Two months after Starship’s first integrated test flight, engine testing is already underway for Ship 25, the ship that can fly on the second launch of Starship. At the identical time, SpaceX is approaching the ultimate stretch of completing the inspiration work needed on the orbital launch mount (OLM) from where Super Heavy and Starship are set to lift off again no sooner than August. Ship 25 conducted a Spin Prime test on Wednesday.
Work can be at a superb pace to upgrade and update Starship’s production facilities at Starbase. This has come on the expense of over again changing the corporate’s plans for Starship in Florida.
Ship 25 engine test campaign begins
In preparation for the second integrated flight test of Starship, SpaceX teams have been readying Ship 25 for its engine test campaign. This series of testing is geared toward qualifying the vehicle for that flight and includes every thing from a spin prime test all of the method to a six-engine static fire test of the vehicle’s Raptor engines.
Work ahead of this test campaign included applying slight modifications to the ship’s engine shielding and internal tank structure based on lessons learned in the course of the first flight. For this, the SpaceX LR11000 crane was attached to Ship 25’s nosecone to offer structural rigidity to its tanks.
Once all of the work was accomplished, the crane was disconnected from the ship, and the aft flaps were unstrapped. The primary test day, June 14, saw the loading of propellants onto the vehicle ahead of what was expected to be a spin prime test. During this test, the engine oxidizer pump is spun as much as full power — simulating the start-up sequence of the engine with none actual ignition.
Nevertheless, near the test T0 an abort was called and the vehicle was detanked. A brand new attempt resulted within the test being accomplished on Wednesday.
SPIN PRIME! Ship 25 conducts a Spin Prime test where the engine’s turbopumps are brought on top of things but there was no ignition.
Live:https://t.co/q6r9cT6yNp pic.twitter.com/scXO6CEphb
— Chris Bergin – NSF (@NASASpaceflight) June 21, 2023
It is probably going that multiple spin prime tests can be performed ahead of the static fire tests. It should — hopefully — only be a matter of weeks until the ship modifications are finally tested and the engines qualified for flight.
OLM rebar work and upcoming concrete pour
None of Ship 25’s testing could be invaluable and not using a launch pad where the total Starship stack could launch from. Throughout the first integrated test flight of Starship, Super Heavy Booster 7’s 30 working engines dug a large hole under the OLM during liftoff.
The primary images of it pictured a dramatic scene and pointed at some tough repair work ahead for SpaceX teams. Over the past two months, the opening was covered and reinforcements have been installed deep into the bottom to strengthen the soil.
More recently, teams have been installing several tons of rebar underneath the OLM. While some rebar stays to be installed, as seen from aerial pictures captured by NSF, this work is predicted to be finished soon and must be followed by a convoy of concrete trucks to refill the pit.
SpaceX will then install water-cooled steel plates over this concrete which can help support them and function an anchor for them.
![](https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/DSC07845-1-watermarked-scaled.jpg)
Aerial view of the Sanchez site featuring the watercooled plates, recent Mega Bay sections, and more. (Credit: Nic Ansuini for NSF/L2)
These steel plates are currently being worked on near the propellant production site, often also called the Sanchez site. While six plates are needed to be installed between the columns of the OLM, only three are planned to hold the massive water manifolds that were seen transported from Florida earlier this 12 months.
Of those three, two of them are actually almost complete with a 3rd one still undergoing extensive work to be ready for installation.
Moreover, a brand new set of water tanks have been added to the back side of the launch tower on the launch site. Here, six water deluge tanks have been installed over the past months and a brand new set of high-pressure tanks have now been stacked and installed as well.
More recently, teams have installed two large pipes that connect the water tanks with the pipes leading as much as the OLM. These two pipes bend upward after which downward, indicating that perhaps not only the tanks can be crammed with water but additionally the length of the pipes leading as much as that bend.
![](https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/DSC07855-3-watermarked-scaled.jpg)
Aerial view of the orbital launch mount work, deluge tanks, and pipes. (Credit: Nic Ansuini for NSF/L2)
Without pressure, the water wouldn’t give you the chance to maintain flowing past the bend and would remain stationary. Once pressure is applied via the high-pressure tanks, the water will give you the chance to beat the bend and flow through the pipes all of the method to the plates under the OLM.
Vehicle production status at Starbase
While SpaceX continues working on the launch pad facilities, production continues to be in full swing at Starbase.
This includes the completion of stacking for Ship 29 within the High Bay and Booster 11 contained in the Mega Bay in addition to the beginning of stacking for Booster 12.
While Ship 29’s stacking is now complete, work stays ahead to finish the vehicle. Its stablemate contained in the High Bay, Ship 28, also saw the removal of its payload bay door. That is unlike the work performed on Ship 24 and Ship 25 to seal their payload bay doors. Quite the opposite, it looks as if this may very well be to alter the present design or simply upgrade it.
![](https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/DSC07793-1-watermarked-scaled.jpg)
Aerial view of the production site at Starbase (Credit: Nic Ansuini for NSF/L2)
Parts for Ship 30, the following ship within the line of production after 29, have also been staged on the “ringyard” near the High Bay. A brand new set of vent-like structures might be observed on Ship 30’s nosecone which can indicate the addition of latest vents to act as thrusters on this a part of the vehicle. Nevertheless, it continues to be too early to inform for certain.
Within the Mega Bay, Booster 11 accomplished stacking earlier this month and work is already well underway for stacking Booster 12. The latter vehicle’s LOX tank is now complete and is just missing the engine section. Stacking of the vehicle’s methane tank began as early as June 15 and, at the present pace, will likely be complete before the tip of the month.
Starship’s recent production facilities at Starbase
Within the last weeks, SpaceX has completely dismantled the bottom fabrication constructing. Aerial shots indicate it is likely to be rebuilt on the Sanchez site as might be seen by the presence of latest foundations similar in size to that of this constructing.
During that point, teams began installing the primary beams and columns of the Starfactory constructing expansion. The complete outline of the long run expansion has been made apparent, taking over the space where the bottom fabrication constructing, propulsion constructing, and windbreak once stood.
![](https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Outline-of-Starfactory-watermarked-scaled.jpg)
Composite of two aerial images showing the brand new Starfactory expansion outline. Red lines have been added to spotlight the locations that were marked by SpaceX as the whole footprint of the expansion. (Credit: Nic Ansuini for NSF/L2)
The brand new Mega Bay constructing has also grown in size in the previous few weeks, now having its first two levels accomplished. A minimum of two corners for the third level are nearly complete as well and the third and fourth corners follow closely.
Plans for Starship from Florida change over again
While vehicle production continues strong at Starbase and recent facilities are built, the identical can’t be said of the Starship facilities in Florida.
Work on the second set of tower sections, chopsticks, carriage system, and QD arm at SpaceX’s Roberts Road facility has come to a halt. Contractor equipment has visibly disappeared and other construction equipment has been removed.
The Florida Mega Bay parts have also made their method to Starbase, becoming the second Mega Bay on the Texas facility. The 2 big cranes that were previously at Roberts Road were also moved to Starbase to help in the development of that recent Mega Bay.
On top of this, SpaceX has modified using the constructing previously regarded as the factory for Starship sections. This facility is now getting used to process Starlink payload integration with Falcon 9’s fairings. The power was first used to integrate satellites for the Starlink Group 6-4 mission earlier this month.
This mission is believed to be the primary time SpaceX has used its recent payload processing facility at Roberts Road.
NSF’s Space Coast Live cameras captured the fairing with the Starlink satellites onboard passing in front of the VAB on Friday. https://t.co/bWDuxt1M5U https://t.co/CwOZxWlL7L pic.twitter.com/1X2NrTGozh
— Alejandro Alcantarilla Romera (Alex) (@Alexphysics13) June 4, 2023
Despite this, work continues to be underway on the Starship launch pad at Launch Complex 39A where cranes and aerial work platforms proceed construction on the positioning. Despite the fact that this work has slowed down, its continuation means SpaceX likely has no plans to retire all Starship efforts from Florida.
And not using a production facility in Florida, vehicles set to fly from the Space Coast would want to reach from Starbase, increasing the production demand on the Texas facility. Which means the vast expansion of the production buildings at Starbase might have been on the expense of removing production from Florida in the interim until Starship’s design is reliable and proven.
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