{"id":24216,"date":"2023-08-19T01:58:37","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T17:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/starship-update-booster-9-wearing-a-crown-construction-and-hls-test-article\/"},"modified":"2023-08-19T01:58:37","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T17:58:37","slug":"starship-update-booster-9-wearing-a-crown-construction-and-hls-test-article","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/starship-update-booster-9-wearing-a-crown-construction-and-hls-test-article\/","title":{"rendered":"Starship Update: Booster 9 wearing a crown, construction, and HLS test article"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Preparations are taking place at Starbase for the upcoming second Starship test flight, with Booster 9 expected to return to the launch site in the coming days following the installation of its hot staging ring. Future vehicles are also being prepared for flight. At the same time, long-term aspirations are being worked on, with an old, scrapped ship reappearing, now repurposed as the newest test article for NASA\u2019s Human Landing System.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Booster 9 was rolled back to the production site on the evening of Aug. 7, following Ship 25\u2019s rollback to the \u201crocket garden\u201d in the late evening of Aug. 4 and early morning of Aug. 5. Since then, both vehicles have remained at the production site to prepare them for additional on-pad testing followed by the second launch of the full Starship system.<\/p>\n<p>Booster 9 is set to return to the launch site in the coming days, with the installation of its hot staging ring now complete.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 725px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=Bubbinski&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=1692348236885803274&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2023%2F08%2Fstarship-update-aug-23%2F&amp;sessionId=87ab910e7c9577c982d42a7bee16dbf4d3571299&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-22=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1692348236885803274\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Long road closures have been posted for next week, pointing to the likelihood SpaceX will conduct a second set of Spin Prime and Static Fire tests.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"widget-title penci-border-arrow\">See Also<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>SpaceX Starship Section<\/li>\n<li>L2 SpaceX\/Starship Section<\/li>\n<li>Click here to Join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Should those tests go to plan, Ship 25 will then return for stacking atop Booster 9, which will allow for fit checks with the Ship Quick Disconnect (SQD), which is now higher on the tower to cater for the extra height of the installed hot staging ring.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; 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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>Astronomy<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>This ring will enable the ship to separate from the booster in-flight after igniting some of its Raptors while the booster is still burning three low-throttled engines. This system will replace an earlier, more complicated separation sequence.<\/p>\n<p>A full stack cryo will follow, and then all eyes will be on the FAA for their green light to resume launch operations, based on their findings relating to the maiden flight of Starship.<\/p>\n<p>Ship 25 is currently located in the rocket garden, having tiles added to its mounting points \u2013 which will bring the vehicle into its flight configuration.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Ship 28 is at the engine installation stand nearby to have its Raptor engines installed. Ships currently use three Raptor sea-level and three Raptor Vacuum engines with larger nozzles. This preparation suggests that Ship 28 may be the next ship to fly after Ship 25, although nothing is set in stone.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-2\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 581px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=Bubbinski&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-2&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1692515575988162834&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2023%2F08%2Fstarship-update-aug-23%2F&amp;sessionId=87ab910e7c9577c982d42a7bee16dbf4d3571299&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-22=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1692515575988162834\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Additional preparations for future flights have also been made at the former Masseys gun range-turned-test site. Structural testing on a hot staging ring test article has been performed to see how it holds up under flight stresses, with the assistance of weighted ropes that were tensioned by the test structure.<\/p>\n<p>The test site has proven to be a key element in SpaceX\u2019s goal of finding efficiencies in its test flow, with Booster 10 having conducted a full cryo test at the site before it then rolled back to the production site and has since re-entered the Mega Bay for its engine installations to take place.<\/p>\n<p>The Ship 26.1 article, also at Masseys, has been moved to the same area where earlier flight termination system tests took place. This does not mean these kinds of tests would necessarily be done on Ship 26.1, but it remains to be seen what will be done with that test article. A pressure test to failure is a possibility.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Work has continued apace at the OLM, with a new door being installed to replace one that was blown off during the first integrated Starship launch on April 20 of this year. Additional shielding has also been added to the OLM\u2019s legs to help protect them during future Starship launches.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-3\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 576px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=Bubbinski&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-3&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1691667292185092469&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2023%2F08%2Fstarship-update-aug-23%2F&amp;sessionId=87ab910e7c9577c982d42a7bee16dbf4d3571299&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-22=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1691667292185092469\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The booster quick disconnect (QD) fitting is also being tested after some work was performed on it. This testing is best done with a booster off of the OLM, as the QD is attached to the booster prior to launch. Venting has been seen from the QD fitting during testing; this would be expected since the fitting is used to transfer propellants and other commodities to the booster.<\/p>\n<p>A third water deluge tank has also been installed next to the OLM. This new deluge tank, which may be the last one to be added, offers additional capacity to the new system. It is not known yet whether this new capacity will enable additional launch attempts the same day after an abort.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, at the production site, five levels have been added to the new Megabay that has been under construction since May. No other pieces have been seen prefabricated at the Sanchez site that would indicate any additional full levels remain; however, the building still needs its roof. The LR11000 crane that had built up the new structure has now been lowered to be worked on.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-95285\" class=\"size-full wp-image-95285\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AEFAB8C8-2DCB-4B12-84C4-E6BF169773F9.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AEFAB8C8-2DCB-4B12-84C4-E6BF169773F9.jpeg 2000w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AEFAB8C8-2DCB-4B12-84C4-E6BF169773F9-350x233.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AEFAB8C8-2DCB-4B12-84C4-E6BF169773F9-525x350.jpeg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AEFAB8C8-2DCB-4B12-84C4-E6BF169773F9-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AEFAB8C8-2DCB-4B12-84C4-E6BF169773F9-1920x1281.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AEFAB8C8-2DCB-4B12-84C4-E6BF169773F9-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AEFAB8C8-2DCB-4B12-84C4-E6BF169773F9-585x390.jpeg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AEFAB8C8-2DCB-4B12-84C4-E6BF169773F9-263x175.jpeg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-95285\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image of the new ring structure being built at the Sanchez site. (Credit: Jack Beyer for NSF\/L2)<\/p>\n<p>While the new Megabay is still under construction, a new ring-like structure has been seen at the Sanchez site. It is not currently known what this structure is for. It bears some resemblance to the OLM ring, but this newer ring is made of much thinner steel. As the new structure is being built, other areas are also active. For example, Ship 29 has been moved around in the High Bay recently, while Ship 30 is also under construction there.<\/p>\n<p>A hint at the program\u2019s future plans for work on the HLS, or Human Landing System project, has come to light. Ship 22 was built during testing of the Booster 4\/Ship 20 combination and was rolled out of the High Bay \u2013 almost fully completed \u2013 in February 2022. It was later broken up and scrapped to prioritize Ship 24, which boasted many upgrades. However, the nose section of Ship 22 has been moved to a spot in Boca Chica Village recently.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-95286\" class=\"size-full wp-image-95286\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/67686DEA-77BD-48B3-A7E2-65B6A516BB30.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/67686DEA-77BD-48B3-A7E2-65B6A516BB30.jpeg 2000w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/67686DEA-77BD-48B3-A7E2-65B6A516BB30-350x233.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/67686DEA-77BD-48B3-A7E2-65B6A516BB30-525x350.jpeg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/67686DEA-77BD-48B3-A7E2-65B6A516BB30-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/67686DEA-77BD-48B3-A7E2-65B6A516BB30-1920x1281.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/67686DEA-77BD-48B3-A7E2-65B6A516BB30-1170x780.jpeg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/67686DEA-77BD-48B3-A7E2-65B6A516BB30-585x390.jpeg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/67686DEA-77BD-48B3-A7E2-65B6A516BB30-263x175.jpeg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-95286\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Ship 22 nosecone outfitted with a human-sized door seen to the left. (Credit: Jack Beyer for NSF\/L2)<\/p>\n<p>A placard marking the Ship 22 nose as an HLS article was spotted, as well as a human-sized door at the bottom of the nosecone. Together, this would seem to indicate that the nose is being turned into a mockup, possibly with a representative interior, for the HLS program intended to land the Artemis III and IV astronauts onto the Moon\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n<p>Much work remains to be done before the HLS program is ready to fly astronauts to the lunar surface. The Ship 22 nose mockup hints that work on the program is entering a more advanced stage, while the orbital refilling process and many other aspects of Starship human lunar landings still need to be demonstrated.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-90854\" class=\"size-full wp-image-90854\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/9142B842-C337-46B5-9212-00CB1D4A1E53.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1558\" height=\"935\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/9142B842-C337-46B5-9212-00CB1D4A1E53.jpeg 1558w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/9142B842-C337-46B5-9212-00CB1D4A1E53-350x210.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/9142B842-C337-46B5-9212-00CB1D4A1E53-583x350.jpeg 583w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/9142B842-C337-46B5-9212-00CB1D4A1E53-768x461.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/9142B842-C337-46B5-9212-00CB1D4A1E53-1170x702.jpeg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1558px) 100vw, 1558px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-90854\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Starship HLS lander on the Moon (Credit: Mack Crawford for NSF)<\/p>\n<p>The next immediate step necessary for HLS test flights \u2013 or any other Starship missions for that matter \u2013 is the second test flight of the full Starship system.<\/p>\n<p>Road closures \u2013 each from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM CDT and only meant for vehicle testing \u2013 have now been issued, with the primary closure being on Monday, Aug. 21 along with backup closures on Tuesday, Aug. 22 and Wednesday, Aug. 23. In addition, the US Coast Guard has now issued a hazard zone for launch activities on Aug. 31.<\/p>\n<p>While the road closures and hazard zone are positive signs for a launch in the near future, FAA approval for Starship\u2019s return to flight still needs to be granted.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Lead image: Booster 9 with its hot staging ring installed. Via Jack Beyer for NSF\/L2)<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>L2 Members gain full sets (large amounts) of high-resolution daily photos from our photographers. Super high-quality metal prints are also available in our store.<\/p>\n<p>For live updates, follow NASASpaceFlight\u2019s Twitter account and the NSF Starship Forum Sections.<\/p>\n<p>**Support NSF\u2019s YouTube channel by subscribing and\/or joining here**<\/p>\n<p>Grab some cool gear along with the ability to support our content: https:\/\/shop.nasaspaceflight.com\/<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.discordapp.com\/attachments\/1136391497537835059\/1138941645618958376\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner.png\"><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Is Spacex's Starship Too Ambitious Or Game-changing?\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pRyl5fDW5tg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-22=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Preparations are taking place at Starbase for the upcoming second Starship test flight, with Booster 9 expected to return to the launch site in the coming days following the installation of its hot staging ring. Future vehicles are also being prepared for flight. At the same time, long-term aspirations are being worked on, with an [&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":[1648,8374,813,8375,739,317],"class_list":["post-24216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-boca-chica","tag-booster-9","tag-hls","tag-ship-25","tag-starbase","tag-starship"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24216"}],"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=24216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24216\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}