{"id":24242,"date":"2023-07-06T21:15:44","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T13:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacex-focuses-on-launch-site-readiness-ahead-of-starship-flight-2\/"},"modified":"2023-07-06T21:15:44","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T13:15:44","slug":"spacex-focuses-on-launch-site-readiness-ahead-of-starship-flight-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacex-focuses-on-launch-site-readiness-ahead-of-starship-flight-2\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX focuses on launch site readiness ahead of Starship Flight 2"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Progress toward the second flight of the world\u2019s most powerful launch vehicle continues to take place at Starbase. With Ship 25 passing its six-engine Static Fire test, the focus has returned to completing upgrades to the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM), with the installation of a steel plate water deluge system now taking place.<\/p>\n<p>That will set the stage for Booster 9 to undergo its pre-launch testing, including Static Fire tests that will also provide validation of the new groundwork under the OLM. Work towards flight 3 is also taking place, with Booster 10 rolling to Masseys for cryo testing.<\/p>\n<p>Concrete and Steel<\/p>\n<p>A wave of over 100 trucks of concrete late last month marked the opening salvo in SpaceX\u2019s efforts to fill in the hole that was left after Booster 7\u2019s launch with Ship 24 on the maiden flight of Starship.<\/p>\n<p>This was followed by the rollout of the central steel plate, which was positioned close to the launch site along with a jig that rolled ahead of the plate.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"OLM Deluge Plate Rolled Out for Installation | SpaceX Boca Chica\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/R6hgxuk47-E?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-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>A second wave of concrete trucks then arrived for the final major pour under the OLM, with around 300 trucks being utilized in total during the two waves of deliveries.<\/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>It did not take long for that massive amount of concrete to cure, as July 5 saw the jig undertaking a test roll under the OLM on top of the Self-Propelled Modular Transporter (SPMT). That confirmed the surface was ready for the steel plate, whose installation occurred just hours later.<\/p>\n<p>This system \u2013 along with a faster ignition-to-launch duration for the 33 engines on the Booster \u2013 is required after lessons learned from the maiden launch.<\/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>SpaceX launch tickets<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>NASA mission updates<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>\u201cIt\u2019s two layers of very thick plate steel that are also sort of perforated on the upper side so that you have what is basically a massive, super strong steel showerhead pointing up. It\u2019s a mega steel pancake. This thing\u2019s a beast,\u201d noted Elon Musk during a Twitter Spaces event.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94639\" class=\"wp-image-94639 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-05-23-38-06-073.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2272\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-05-23-38-06-073.jpg 2272w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-05-23-38-06-073-350x197.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-05-23-38-06-073-623x350.jpg 623w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-05-23-38-06-073-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-05-23-38-06-073-1920x1079.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-05-23-38-06-073-1170x658.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2272px) 100vw, 2272px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-94639\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Steel plate installed under the OLM \u2013 via SBL<\/p>\n<p>The large central piece of this water deluge system \u2013 aimed to avoid a \u201crock tornado\u201d seen during the first test flight \u2013 was lifted onto the jig and then rolled under the OLM, before it was translated horizontally and placed into the ground.<\/p>\n<p>This plate was lifted and then lowered several times during the night, likely part of fit checks and final work to create channels for the manifold pipes. While some standalone tests are expected, the major validation of this system will occur during the Booster 9 Static Fire test.<\/p>\n<p>The final parts of the deluge system began to arrive at the pad on Thursday, with notices for two \u201crolling roadblocks\u201d posted by the local authority.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94646\" class=\"size-full wp-image-94646\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_7436-wmarked-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_7436-wmarked-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_7436-wmarked-350x263.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_7436-wmarked-467x350.jpg 467w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_7436-wmarked-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_7436-wmarked-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_7436-wmarked-1170x878.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-94646\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deluge manifold pipes heading to the pad, via Nic Ansuni for NSF<\/p>\n<p>With two rollouts sending manifold sections to the launch site, the first has already been lifted into place and is being installed over the weekend.<\/p>\n<p>This wasn\u2019t the only work that has taken place at the launch site of late, with the Booster Quick Disconnect (BQD) hood reinstalled and the Ship Quick Disconnect (SQD) returning, with its plate housed slightly higher on the tower to cater for the additional height of the stack.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94637\" class=\"size-full wp-image-94637\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-05-59-54-759-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-05-59-54-759-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-05-59-54-759-350x206.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-05-59-54-759-594x350.jpg 594w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-05-59-54-759-768x452.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-05-59-54-759-1920x1130.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-05-59-54-759-1170x689.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-94637\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SQD on its \u201cbooster seat\u201d on the arm, via Jack Beyer for NSF<\/p>\n<p>The increase in height for what is already the world\u2019s tallest rocket is related to the extra ring that will be installed atop Super Heavy, starting with Booster 9. This will allow for hot staging to be employed; Elon Musk\u2019s self-proclaimed late change that will allow the vehicle to \u201cnever stop thrusting\u201d during ascent.<\/p>\n<p>Booster 9 remains at the Production Site, as part of a growing family of Boosters and Ships. It is not currently known when Booster 9 will roll to the launch site, but given the pace of the water deluge system installation, this event could take place in a matter of weeks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Starbase Update: SpaceX's Incredible Progress Toward Starship's 2nd Integrated Launch\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tkc-BYGHXwQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid1\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>All eyes will be on the Mega Bay to spot the attachment of hot staging rings to the Boosters that are in residence at the build site.<\/p>\n<p>Ship 25 is now technically ready to take part in the second test flight, having completed its full-duration six-engine Static Fire test, with apparently-positive results per Elon Musk.<\/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: 395px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1673580231217618946&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2023%2F07%2Fstarship-launch-site-readiness%2F&amp;sessionId=482b4e3e2e144a09d963bb81869978883ea1630f&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1673580231217618946\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\nA few Thermal Protection System (TPS) tiles were liberated during the test \u2013 although this was expected due to additional vibrations induced when firing up the engines whilst the Ship is bolted to the test stand. The tiles will be replaced ahead of Ship 25 being stacked on Booster 9.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94638\" class=\"wp-image-94638 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-06-33-19-198-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1616\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-06-33-19-198-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-06-33-19-198-350x221.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-06-33-19-198-554x350.jpg 554w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-06-33-19-198-768x485.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-06-33-19-198-1920x1212.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/NSF-2023-07-06-06-33-19-198-1170x739.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-94638\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SBL view of the work at the High Bay<\/p>\n<p>Ships 28 and 29 are currently stablemates inside the High Bay with the former receiving a payload bay door that allows for Starlinks to be \u201cPez Dispensered\u201d out into space.<\/p>\n<p>Additional capacity continues to be built at the Production site, with the second Mega Bay making great progress via the assembly of prefabricated sections. StarFactory also continues to grow, and will eventually replace the production tents at the site.<\/p>\n<p>Flight 3 is already being readied with Booster 10 rolling to Masseys late on Friday for cryo testing. Booster 10 is expected to launch with Ship 28.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article will be updated during the continuing work this week.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"1000 Starship Engine Tests (on a graph)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/I6GJVvwUEGk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid2\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/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><em>(Lead Image: Aerial view of the launch site at Starbase, Texas. Credit: Nic Ansuini for NSF\/L2)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Progress toward the second flight of the world\u2019s most powerful launch vehicle continues to take place at Starbase. With Ship 25 passing its six-engine Static Fire test, the focus has returned to completing upgrades to the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM), with the installation of a steel plate water deluge system now taking place. That will [&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":[1648,8374,8375,739,8424,317,596],"class_list":["post-24242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-boca-chica","tag-booster-9","tag-ship-25","tag-starbase","tag-starbase-updates","tag-starship","tag-super-heavy"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24242"}],"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=24242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24242\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}