Ready For Launch! Launch License Very Soon! SpaceX Starship Flight 4 Imminent!

Visit ground.news/WAI to get 40% off the same Vantage Plan I use, or try it out for less than $1/month!
Starship 31 damaged during testing! What now?
The third tower section arrives at Starbase! Construction starts soon?
Starship Block 2 part spotted! Why would they change it? And Kathy Lueders, the general manager of Starbase, is dropping a bombshell!
#SpaceX #starship #elonmusk #starbase
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Editing: John Young, Alex Potvin, Stefanie Schlang
Photography: John Cargile, John Winkopp & Stefanie Schlang
3D Animation: Voop3D
Script & Research: Eryk Gawron, Oskar Wrobel, Felix Schlang
LIVE Production: Astro Roadie
Host: Felix Schlang
Production: Stefanie & Felix Schlang
Graphics & Media Processing: Jonathan Heuer, Felix Schlang
Credit:
⭐SpaceX
⭐NASA
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📄Links for this Episode:
www.spacex.com
www.spacex.com/starship

[@Whataboutit]

Visit ground.news/WAI to get 40% off the same Vantage Plan I use, or try it out for less than $1/month! Ship 29 Upgrades: Do you think these upgrades will result in the prototype performing better during the next launch?

[@TK199999]

That's pretty good, 'I'm German and even I don't want a rocket called V1'.

[@BMrider75]

A tiny help with English : Unique. Very unusual, or extremely special, but no modifying adjectives with 'unique'. Never "very unique". Unique is unique ! I hope this is helpful. Cheers.

[@funawesome2006]

IDK

[@EuroWarsOrg]

Ground News are left wing

[@georgegarvey7338]

I'm sure Elon & his engineers are working on improving Star Base 1. After all the space station in space is "Star Base 2".

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

Thank you for covering the problem with the electrical incident. Your coverage of everything Starship is Second to None! You are the GOAT!

[@daveken9936]

What is with the' goat ' I don't get why so many are saying that.

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

@@daveken9936 Greatest Of All Times!

[@ronaldlebeck9577]

@@otpyrcralphpierre1742 FYI: Did you know that in Russia, to call someone a goat (козёл) is one of the worst insults. It has a criminal connotation and people get harmed and even killed over it. As for "G.O.A.T.", they would use a different abbreviation for it. 🤔🐐🚫

[@stevenmckamey]

Best Space X channel by far

[@Whataboutit]

Thank you!!! :)

[@Rekuzan]

@@Whataboutit 'Best' is kind of subjective, but when it comes to Space X news, I definitely prefer WAI. That being said, when it comes to the coverage of the actual launch, Tim Dobbs and the Everyday Astronaut tends to be the obvious choice as they have better coverage (no offense). Felix has a presentation style that definitely draws viewers in and keeps them engaged; keep it up duder!!!

[@peterevenhuis2663]

You didn't like the name V1 hahaha and you are German I don't think many understood that joke but I was laughing that was a good one

[@riseup3117]

And without the v1 program and capture of van Braun and his team the us would have never reached the moon

[@jony3775]

The only thing worse than V1 is V2!! Yikes good call on the name change! 😅

[@peterevenhuis2663]

@@jony3775 yes indeed

[@SaariumDeta]

@riseup3117 false, while he and his team did help tremendously, It's not like scientists at NASA weren't capable or competent as much as the germans

[@GregoryJByrne]

How far the false prophet Buzz Bombs have come.

[@perpetualpunster]

"Which is better than V1. I'm German. I didn't like it either." It took me a second to get this, which was a second longer than it should have taken. I had to pause the video as I couldn't listen and laugh that hard at the same time. Felix, you are an international treasure.

[@cbrucesbiz]

Why say to laugh? To say he did not like the V1 statement made me wonder if he was defending the Germany, A country and has tried to take over other countries as well as the world. You can not defend the Governments of a country that wages war with the world. That said I do ask if you believe he was making a joke? I went back to listen and did not see a smile on his face after saying he didn't like either.

[@scythelord]

HA! I totally failed to recognize it as well.

[@scythelord]

@@cbrucesbiz You don't have to smile to be telling a joke...

[@stealthgaming2298]

@@cbrucesbiz bozo

[@c.a.bbarrabia1154]

@@cbrucesbiz None, or almost none of the germans that provoqued either WW are alive, and NONE of the living germans is responsable for those. Thinking otherwise is a sign of intolerance and lack of education

[@trinity8796]

That V1 Joke got me hard! Stay as you are Felix ❤

[@RV4aviator]

Exactly...!

[@ffy291]

Best summaries on YT

[@dq7410]

The world should take note at the speed in which things are constructed here. Absolutely harmonious.

[@user-fj5es3hb5p]

'I'll gladly take care of it even if it doesn't work' 🤣 Felix got the engine sittin in the back yard like a trophy...

[@giorgiolelmi8175]

Finally, I have been searching for this comment.

[@Imagine_Beyond]

I think it is really likely that IFT4 will happen in the first half of June, but the real question is when is IFT5. I want to see that catch at the launch tower!

[@jhvirgo]

This is my favorite starship and space news channel. Felix - I don’t know what it is but I can’t get enough of you. You could talk forever. Love the out takes too.

[@guss0904]

B13.1+B14.1 = One tank to rule them all!

[@davidbarr1579]

Thanks for the updates Felix!!!

[@ironspider9280]

I wouldn't say that her announcement was a "bombshell", but those were pretty cool.

[@Julie-un7nk]

You didn't like the name V1 hahaha and you are German I don't think many understood that joke but I was laughing that was a good one.

[@joachimtheboss5326]

i just came back from watching the weekly video which was 26 minutes, and now i watch this video which was posted 12 minutes ago. bro is NOT letting me catch a break 😂

[@adamstywall7]

I can’t wait for the next launch this will be my 3 launch watching with you Felix ❤

[@SWRaptor1]

My uneducated guess on 14.1. It has the angled stringers for being caught and the catch pins appear to be installed. I wonder if they will try a crane or helicopter drop test to see if the arms move quick enough and without all the crazy wobble for a catch. They did have a skycrane at the site recently. It would cause a lot less damage if an empty piece of a booster fell on the OLM instead of a completed Super Heavy. Prob a completely silly guess, but you never know with SpaceX. Edit: LoL!! You showed the skycrane after I commented. Had to comment before continuing the video and hadn't noticed yet. My bad.

[@MrQuattrodave]

So much detail in the walkthroughs, great quality as ever 😃

[@Mrjaspgu]

Great episode Felix!

[@JayMcGinness574]

Thanks for keeping us informed on this important topic.

[@scottmiller2605]

Thank you for all the updates you give. I’ve been watching your channel for years now and get so excited every time I see a new video. You rock!!!!

[@JohnSostrom]

Excellent program Felix. Keep at it. Many of us depend on WAI for current events at Starbase.

[@All_Original]

Thanks as always for the great updates!!

[@getnoob3945]

This was a really refreshing & informative video! And in my opinion more new viewer friendly than other videos. It covered all the sites at Starbase with clear aerial shots and covered parts of the production site I haven't really seen before.-- Maybe it's just me, but I feel some parts in this video- while may have been mere updates for long-time viewers who are already in-the-know for a lot of things, were new perspectives and outlooks that were very refreshing for more recent (atleast recent in consistent viewing) viewers like me.

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

I don't think that the Mech2 tower will need to be taller, even with the extended length of Block2 ships. All they need to do is to mount the Ship connection system a little higher, maybe even mounting it on rails so it can accommodate various height ships. The rails for the Chopsticks can be extended higher, allowing the longer configuration ships to be stacked with the same tower. Just a thought.

[@BradAkersphotography]

Following the parking lot, it would be great to have and the rocket Garden back open to the public again! I was so grateful I got to see it two days before Remedios Ave was closed to the public🤠

[@garylcamp]

Good report, Thanks.

[@lanav9679]

Love the Red Line Heli ! Wow ! SO COOL !!

[@bruceyoung1343]

Exciting times. Thank You for what you do

[@jordansaurusrex3949]

Hi, long time fan - first time commenter. Just wanted to say I really enjoy the videos. Keep up the good work 👍

[@r0cketplumber]

As for the fwd fin placement and size, I've long thought the fins should be able to fold back completely against the tank walls to reduce loading and improve stability during ascent. At this scale, the drag on the fins is probably trivial but they are a large area forward of the CG, making the steering more difficult on the way up.

[@AdamJ03]

Keep up the great updates! ❤

[@leifhietala8074]

"I'm German, I didn't like it either." DUDE. That was a spit-take moment, I need a new keyboard now.

[@SemKokkelkorn]

Nr1 Starship channel! 🥇

[@UnrealatedContingency]

Can't wait for the first v2 to rollout🙏

[@johannesschwitzky6474]

Its great you provide all this content for free!

[@kenhelmers2603]

Thanks WAI!

[@bbbenj]

Thanks a lot.

[@paulwild4524]

Next flights gonna be awesome!

[@Richard-cq4kv]

If the propellant tanks are not constructed with any kind of fuel cell elements to stop the propellant from sloshing around all over the place, roll thrusters will just continuously fight the constant shifting of the center of mass.

[@markysspotlight2472]

1:54 "Because you are HUGE and right in front of our rocket." 😂 I was dying the way you delivered that sentence lol another fantastic update as always thanks Felix!

[@johnnyhollis9977]

I never understood why they built those vertical tanks so close to the launch tower. We all thought it a bit odd right from the start. However, things seem to be going well now despite all of the extra work involved in building the new tank farm and the dismantling of the battered old vertical tanks! 👍

[@BMrider75]

13:17 I remember that August 2021 Elon Musk Tweet re the forward flaps being moved round to only 120° apart, but nothing since. After watching the fantastic footage of S28 re-entry on IFT 3, it seemed very necessary to me to implement the repositioning of the front flaps. Thanks for highlighting this. 👍

[@SuperKingslaw]

The new launch tower #2 should actually be used initially as the 1st catch tower. The original launch tower #1 would be put at less risk along with all of it's intrusure until the catch procedure has been demonstrated and ironed out.

[@ItsEverythingElse]

Had no idea the new factory was that large. Can't imagine where we will be in another five years!

[@shrodingerschat2258]

Regarding a new road, I have thought there should be some kind of rail system directly between the production site and the launch site. That would have the benefit of being less of an impact on the surrounding wetlands and not having to shut down the road so much.

[@ahamay2012]

The vents are welded closed because all venting is now to the flamy end to increase thrust.

[@jaeluatl]

Have to say those helicopters are very unique to see. We have a unique position here in Atlanta, Georgia, where we have 10 skyscrapers under construction at one time, we see this at least once or twice a year hovering above our streets, lifting these HVAC routine

[@user-we4og5bz2l]

That would be pretty cool to get one of those motors

[@jamesmaroon6161]

Hey Felix. The holes in Starship are thruster vents to help with the direction of the ship itself. If the ship starts to get off of course spacex can deploy those to help steer the ship. That is what I believe. Thanks for the great video.

[@SpaceExplorerE]

Hello

[@neoanderson7]

Always look forward to the updates! 👏🏻 Can’t wait for the next launch! 🤞🏻👏🏻

[@chiaricharlie6608]

Will they make the tower taller, with all the changes?

[@drlsmca]

roll vents, yes, should help

[@derrickbedwell1374]

I like that Kathy was addressing from TSTC ( Texas state technical college) it would greatly benefit the space industry to create an associate degree program for support systems personnel

[@RajabNatshah]

Thank you :)

[@alancadorette3447]

when tank farm is gone, got to wonder if whatever that was causing damage will go past that area and hit something else

[@Barthhhelona]

Hit something else…like the air? There’s nothing behind the tank farm at that height.

[@BradAkersphotography]

Your 4/20 with the top down starship T-shirt is wonderful🫶

[@genemetz1945]

I would like to know the status of the Cafeteria and Shopping Center just a couole miles up Hwy 4 (boca Chica Blvd) from Starbase?

[@RV4aviator]

Thanks Felix and Team. Awesome production and information. The efforts of SpaceX at Boca Chica to expand our Human story are truly inspirational. Cheers

[@Snoodlehootberry]

Question, will the launch tower that is currently in place and the launch tower that is currently being built be tall enough to deal with version two? Because if it isn’t that’s a really big miss

[@yogibear6363]

Wow. Such a clear shot of a ...... parking garage.

[@LordDustinDeWynd]

Howdy from Temple, Texas!

[@GregoryJByrne]

Nouveau Nephilim Bimini road 2.0

[@LordDustinDeWynd]

@@GregoryJByrne Building a new one?

[@BRAHHHHHH]

Insane you rock

[@justinseans]

Yes, it will perform better. This is the way.

[@Gloryeast84]

Yes

[@seasonallyferal1439]

It's good to have these bugs early. Where they can deal with it with substantial losses.

[@trevorlihou56]

hey there Felix, just want to say that I really enjoy your channel. There are several other people trying to do what you do but your quirky humor makes you way more fun to watch. Keep up the good work and congrats on your success. Cheers friend : )

[@hairyferrit]

Some significant gaps in the tiling.

[@wolpumba4099]

*Starship Update Summary: Delays, Incidents, and New Developments* *Starship Flight 4 Delays:* * *0:24* Stacking of Ship 29 on Booster 11 was delayed due to an incident with Ship 31 during cryogenic testing at Massey's. * *2:59* Ship 31 experienced an electrical fire and a ruptured pipe, potentially damaging the raceway and severing high-voltage cables. * *4:10* SpaceX inspected Ship 29 for similar issues before stacking, delaying the Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR). * *4:44* The WDR is now expected to be completed within the next week, with a potential launch in early June. *Ship 29 Upgrades:* * *4:44* Heat shield improvements, including new tiles. * *5:04* Four antenna covers added. * *5:11* Roll vents similar to those on Ship 30, potentially addressing the rolling issue experienced during Flight 3. *Starbase Site Developments:* * *0:37* Dismantling of the old vertical GSE tank farm continues, with four out of eight tanks removed. * *6:32* Piling activity behind the Gateway to Mars wall suggests a foundation for a new tower or orbital launch table. * *7:26* Segment seven of the second orbital launch tower arrived at the Sanchez site, joining segments eight and nine. * *7:33* SpaceX adjusted the length of some sections to improve balance during construction. *Production Site Updates:* * *10:07* A Booster forward dome (B14.1) was moved to the first Mega Bay, possibly for a test tank or new Super Heavy design. * *12:20* A new Starship flap with a sharper angle was spotted, confirming the design change for Block 2 Starships. * *14:14* The Starfactory is nearing completion, with HVAC units installed using a sky crane. * *14:39* Foundations suggest a potential expansion of the Starfactory, connecting it to the office mezzanine. * *15:29* A Booster 4 monument was created in the rocket garden, featuring a grid fin from the scrapped prototype. *Massey's Testing Facility:* * *16:16* The new static fire stand is ready, with Ship 26 positioned for potential testing. * *17:03* The water system and cryogenic tanker suggest imminent flame bucket testing. * *17:15* The "can crusher" is nearing completion, with a platform for a quick disconnect panel and a potential for multiple levels. *Kathy Lueders's Announcements:* * *18:04* The launch license for Flight 4 is expected around Memorial Day (May 27th) or the following week. * *18:45* Starfactory construction will be completed by the end of the year, increasing Starship production speed in 2024. * *19:05* SpaceX is exploring the construction of a new highway to alleviate traffic congestion around Starbase. This summary highlights the key points discussed in the video, providing a concise overview of Starship development and Starbase progress, with timestamps indicating where each topic starts in the transcript. i used gemini 1.5 pro

[@jswebbproductions9785]

Thank you Felix, I always love when you do these updates! Great job, you are also one of the funniest people around! Very in-depth video! keep em coming!

[@madelineremy5128]

Like

[@edvard5697]

Felix, actually V 2 sounds just about right since: a) Versuchsfahrzeug = test vehicle so Starship V2 would be the upgrade from the V1 AND b) Vergeltungswaffen 2 (Vengeance Weapon 2) was in fact the only rocket. Chill on being PC.

[@wiktorporebski9319]

Another video yay!!🎉

[@kevinim300]

4:52 something happen above the 'H' and the 'O'?

[@FarokhBulsara4065]

Good old days when SpaceX put together a starship prototype in a tent.

[@turner120995]

The road closures say May, not December. Way to go, WAI. YOU ROCK! :-)

[@raphiel19]

Felix I’ve just discovered something in the IFT-3 video, super heavy explosion was seen from starship, T+7:13, go back and take a look, it’s very quick

[@scpguy1381]

They might be using SN-26 to test the new static fire pads

[@bryanillenberg]

That is exactly what they are doing. After that, S26 will be scrapped

[@SteveBrady_AU]

Whoah ... I'm excited ... I'm flying from Australia to the US soon to scratch my rocket nerd itch and will be in Texas for the first week of June .... fingers crossed that IFT4 flies while I'm in the neighborhood!

[@peteregan3862]

Should expect the hwy to be turned into a 4-lane divided road between Massey and the launch site _~12 km) - this will allow SpaceX to use one roadway for rocket transport. A new two-lane roadway would be built first, everyone would use it while the original one is rebuilt. We should expect a four-laning to be extended back to connect with the route 48/511 junction as it takes forever to upgrade a two-lane road with traffic running on it. Again, it is build a new two-lave road beside the existing, then upgrade the existing two-lane road. Should expect the new roadways to be built on top of the underground electrical ducts.

[@SaltStore]

Thumpnail game yet again on point ;)

[@riseup3117]

There has to be a plan for on-site production of gases at any launch pace beyond 1 per quarter

[@shaung949]

It's in the plans for 39a

[@thesprinklerguy2598]

when I think of the V rocket "V2" I think of the first object to space

[@shwormy]

So, June launch most likely? Not sure how to interpret the supposed damage..

[@ReggieArford]

More roads? I'm surprised that they don't have their own railroad connection, to ship more in in bulk (steel, gasses, etc.).

[@danielroden9424]

why didnt starship 28 have multi directional thrusters to prevent unwanted pitch/yaw/roll or keep it stable? i would that that is necessary for maneuvering but also fine tuning the orientation in general

[@pfilippone]

Agreed. I'd like clarification on this. Surely they had some way to maneuver the ship before adding the new roll vents?

[@kstricl]

They had cold vents near the engines that they attempted to use for roll control. They were also the dump vents for the liquid oxygen, but they froze up. You could see ice chunks coming off during the flight. Heaters on the vent line and nozzle might have resolved the issue, but hot thrusters are a well established tech that they can depend on.

[@danielroden9424]

@@kstricl the problem with hot thrusters is you lose the heat after engines cut off and if fuel sloshes you lose the "hot" part of the tank

[@AmgineIX]

@@danielroden9424hot gas thrusters are hot because they combust O2 and CH4 in their own little pressure fed combustion chamber. Temp of propellants has nothing to do with it.

[@kstricl]

@@danielroden9424 I was thinking of hot thrusters more along the lines of a thruster that burns a hypergolic propellent like the Space Shuttle. One solution I could foresee is using a thruster with an integrated heating element that they feed off the header tank, much smaller volume so reliable feed would be less of an issue. Regardless, they cannot allow the vents to ice up or the mission will fail again.

[@SP4CEBAR]

Wait a second, daily videos??? Let's goooo!!!

[@peterclarke3020]

I am a bit surprised that they are not building the new tower a little higher now, in anticipation of Starship V2 and V3.. V2 is actually little different in height to V1. The bigger difference will come with V3.

[@shaung949]

V2 they just need to adjust the height of the QD arm. Going to be interesting how they get V3 on the tower.

[@bryanillenberg]

@@shaung949 by adjusting the height of the QD arm. It'll look absurd, but it should work

[@sp66-know-try-think]

Not all problems can be solved in one fell swoop by luck. It is more logical to practice the landing of the SuperHeavy separately, gradually increasing the maximum lift height, descent speed and difficulty of receiving it with the mechazilla. It is also more logical to land the Starship not immediately at orbital speed, but to increase the speed of entry into the atmosphere gradually, step by step. Simple problems are easier to solve. When a certain level of complexity is reached with a bunch of factors, the search for a solution can take a long time...

[@KyberSpace47]

Why can't they use the flaps for roll? Rolls too much to the left, lift the right flaps to reduce drag on that side, it should be as trivial as pitch though would have to work with the pitch as to not prioritise roll over pitch vice-versa

[@euleesys]

The new design of Starship Version 2 reminds me of Elon Musk's suggestion that rockets should have a more pointed shape. 😊😊❤️❤️

[@scottramos7949]

B-14.1 is a fermentation tank for the new BrewX Pub.

[@jeffevarts8757]

Just after @13:15 you say "most optimal"... Bzzt. "Editor needed in aisle one."

[@brianboye8025]

Perlite is more like aerated volcanic glass. Glass foam?

[@vickomf1]

What’s the latest on Starbase Florida?

[@kenkahn138]

Can't wait to see what they've come up with to stop that role or oscillation in the booster. 100 to 300 tons of fuel moving at different rates in different tanks has got to change your center of gravity,, or am I thinking wrong on this?

[@LeonardWWard]

I’m sure I’m not the first person to notice the new flap looks like a Star destroyer.

[@Shattered3582]

i was waiting for the time until spacex would want to revamp or build a new road for starbase

[@LordDustinDeWynd]

11:18 14.1 military test article?