Starship Testing Reveals Problems | Starbase Update

This week at Starbase, the giant leaps and small hiccups continue in SpaceX's ambitious spaceflight endeavors. Join Jack Beyer in the latest Starbase Update as we delve into the full stack testing of the world's largest rocket, Starship, ahead of its eagerly anticipated next flight. Discover the construction progress of the second Starbase launch tower, get the lowdown on SpaceX's plans for additional Starship launchpads, and peek into the ongoing developments at the production site, including the mysterious whereabouts of Booster 12 and the start of a new era with Booster 14. With new buildings rising and even more launchpads in the pipeline, the future of space exploration from Starbase is looking brighter and busier than ever.
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🤵 Hosted by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer)
🖊️ Written by Alejandro Alcantarilla Romera (@AlexPhysics13)
🎥 Video from Mary (@BocaChicaGal), Sean Doherty, Max Evans, Stephen Marr, Julia Bergeron, Starbase Live.
✂️ Edited by Thomas Hayden.
💼 Produced by Kevin Michael Reed (@kmreed).
🔍 If you are interested in using footage from this video, please review our content use policy: www.nasaspacef...
L2 Boca Chica (more clips and photos) from BC's very early days to today.
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[@EaglePicking]

I like this presenter. Not too fancy, does not talk to me like I'm a toddler and just explains things in a casual, normal tone.

[@aienthusiast618]

yea

[@ericmatthews8497]

Agree completely...

[@richiexp2]

Yep, his the only presenter I watch on this channel.

[@Duneadaim]

He also sure looks likes the kind of guy to fire up an entire 5lb. package of bacon- just because.

[@boaz2578]

This needs more likes

[@scottseabury4014]

Thanks Jack. Always look forward to your updates.

[@videolabguy]

As an engineer with forty years of experience, allow me to share an insight with you. It is perfectly normal and necessary for any prototype to be put together and taken apart repeatedly. Sometimes for weeks or months on end. It's a direct result of pushing the envelope. I can't tell you how many times, I had to install new screws, and other wear and tear parts, in a prototype product after dozens of repeated assembly / disassembly cycles. Finding flaws earlier in the cycle beats the heck out of finding them during a customer review.

[@kota8394]

Always best they find the problems now rather than on launch day

[@KiRiTO72987]

True that I hope whatever they destacked S28 for isn't too serious

[@kota8394]

@@KiRiTO72987 hoping it’s engine testing while they work on the prop load issues

[@KiRiTO72987]

@@kota8394 we'll see but I still kinda doubt they will

[@kota8394]

@@KiRiTO72987 it did currently just get sent to pad B so mayyybee?? I’ll keep my hopes up. I mean, S28 fueled up so I take it the booster might be the problem child, or the GSE prop systems to the booster.

[@KiRiTO72987]

@@kota8394 yeah I just noticed they moved it to pad B though it could just be that they want to work on it and it's easier to do there I guess we'll see if it actually gets lifted into the pad

[@kenhazelbaker4952]

A great episode of quickly narrated compact info pieces, no conjectures, just facts and great supportive photos. Really liked the Canaveral stuff. Great job, thanks

[@peterford5408]

I find well-informed conjectures useful, as long as they are stated as such. And I thought this video contained several.

[@Flakwell]

thank you all for the work you do. the live streams the awesome photos all of it. much appreciated.

[@JustSomeCanuck]

10:29 - I don't know what happened either, and don't call me Shirley! Couldn't resist 🤣

[@colemantrebor1610]

Always look forward to Jacks presentations. He’s the best.

[@johnpettit6886]

Thanks for the update Jack and everyone ❤

[@davidsheriff8989]

This needs to be 100% SUCESSFUL....launch 2 was very close to perfection...dedication and patience will win thru'...

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

FYI. When you set your expectations so high then you also set yourself up for major disappointment when reality comes up short of your expectation!!

[@fwd79]

No it does not _have_ to be anything, cutting edge rocket science does **not** need anything, just focus and retries.

[@schrodingerscat1863]

No surprises there are lots of aborts and retests given the amount of changes to the GSE infrastructure. There is a lot of complexity in handling that much cryo cooled liquids and it normally takes a while to get everything dialled in even on far simpler setups. Most of it really can't be tested without a ship to fill either which is why we are seeing so much testing with the ship on the launch mount. With any luck the fill procedures won't take too long to finalise though, the speed all this has been put together is really impressive.

[@dredlock3000]

Thanks for the update!

[@kenmactiernan4290]

Thanks for the info. Great coverage.

[@Space-Stuff]

Right on!!!

[@LovemyDrones]

Thanks as always for the update!

[@sedatturkeri3771]

Thanks Jack

[@leehatton7051]

Just love it keep up the good work

[@bideford7099]

Thanks for the update Jack. Now we wait and see what's next, or isn't...

[@shannonstrutz5521]

I didn't even know SpaceX really had a website with info, I've always just tuned into NSF lol. Keep up the great work!

[@davidlabedz2046]

NSF,, thank u for the latest Starbase news!!

[@JeffreyEdwards]

I like the remove before flight watch, that's wicked cool!

[@sokolum]

No nonsense, nice.

[@Pintuuuxo]

Well, Jack, at least I hit the LIKE button! 😊 Things are really getting much more better, like you say. Just like it happened in the past, with the Falcon 9, it's happening now with Starship and this Falcon 33. So many preparations is good. It has to be perfect this time. Thank you to the whole team of NSF and Greetings from Portugal. 🚀

[@joecampbell5356]

B10 has a few plumbing problems in design and ground support was not up to snuff ( draining and upgrade problems) . I am glad SpaceX decided to pull back on this one.

[@albertorafaelcisnerosperfe4899]

Excellent ❤

[@valoriegomez2091]

Awesome

[@starshipman]

Awesome news we got ti hear about today, man I'm so excited for the next launch #3, LETS GO.. STARSHIPMAN

[@aaronhokanson6718]

The positive on that door. They clearly have something going on that requires a door. IP, ITAR, and / or process that needs it. Full send aditude.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

Mostly the door keeps the dust and sand from blowing into bay. Reducing the exposure to temperature extreme probably helps to.

[@anthonycamilleri7297]

thanks jack

[@DarkNightDreamer]

I hope the cameras will still be able to get some good views in once Starbase gets built up fully!

[@pebrede]

Love the Wallace impression at the start

[@dphuntsman]

I like this version of Jack! I hope Jack does too.

[@DaisyVision15016]

Thanks for the news.

[@zapfanzapfan]

Looking forward to some testing and stream tomorrow!

[@corrinastanley125]

Thanks for the updates Jack and the NSF team. Love your work.

[@tripleaartgilliam2665]

Great Jack, nice detail! I think SpaceX testing of the header tank transfers system (scheduled in-orbit in the flight plan) is the issue. New processes require lots of pressure/stress sensors, I would think. Knowing SpaceX, they are already testing several iterations on the ground, and proof of concept an only happen in-flight.

[@SebastianWellsTL]

Epic! 😎

[@Pottery4Life]

Thank you.

[@Naultarous]

Thanks Jack. I always appreciate your excited and passionate view that is grounded in reality. I hope you know we know you're awesome. Thank you

[@nillennir]

since they have to make a in-space propeller exchange i think next launch will be a twin launch (i hope, it would be spectacular)

[@robertmestl1215]

Maybe SpaceX could install several indoor megabay cams for public viewing to see what'up, while the doors are closed ;-)

[@douglasgroff7648]

Funny how the barge with sections 1, 2, 3 and 6 arrived at Starbase on Monday, February 19… right around the exact moment this video was published

[@ale131296]

Gah! At the time of writing it the port records shows the 20th so we went with that 😅

[@appliedfacts]

Accurate, up to the minute news, even if it is by luck. 😂

[@perrymaskell3508]

Regarding the tower, I think there will be at least one, if not 2 more segments added. The Ship QD arm is a bit of a mess. It was originally going to stabalise the Booster, but that is not done. Then the Ship QD has been raised twice due to modifications to the location on the Ship and the Hot Staging adapter. Now it looks odd. Then there is the stretch proposed for the whole Booster / Ship. If this happen as has been mention, then the Chop Sticks will need to be raised a lot higher, which it can't do at the moment. I would think that if they are going to invest in another tower, then they need to take into account the next versions of the whole Booster / Ship. I think the KSC Stack was stopped because of all this. There has been very few details on V2 of the Ship.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

There is no need to raise the tower height or the chop sticks because it is a simple matter of simply lowering the lifting points. The stretched version of starship is coming along for a while yet anyway. V3 will not include the stretched version of starship or so I have heard.

[@appliedfacts]

@@michaeldeierhoi4096 No one but SpaceX engineers know what changes are coming BUT, to me, lowering the lifting points seems unlikely because it will be getting closer to the center of gravity where the ship will be more likely to move in the wind. Having the lifting points well toward the nose gives stability. I have not heard of V3 for starshp, just Raptor engines. It seems really odd, even improbable, to stretch in V2 but shrinking back in V3. Standing by for what actually happens. LOL

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

@@appliedfacts My comment about lowering the lift points was first made by another commenter, knowledgeisgood who also happens to be an engineer though I don't know this field of work. I'm not attached to anything Space X does in developing starship though I do look forward to it being successful on some level. Starship is the largest most powerful rocket ever built and with Stage 0 quite an engineering feat so from that perspective it is definitely interesting to follow.

[@mjomalleyfl]

Great update . The scripted podcasts are informative and professional. The livestreams are more social, but a bit over the top (for me).

[@jimhofoss9982]

increased propellant load speed will increase the likelyhood of freeze-off to valves and other components…

[@Jaker788]

I'm pretty sure the temp is the same regardless, once the lines are purged and chilled down and the loading actually begins, then temps are the same as propellant temp. Freezing would be water moisture or other higher freeze point contaminants getting at valves and other issues possibly related to the fact that the tank farm has a lot of new connections that could need some work. New chillers, pumps, valves, pipes, etc. LOX was relocated to new tanks since the last flight.

[@Vatsyayana87]

Thanks Jack, still waiting for the kayak views..

[@joselopez-t6h]

try circle object tower oval too

[@outoftheboxmedic1608]

JAAAAAAAAACK! Love your commentary! Great reporting!

[@FreddyEnergizer]

love your back ground.. :) looks very similar to the one in our office at SRON :)

[@Mitsuolevel]

Barge is on Starbase live right now

[@ne1cup]

we love our Casper

[@MrCrystalcranium]

One tower, my guess is one at Starbase, is going to be constructed just for RTLS catches when SX gets further along with their successes. There is no way they are going to risk the launch facilities and all of the fueling, cooling and delivery infrastructure for the first attempts. My guess is the catch tower will be built with a launch mount, operational chopsticks and nothing else for now. Once RTLS and capture becomes routine years from now, the tower will probably be upgraded to a fully supported OLM.

[@nandisaand5287]

Is it possible Tower 2 will have 10 sections to allow for a taller starship?

[@knowledgeisgood9645]

No need to. They just move the lifting points down a bit.

[@ale131296]

So far no signs of an extra section nor it doesn't seem like it would be needed

[@jonny445boy]

7:58 What is flying around in the top left corner? Is that a drone?

[@MattA-fi5qe]

With how complicated the launch mount is, it really makes you wonder what the plan is for mars returns.

[@tmcdowell5986]

Where are they with the launch table? Seems to remember quite a bit of drilling and forming for the current launch pad even before the tower went up.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

No news is no news!

[@thomashayden804]

There hasn't been any ground prep yet, but we do know there is (or at least was last we knew) a largely assembled table (the part that goes on top of the legs) at the Cape. It's not clear if they'll attempt to move that down to Boca or if they'll build another one down there though

[@AndrewGallagher1968]

They’ll do em all in FL. 3-4 total

[@DCGreenZone]

Everyone stay safe.

[@EuloSounds]

I hope the Problem was fast fixed and i hope the third WDR test on 02/20/2024 was working.

[@faisalsvideoworld]

so this was first time in wdr they filled ship first usually booster is filled first maybe that caused the issues

[@Powerhead1000]

Do we thing the next Launch tower at StarBase will be taller than the current tower? I feel they will make this one significantly taller to be able to handle StarShip V3. They may even make the first Tower taller after tower two is completed and fully functional.

[@michaelfink64]

"WDR" is not really a shortened form of "wet dress rehearsal" when spoken, since both versions have five syllables.

[@shakes525]

Has there been any signs of new OLM components being manufactured or delivered?

[@knowledgeisgood9645]

There is one at KSC in a hangar. Status unknown.

[@williamlambdin9817]

Won't they need to build this and future towers taller to account for the stretched Starships??

[@corrinastanley125]

They will slightly lower the lifting points to accommodate the stretched vehicle.

[@williamlambdin9817]

seems like a much easier fix. Thanks.@@corrinastanley125

[@HarryNicNicholas]

what pops into my mind is sterilization when we land on the moon and mars, everything is exposed to the elements on earth, ships and probes thus far have all been built in sterile conditions, but starship itself will be landing, i hope no crows hitch a ride to mars....

[@knowledgeisgood9645]

@@HarryNicNicholas Conditions on the moon and mars are of high radiation and vacuum (or near vacuum). Any organisms that escape from earth would be sterilized anyway.

[@BenjySparky]

NSF and Jack, y'all rock! Peace

[@ronwatkins5775]

2 questions. 1) There was some talk of making Starship taller, so would additional tower sections need to be added? 2) There was talk of moving to an 18meter booster, is that still in the works and would it affect the tower design?

[@knowledgeisgood9645]

1) No, they just move the lifting points a bit down the ship. 2) No such plans for years to come. Elon said doubling the diameter makes building a ship at least 4 times harder.

[@bryanillenberg]

There will NEVER be a starship with a diameter that isn't exactly 9 meters

[@knowledgeisgood9645]

@@bryanillenberg Maybe it would be called a Galaxy Ship.

[@bryanillenberg]

@@knowledgeisgood9645 LOL

[@mrdebris1217]

Finally at NSF the megabay 2 is no longer labeled as "the new highbay".

[@jimle22]

Jack, what happened to your lighting? it is really dark.

[@VinylOutsider]

I saw the towers chugging along this morning.

[@Homiejahcobie4004x]

Funny the tower sections arrived Monday Feb 19th

[@charleslord2433]

Annnd ship 28 is getting lifted on pad B now...

[@BreakingBarriers2DIY]

Anyone wondering if the 2nd tower will be made taller?

[@DavidEsp1]

So filling the top ship first is advantageous in some way? And lack of content in the booster's tanks is not an issue to its structural strength? (Unlike Saturn-V, whose booster depended on "hydrostatic" pressure to maintain shape)

[@ale131296]

The pressure is maintained by the pressurization gas not by the liquid inside. The Saturn V stages used a similar approach as well. You may be thinking of the Centaur upper stage (and way back in the old days also the Atlas booster up until the Atlas III) which uses balloon tanks that need to be constantly pressurized to keep its shape. In both cases neither needs to have any propellant onboard to keep its shape, just the pressurization gas. On Centaur and Atlas it used to be helium which was constantly supplied by high pressure helium tanks located on each stage. Starship uses what is called autogenous pressurization which is essentially taking the propellant you're going to load, making it gaseous and then putting it on the tank to pressurize said tank. As long as the booster is pressurized, the ship should be good to be loaded completely and not do any damage to the booster.

[@glenndennis6801]

I'm thinking the new tower is to be used to catch only, not to lanch. Never the less, which do you think will be caught first, boster or ship?

[@knowledgeisgood9645]

Booster. Ship is much much harder.

[@tracyzabriskie1174]

If the booster and starship length increasing in the future, wouldn't the new tower need to be larger with more sections

[@АндрейОфицеров-я1х]

Не понимаю почему спецс Икс не проведёт испытание корабля 28 или 30, на максимальный взлёт на полной заправке. Взлёт без первой ступени, думаю высоту в сто километров корабль преодолеет

[@Digger2024]

Hello what's on the schedule today

[@philipstull7629]

Why do you believe the next tower will be the same as the first? That would mean they have not learned from the design of the first and that is so not SpaceX culture.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

There is no point in changing something that isn't broken. So without knowing if there were any problems with the first launch tower it is useless to presume that it should be changed.

[@paris8777]

what is on the top left of the video at 8 min?

[@RicoZed]

Cette partie Jupiter qui scale tellement 😁

[@avsrule247]

May be an unpopular opinion, but I never really cared about what is happening inside of the big bays. As long as the community doesn't lose access to the public road, I am content with not knowing what is taking place behind the bay doors, as long as I get to see giant rockets rolled out from them😅

[@MikesTropicalTech]

I thought the launch complex handled it own environmental study stuff internally, granted permission to do so way back in the day by the Feds and Florida. I hope it goes faster than a year and a half!

[@HarryNicNicholas]

thing is, the way they seem to work at starbase even holdups will spawn fixes, so delays will speed things up! lol.

[@JamesPurtle]

Often I hear speculation on what are the specific Starship issues being addressed within the bays or on the pad. Can you not set up regular (say weekly) SpaceX / Media briefings wherein SpaceX can give more details (like similar to the daily White House briefings)?

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

For whatever reason Space X doesn't seem interested in doing that. They only release information on their schedule which is still better than just about everyone else in the rocket industry. And the access that NASA SF has to the Boca Chica facilities also far exceed that of any other rocket complex.

[@KaiseruSoze]

What was the bang?

[@billsimpson604]

Headwind might have slowed the barge down.

[@ItsEverythingElse]

Imagine someday when we actually have working Starships.

[@bryanillenberg]

The GSE is the issue, not S28 or B10

[@ZeroSpawn]

I don't think they will finish the top until Starship undergoes it's increase length.

[@user-4in4nxDonaldRennie]

Skipping a booster, isn't the only possible way for Booster 14 NOT to be used for flight 7. The other possibility is that a Booster could be re-flown, before Booster 14 flies.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

That would mean that a booster is caught before then which could theoretically be reused, but that is a highly speculative possibility.

[@user-4in4nxDonaldRennie]

@@michaeldeierhoi4096 Yes. Highly speculative. But what isn't? Flight 3 hasn't even happened yet, and since re-usability seems to be a core principle behind the entire Starship program, one would think that catching & re-flying a booster, could be a possibility before flight 7. (or catching a booster before flight 7 & re-flying one on flight 7)

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

@@user-4in4nxDonaldRennie That will definitely be a huge milestone realized when Space X is able to catch and refly a booster. Actually TWO big mile stones as in catching then reusing a booster.

[@andresitocasla2202]

Im thinking no IFT-3 until april sadly

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

I'm not thinking about when the launch date will happen because like everyone else there are way too many unknowns we don't know about to guess when the launch may happen. But that's just me.

[@niftybass]

Star Factory - it is past-tents

[@MililaniJag]

Why not build a crane at the top of the new Starship Launch Tower? Wouldn't need the mobile crane to lift Starship/Booster on/off the SPMT mobile transport stand. Cheers!

[@ale131296]

They use the chopsticks already as the "crane" to lift and lower the ship onto its transport stand. The chopsticks can't just reach everywhere around the launch site, hence why they had the LR11000 crane which is mobile and can, well, move around. A fixed crane on the tower wouldn't be able to reach the suborbital pad for example so it is very impractical and, again, that's what the chopsticks are for.

[@MililaniJag]

@@ale131296 Thx! You are absolutely correct. Guess I was thinking of the mobile crane using the old Squid to move Starships around the Rocket Garden/Test Stand!!! Cheers!!!

[@Bigglare]

enough towers to launch HLS and all the Tanker flights at the same time... lol

[@MrGeneralScar]

Also makes me wonder if the new tower at starbase will be the same as the current one. We know Elon wants to extend the height of starship, so I would not be surprised if the second tower at starbase is taller with more segments.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

The plan lengthen the starship is not expected for a few years and even then the lifting points on the ship can be lowered to account for lengthened vehicle.

[@faisalsvideoworld]

more launchpads does equal more better lol

[@paulc.sachsejr.7209]

I can’t believe Space X doesn’t give you guys controlled access to the facility. I would think it would be great PR and get younger generations more into space flight.

[@knowledgeisgood9645]

What would they need PR for. What do they sell that we can buy?

[@nirbhay_raghav]

Probably something to do with new GSE.

[@harrykeel8557]

Curiouser and curiouser????

[@Shivaho]

They'd better add Taller sections 8 & 9 to accommodate the New Taller V3 Boosters & Starships.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

That's not necessary because the lifting points can be lowered to accommodate the taller rockets. Regardless, that won't happen for some time.

[@enocrane]

Hey Jack! Are they going to build the launch tower taller to allow for the taller Starship 3.0???

[@ale131296]

So far no signs of any extra sections or hardware to make it a taller one

[@enocrane]

@@ale131296 Thanks Alex 😊! At some point the tower IS going to have to be taller though. Right??

[@ale131296]

@@enocrane wouldn't necessarily have to be taller since all the QDs and connections are near the bottom. The chopstick lift points could just simply be lowered as well which would mean a single tower could lift and stack every size of potential future starship. Sounds to me like a very limiting thing to have to "modify" the tower every time the size of the ship changes and we know in the future we'll likely have ships of various sizes so idk. I prefer the "one tower for all ships" kind of approach

[@enocrane]

Thanks again! I agree 👍