy ASU lifts\u2014has been laid down with its boom removed, likely in preparation for relocation to the launch site. Its next task may involve removing older, smaller horizontal methane storage tanks to make way for larger ones, further evolving the tank farm.<\/p>\n<p>As Booster 19\u2019s engine installation proceeds and Pad 2 nears readiness, the coming weeks will be pivotal in determining when Flight 12\u2014the debut of Starship Block 3\/V3\u2014will lift off from Starbase.<\/p>\n<p><em>Lead photo: Starbase Live.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-104822\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1.webp 2000w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-350x117.webp 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-630x210.webp 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-768x256.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-1920x640.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-1170x390.webp 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019s ability to manage extreme [&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":[752,7773,739,317],"class_list":["post-23586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-flight-12","tag-pad-2","tag-starbase","tag-starship"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23586"}],"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=23586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23586\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}