Why SpaceX thinks, they need a new Starship Booster!

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SpaceX makes progress towards their next flight of Starship. Will this be the booster to fly it? Pad B is nearing completion rapidly, while revealing a few surprises! Booster 17 is halfway done. Will it even get the chance to fly? The next generation of boosters takes a giant leap closer to reality!
#spaceX #starship #starbase #nasa
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Editing: John Young, Alex Potvin, Stefanie Schlang
Photography: Jordan Guidry, Sean Doherty, John Winkopp & Stefanie Schlang
3D Animation: Voop3D
Script & Research: Nathan, Felix Schlang
LIVE Production: Jonathan Heuer, Jordan Guidry
Host: Felix Schlang
Production: Stefanie & Felix Schlang
Graphics & Media Processing: Jonathan Heuer, Felix Schlang
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[@Whataboutit]

The Mars Gallery Limited Editions: Use Code “WAIFREE” for free shipping. Sign up at themarsgallery.com/ for exclusive discounts! ➡WAI Script Writer Application: forms.gle/4wLeuCS8cAWiH73z9

[@skyserf]

Patreon subscriber here. Please, please, please add chapters to your videos.

[@oliviul]

that a job!

[@PeaceMarauder]

Your editor needs some help too ;)

[@theod9548]

very competitive in the salary world means as low as possible. was it what you meant ?

[@mohitexperiment1694]

I am Mohit As Per Your Requirement I am Able to Work as A Scriptwriter For WAI Team . Thank You.

[@filipmaruska3983]

Please put timestamps into the video, with the massive amount of information you give us, it would make watching your videos more pleasant.

[@BCR81]

massive? (im sorry)

[@cillianwilliamson16]

New* information . Lots of filler repeat news.

[@marktuyet]

Make that your job.

[@BrianKaitschuck]

You know they always have to put repeat fillers because there's not much new information to keep talking about. Give them a break you couldn't do any better.

[@Trevordotdee]

@@BCR81LOW TAPER FADEEEEEE

[@juliusfoster3443]

Thanks!

[@MichaelCarriger]

If I weren't retired and living in Oregon, I'd talk to you about helping out. However, at 75 with a bad back, my days are limited to enjoying your postings. Keep up all the great work! Thanks for giving me somthing to look forward to.

[@dougrundell]

I agree. I too live in Oregon and am retired but I'm only 72 and would love to provide help in some way.

[@deanjohnson4597]

@@MichaelCarriger so putting your hand over your heart then shoving it out to your audience is a bad thing?

[@ReplyBy]

Can't even watch with all the comercials😢

[@alexwainwright3592]

​@ReplyBy pay for KZbin premium then tight ass

[@TheJimtanker]

@@deanjohnson4597 Nope, nothing wrong with that. It was all the rage in 1940's Germany.

[@davidgoodwin9594]

Onward and Upward!! 😄👍

[@StereoSpace]

I remember watching a video on KZbin about ten years ago, narrated by an Apollo Program engineer, that reviewed launch footage of Saturn V launches. He described in detail what was happening at each moment of the launch sequence. I specifically remember the quick disconnect, and how it was completely retracted inside a room with a steel door on the launch tower for protection.

[@IsabinMarius]

Come to think of it, I remember it clear as daylight too. So yes, why are they not shielding it as in hiding it completely?

[@gmarie701]

Evens so, that room you describe and the connections within were often severely damaged anyway, but that was never really highlighted very much.

[@shaung949]

@@IsabinMarius Makes it more complex, this is only the first design and they are learning what not to do for the next one.

[@IsabinMarius]

@@shaung949 I'd say a thing to not do in future is leave it exposed... Lol.

[@DrMackSplackem]

I remember that, IIRC he also has a really good one on the Apollo 10 LEM descent stage jettison.

[@TimStCroix]

17:20 While the booster can't travel that far *while boosting a fully fueled Starship,* that wouldn't be the case for transferring the booster alone. I'm sure it could make it that far without all that extra mass. Just slap a conical cap on top to increase it's aerodynamic property.

[@jakistam1000]

Also, can't you transport it by water? I think parts of Saturn V were transported that way.

[@16CHK]

The booster alone can easily generate enough Delta-v to travel ballistically over the 1700 km to Cape Canaveral.

[@OneIdeaTooMany]

It's too round on the top. It needs to be pointy otherwise it will look like a giant ***** as it flies towards them.

[@peterkowalcheck8465]

I've been thinking the same thing since they started the launch infrastructure in Florida. Boosters can probably make the trip if they're not hoisting the second stage. Just add an aerodynamic cone like the Falcon Heavy boosters.

[@appliedfacts]

​@@OneIdeaTooMany Yeah, baby, yeah! Shag it rotten!

[@NorthernFabandMachineLLC]

Congratulations on growing that’s a big step!

[@francobianconi9227]

About the retractable platform and launch mount, making a single ramp that could serve both purposes would be almost trivial.

[@jdrou]

Great video!

[@genelane2243]

SpaceX - the first company with reusable rockets and non-reusable launch pads 🤣

[@markysspotlight2472]

Thank you Felix and WAI team 🫶 We appreciate your hard work 💪 Looking forward to next flight 🚀 excitement guaranteed!

[@mrdebris1217]

Thanks, Felix and team, for this update. The amount of details is amazing.

[@kenhazelbaker4952]

Felix, what a great post = all straight forward facts, no gimmick entertainment. Thanks. The fantastic photo quality and composition of the shots is wonderful - thanks for so many good photos supporting your narrative. Again, this was a great post on all aspects. You and your team did indeed rock.

[@BloodArtist24]

Hey! Love the content, never be afraid to throw the extra little starbase details in there for us, even if the video is longer, I dont think any of us mind a longer video from you

[@Whataboutit]

Thank you very much! We're working on some extra content similar to our Raptor story right now! Two videos are in the works! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJTapphtn7Kerdk

[@Davidice2005]

@@Whataboutit seeing an hour + long video of the devopment af starbase would be amazing

[@voidstarq]

Good! Because the switch to Block 2 went so well for the Ship stage.

[@StevenIngram]

Makes sense. If they're going to get anywhere near 25 launches this year, they need 2 launch towers and twice the production rate. And to hit the goal at this point (with the 2nd tower behind schedule and the having to perform a mishap investigation), they'll absolutely need to reuse some hardware on top.

[@lanav9679]

Mars Gallery ! Wow ! SUUPPEERRR !!

[@ARandomNick]

They don't have to build boosters in Florida... they can just fly them there from starbase and catch them, right? 😉

[@mikesiemens8672]

Depends on the costs but hey, why not? They’re reusable after all. Just want to make sure that they’re not mistaken for an incoming missile.

[@Coconutrails]

Sounds like a good plan but they will still need another production facility to make as many ships needed

[@Chris.Davies]

The single most expensive way to transport any item is via space launch. You know that, right?

[@brianbiddle7590]

​@Chris.Davies but what if, this is rectal speculation, the booster was used for a payload launch and than land at the cape?

[@MolloRelax]

@@brianbiddle7590 I guess that would depend on the remaining fuel supply for the booster guidance to its new coordinates

[@psynchro]

Joining the “WAI team” made me pause for a second to understand what I just heard 😂 Great work felix and team.

[@strungrender1779]

Great work as always Felix and crew!

[@nerdwatch1017]

They could always use a massive shipping container load like 10 boosters and starships onto them then ship them over through the golf

[@PeaceMarauder]

The Golf of America :P

[@billreal76]

WOW ... 😮 ... That's a lot of information packed onto one report!

[@WGMojo]

I watched the Mars Gallery sponsor then got a Mars Gallery KZbin advert 😂

[@pavelmachala]

mobile launch mount would be great to protect it during landing.

[@Contortionfan11]

Felix, you make a valid point about the difficulty of transporting a large booster or ship once built. If the Starfactory in Texas is the place that all future ships and boosters will be built from and the Cape in Florida is where most future ships and boosters will be launched from, then SpaceX are going to need a solid plan for how to transport these all the way to Florida. Perhaps by ship/barge?

[@davidl.cooperpe5011]

I think that the boosters would be more than capable of reaching Florida if they did not have a starship on top of them.

[@dougrundell]

Why not line the areas of the launch fire trough with the same type of tiles as used on the ship?

[@petermcguire8260]

When you wash each section of starship going together. You notice that the final flaps are only on the final piece and it overlaps the one in front of it by a lot and doesn't really touch it by much. That's why most of it can burn away and the hinges all the way out in a different piece of the tube.

[@vistaero]

There are exactly 1662km (1033 miles) from Starbase launch pad to the Cape Canaveral launch pad. Pretty sure both Super Heavy and Starship should be able to fly on their own on a suborbital trajectory. With an apogee of 120km, target speed should be just 5526 km/h (3433 mph). Super Heavy is already faster than this when carrying Starship, so it could fly even higher and faster. Just stick an aerodynamic cone to the booster to keep the efficiency. If they won't do this, the actual problem probably is flying over populated areas.

[@TheChipMcDonald]

Ultimately he's got to have a pair of towers working in tandem, with dedicated mobile launch and recovery stands. He can't expect to protect the OLM from the blast of a catch spraying all around it. Just have a dedicated, spartan recovery crawler. Particularly if wants to really turnaround fast in the future. For that matter he needs all facilities connected by rail, prep on the mobile OLM, save all of the rigging, loading, unloading, rigging when moving the boosters around.

[@mbugal]

I can see Booster 14 being the first to be static fired but I doubt that they want to take the chance on another RUD this soon after Ship 33 by actually flying 14 now. The other possibility is that 14 maybe used to launch the first test item for the Starship Tanker version. Time will tell.

[@jeffevarts8757]

Will someone eventually explain the "why" behind the various place names? Why is the Sanchez site called Sanchez, Massey's, etc. Might make a neat "bonus" episode.

[@Codysdab]

Massey's was because it used to be a gun shop and shooting range there. Spacex brought it and Massey's itself moved down the road closer to Brownsville.

[@ronaldlebeck9577]

Hey Felix, any new info on the Raptor 4 engines?

[@Gerpsnot]

This is my stop to get info about SpaceX.

[@harrymacdonald858]

ITS A CARTOON .

[@Gerpsnot]

@@harrymacdonald858 No, dude.... YOU"RE the cartoon so welcome to LALA land.

[@richardzeitz54]

As always, I love your reporting. Gotta say it, tho': SpaceX is not "fully steam ahead." It's "full steam ahead." That's because the saying comes from the era of steam power, and steam engines running at maximum were "at full steam." Like a steamboat. "The captain commanded 'full steam ahead!'" Sorry to nitpick but it would be a shame if we lost the true meaning of the saying. There's a rich history behind it. Just imagine if a hundred year from now, people forget the terms from today and lose the rich history of today's transportation technology! It would be sad if Starship/Superheavy was forgotten. The history of transportation power and technology is worth remembering! Keep up the great work. I look forwards to every WAI video.

[@Scanner9631]

Like when people think it is "tow the line" when it is "toe the line" as you were being told to stand with your toes up against the line painted on the ground but not ON the line. Or trolling a forum has nothing to do with the mythical troll but is a fishing term for trailing a lure in front of an area fish were believed to be in.

[@richardzeitz54]

@@Scanner9631 I often read criticism of efforts to correct and maintain language, where the person says "language is a living thing, always changing" and sure, it is, but when it's just a matter of forgetting what something meant, it makes sense to remind people - there's a difference between changing usage and simple information loss. I used to think it was "tow the line" and was surprised to learn it is "toe the line." I'd rather admit my mistake and learn something. That troll thing got me too, which is silly because I was an avid angler as a young man.

[@YoussefBoulal]

This content is gold! Thanks for generously sharing your knowledge.

[@16CHK]

The booster alone can easily generate enough Delta-v to travel the 1,700 km to Cape Canaveral. It would require a provisional nose cone etc.

[@shaung949]

and the FAA to aprove the flight over land.

[@misty.gt243]

But it also needs to have a big entry burn since it would be traveling at blazing speeds enough to severely damage the booster, and a landing burn.

[@misty.gt243]

And it’s just too risky to fly over land.

[@16CHK]

@@misty.gt243 Thankfully, the booster has sufficient fuel reserves to handle both maneuvers effectively, especially since no boostback burn is required. In the future, the Starship will also fly over land. But all of this will take time. I think if it is the most efficient way, SpaceX will try it.

[@BackUp-z4t]

Great video. Thanks again.

[@kennfrey2002]

Wai just posted!🎉

[@letsgobrandon416]

I really hope they are saving examples of these boosters for museums. I know that is a waste of funds now but it will be invaluable in inspiring future generations in the coming decades.

[@cro-valentino]

Video is under 20min .. that's crazy

[@stuartgibson9755]

That speculative launch mount is very Thunderbirds.

[@christopherlawley1842]

or Fireball XL5

[@Kadath_Gaming]

Visually I think of Starship as a blend of of Thunderbird 1 and 2.

[@RektTangle]

When I first started getting interested in SpaceX, I was confused as to why they chose not to have a trench for the first launch pad. When I thought of rockets, I thought of the trench to redirect the flames.

[@XCX237]

Great video Felix 👍

[@malhardeshkar5650]

babe wake up wai just posted!!

[@flightsimdev]

From how I see pad B flame trench, it's going to change shape after the first launch, the diverter in the middle is going to disappear very fast, or be just blown away, from the middle out, we shall see how well it works after the first launch.

[@tommoritz6659]

If you have to tilt the rocket away from the launch tower during launch, and you have to point the flamey end toward the tower to stop the sideways motion of the booster during a catch, maybe putting the booster quick disconnect at the base of the tower wasn't the best engineering decision.

[@Jim-tb3]

Should Space X create a water deluge system for the quick disconnect fuel hoses?

[@marcusoutdoors4999]

I loved the final render for Florida

[@blackoppsman702]

Theoretically the boosters could be launched without a ship on top to be flown to Florida and caught. Since they are re-usable and they are building a star factory 2.0(1.2?) there, this will almost certainly never happen, but the deltaV for the trip is definitely there.

[@simongeard4824]

Are you factoring "slow down and land at the other end" into your calculations? It's hard to get good numbers, but best I can tell, an _expended_ Falcon 9 booster travels about 1000km downrange. It seems doubtful that even without a payload, a Starship booster can make it 1700km with enough in the tanks to make re-entry, braking and landing burns...

[@blackoppsman702]

@@simongeard4824 I was only factoring in a landing burn. No braking or re-entry. I was also using theoretical booster V3 numbers with raptor V3 (although it seems that by booster V3 we'll be on raptor 4). But we don't know the exact thermal protection numbers on booster so its possible it would need a re-entry burn to avoid too much heating. It was also very back of the napkin math so should absolutely be taken with a grain of salt. And there are multiple other problems like aerodynamic losses from having a flat cylinder top, or even aerodynamic stability. As it may just end up flipping if it were launched with no ship on top due to the drag. Really was more of just a fun hypothetical as they have the numbers for it but I don't really see the need for them to ever actually do it.

[@simongeard4824]

@@blackoppsman702 Yeah, I think a re-entry burn would absolutely be needed for that profile. They're not doing one for normal booster operations (unlike Falcon), but the engine damage seen after flight 5 suggests that they're close to the limits... if they were coming down much faster, they'd need more than just aerobraking. And yeah, no idea what the flight characteristics would be like. You'd need a nose cone (like the FH side boosters have) rather than a flat top, but certainly the distribution of forces will be far outside the usual profile.

[@Winkkin]

I like BOTH!!

[@Gwydion67]

Thrilling news, as always. Thank you so much, Felix and whole team! 👍 Joining you would be a tempting thought, esp. since my current job and employment will end soon. But since my heart beats for our ecology even more, spaceflight should remain hobby, as long as Master Elon and colleagues still allow my fandom (already stressed to my limits). Chapeau for your resilience. 🎩🙇‍♂️😉

[@pierregagnon8204]

Why not line the whole trench with heat tiles? That would really help divert the heat coupled by the angle and water cooling

[@Codysdab]

Heat tiles would break under the hammer force of the engines. Re-entry heat is hotter, but not as forceful.

[@vawlkus]

Kinda think Booster 14 will be reused for the next launch, 15 will be saved for the first orbital attempt, and 17 built as a backup incase of issues with either 14 or 15.

[@isi-lr8oh]

we already know that test tank 16 isnt a block 2 test article, because in the spacex renders og block 2 booster, the grid fins are 90 degrees from eachother, but test tank 16 has the block 1 design

[@gustavinus]

I was wondering how many Falcon 9 Boosters were ever build. XAI/Grok told me: As of the latest information, SpaceX has produced 45 Falcon 9 Block 5 boosters (does not include previous versions). So, it took only 45 vehicles to completely revolutionize Space Travel in half a decade.

[@MichaelHelms-t8n]

Felix, I can't see the application link. I want "in". 66, retired professional pilot and energy business owner. Great writing and communication skills. Let's talk. PLEASE.

[@Whataboutit]

Here you go! forms.gle/4wLeuCS8cAWiH73z9

[@hamsterSNAKE]

They need to build a Mag-Lev rail system that can carry the booster and ship to the OML, and have it run along side the highway.

[@julianfp1952]

My guess is no booster re-fly on the next flight. They lost the ship last time & missed out on getting all of that valuable pez dispenser and extra reentry data (various extra heat shield tests and testing the thermal integrity of the ship catching pins) so I suspect that SpaceX is going to want to de-risk the next flight as much as possible to make sure that the ship makes it to reentry.

[@appliedfacts]

You make a Good point about de-risking the next launch. Considering the previous booster worked well, that may be a less risky one to use than an untried one. Maybe.

[@julianfp1952]

@ Fair point. There are arguments both ways. We’re all guessing and we’ll find out soon enough. Not in February I fear, despite what Elon said, but maybe the second half of March is my guess.

[@petermcguire8260]

The Tower a was built with the engine design of block one. Once you add a block to with a different engine design you must go to a more universal or Tower b where anything can be launched from.

[@andrewkelly8127]

An excellent episode, Felix. Your detailed, timely research into what’s happening at Starbase (including the subtle but significant changes that are mostly ignored by other observers) and at Roberts Road, is impressive. And your speculations as to what is really happening behind the scenes are accordingly more thoughtful and considered. Gone are the days of “it must be a water tower”. Now, thanks to your videos, we are forced to think more clearly and creatively about what SpaceX are actually up to. Keep it up! 👏

[@EngineerCreeper]

Since the QD arm gets burned at every landing, why not move the arm to the other side of the OLM, that way no matter how much the flames lick the base of the tower QD would be safe

[@julianfp1952]

Widespread speculation is that that’s exactly what they are doing with Pad B. The way the commodities trench for Pad B runs along the outer (furthest from the tower) side of the flame trench strongly supports this speculation.

[@AndyR-ml3qf]

Nice to think the Idea supporting you in the Team. But for sure i am to old 😊

[@747puppyfat]

Fully steam ahead implies they are moving to steam engines. Full steam ahead is the phrase.

[@Crazy_Worlds]

If they burnt H2 then “fully steam ahead” would be more or less appropriate. As it is, part of Felix’s charm is his battle with English idioms, or idiomatic English if you prefer.

[@scottymoondogjakubin4766]

Reusing booster 14 makes sense !

[@clavo3352]

Really nice video!

[@MrTsubasa00]

Why dont they install the booster QD on the other side of OLM? The booster while landing, fires at its current position at the moment. If its on the other side i think it will not come in contact with the flames

[@JFJ12]

I've been suggesting, in stead of tower catching, a movable platform for landing an launching before, but people replied it would be to difficult and to costly to build. 😂 But the Chinese already use it at Jiuquan and to help guide and fix the landing booster and ship, I could imagine some structures like the 4 arms they use at the Baikonur Cosmodrome that move close to the vehicles, instead of the chopsticks. Under these landing/launch platforms, should be big fire flame pits.

[@guss77]

SpaceX should fly boosters from Boca Chica to Cape Canaveral.

[@edwardson6825]

Can I hitch a ride?

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

Starship booster *Blawk Tuah*

[@buzzkeeto60]

Pretty sure they will use both facilities and maybe more to eventually reach their goal of space exploration and settlement

[@valbard6596]

Love your stuff WAI. ❤

[@doughoogsteen8195]

Why is the pad B flame trench asymmetric?

[@petergiammanco7092]

Just wanted to say you’re awesome bro 🎉 Great coverage on space insights and congratulations on growing the team. Godspeed, king🚀

[@rlbmsmith]

The mobile launch mount makes the most economical sense. Just like a dedicated mobile trolley at some car mfg. Something to be integrated into the starship building process?

[@_Mutineer]

Hi Felix. The speculation on the added area of rebar at OLM2 seems a bit off to me. Why would SpaceX need a movable launch mount? If the chopsticks are to remain as the primary method of placing the Starship stack (booster and ship) onto the OLM, there would be no need for a movable OLM. Even if there was a reason that this may be useful, the likelihood of that reason justifying the huge expense (engineering + construction) is minimal, plus the Booster would be at an acute angle when translating up the needed ramp, again, why?. However, as you covered, there may be a good reason for this additional area to be constructed, a movable "dance floor" makes perfect sense IMHO.

[@jonbaker3728]

Why can't they just disconnect the QDC a second or two before launch. Then everything can get inside shelter?

[@stevenburns704]

I still can't get away from the notion that despite adding weight and possibly losing a little cargo space the addition of landing legs which are needed for mars and moon landings anyway landing next to the tower would solve so many issues, namely repair work on the launch pads. It's so easy to get locked into and idea and become fixated on making it work rather than say let's come at this from a different angle. Just a thought.

[@spencerarno5565]

I think I missed the application deadline? Or is there a new link?

[@spencerarno5565]

I was just finalising my space update as below... Hello friends, Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm Spencer applying for a role writing for your amazing channel. I've got a quick space update for you. Blue Ghost. Launched on January 15th on top of SpaceX's Falcon 9 as part of NASA's CLPS program, which is part of the Artemis program, this little lander is currently in a highly elliptical Earth orbit in preparation for it's Trans Lunar Injection burn in the coming days. The CLPS program is a NASA program to hire private companies to test some of the technologies that will be needed for Artemis' ultimate goal of re-establishing human presence on the moon, including in-situ resource utilisation. Launched alongside Hakuto R, a Japanese lander with a mini-rover, this will be the second attempt to soft land on the moon for both Japan and the US since both nations had their landers land on their sides back in early 2024. Slightly sad face emoji... Packed with lot's of science and technology to work with and test there is certainly great potential for this mission. The instruments included on Blue Ghost include the Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploitation with Repidity, or Lister, which will measure thermal activity to a depth of 2-3 meters. Also included is the Lunar Planet Vacuum which will use pneumatic suction to gather materials rather than using a drill. This will reduce the complexity and maintenance requirements for resource utilisation moving forward. I hope this update finds you well. It was fun writing it. Thank you for your consideration.

[@jeffperry8068]

Great work as always!!!

[@petermcguire8260]

Would it be interesting to take a piece that came back from space and put it on the can crusher and see what it got worse? Or how many flights you're into it you can then can crush it.

[@Britts58]

Just a thought, If they increased the height of the launch towers 50%, catching a returning booster or starship would be less damaging to the ground? Possibly launching it while suspended in the air with chopsticks would also be less damaging? Might require stronger chopsticks…

[@Vastafari34]

I love the bloopers!

[@ianPedlar]

Now that they have the chopsticks installed on tower B I predict that the next launch will catch both the booster and the starship. Whaddaya think?

[@Scanner9631]

Next launch will be like launch 7 was supposed to be, non orbital. They didn't get a test on the effects on the mock up "catch pins" and the modified heat shielding for 2 things that need more testing first.

[@farfaireddexterity1683]

Would it be possible for a booster, fitted with a temporary nose cone, to do a launch and flip maneuver with a reentry burn like falcon to the cape? I mean imagine what it could do without the ship as a payload.

[@Lythrox]

I whish I could just be involved in the discussions that contribute to the writing.

[@themartinator56]

Hey Felix, I must admit that it is more and more challenging for me to watch your videos since Elon hast been completely unhinged in past months. I've been keenly watching since SN1 and I really really enjoyed your enthusiasm and passion about space travel and I so share that. My issues are the new developments with Elon (e.g. him endorsing die beschissene AfD). I know that your Channel is a news outlet about everything "space" but since the core of WAI always has been SpaceX i feel that there is some responsibility to put things into perspective. Reason for that is that you portray their work overwhelmingly positively (mostly rightfully so). I dont want to tell you or your team what to so but I want to give you some insight into a German space nerds thoughts. I can imagine that it is a sensible topic and it is hard to maneuver with the positive character of the channel. Nevertheless we are not talking about childish Elon-jokes and business decisions. The scope of things have changed I guess. To finish up... I personally would love for you to give your opinion about current happenings and maybe be a little more critical here and there. Best wishes Martin

[@gregggrina3240]

Felix? They can get a booster to the Cape without using roads to transport. How did they get TOWER2 over to Starbase Texas from Florida?? They couldn't use roads because of size restrictions so the used Barges to bring over tower 2 segments. This could be done with the boosters too but from Texas to Florida. Lay them flat for transport from Starbase to Port of Brownsville then barge them over to the cape like they did Saturn V 1st stage.

[@Dowskiify]

Felix you know a moderate size barge will easily carry 3 superheavy boosters right?

[@mikesbasement6954]

15:36 Looks more like Umbrella Corporation getting involved

[@steaditex]

I have a question I hope you might be able to answer. On Friday, January 24th, I was driving south through Lampasas, TX on Hwy 281 when I saw a huge oversized load coming in the opposite direction. As I passed by it I saw that it was cylindrical, covered with tarps and the back end had the distinct shape of rocket engine nozzles. Could that have been a Falcon 9? And if so, what was it doing going up Hwy 281 in central Texas?! Where was it going?

[@gmarie701]

Could the very large slab next to the flame trench possibly hold a ground mounted, movable booster quick disconnect system to swing out of the way during lift-off and booster catch/landing, just like the tower mounted ship quick disconnect?

[@oskark312]

1:37 o... a camaro.! (car guy problems)

[@dawsonrivers23]

Oh yeah she was looking good right there

[@craigpalatchie2607]

maybe they should move the booster QD to the opposite side of the pad ( away from the tower)

[@ANGRY_AMERICAN]

The Booster QD and bottom half of tower needs rainbirds to reduce the number of repairs between flights for launch and landing.

[@shaung949]

They have water cooling built into the new launch mount.

[@ANGRY_AMERICAN]

@@shaung949 True but that will not help the tower and booster QD during takeoff and landing and that is the problem with the olm now is the booster QD gets roasted. A rainbird that starts when the hood shuts would absorb a lot of thermal energy.

[@shaung949]

@ they may have water cooling integrated into the new QD hood, not seen the new QD yet so too early to tell but they don't normaly make the same mistake twice.

[@colinbarnard6512]

If KSC is meant to be Starship's operational base, will the company build a second gantry there as well? After all, with no traditional LES, the Ship itself IS the LES. Should an operational, crewed Ship need to RTB after lift off, and with the possible RTB of both stages, KSC would NEED two. Unless, an emergency RTB could go to Star base, after one(ish) orbits.

[@puddintame7794]

I don't understand why they don't catch the booster next to the launch mount instead of directly over it. (Catch it in the raise lower side).

[@SBHLL]

That doesn’t fit with the trajectory the booster is coming in and I thing that is also not so good for the chopsticks mechanically.

[@puddintame7794]

@@SBHLL True enough... Yet the damage to the very expensive launch platform would be mitigated.

[@frankderks1150]

Not needed. Only three engines and catch is higher then pad level.

[@danieldickens1718]

Where can I by a small copy of the hole stare base including everything like Lego?...

[@birdsghost]

When ft8 will Happen?

[@kooboos89]

In the end of february if FAA accept it

[@zachmdful]

According to Elon "...Nothing so far suggests pushing next launch past next month." In an X post on 1/16/25 I haven't heard of any proposed launch dates.